thinking about church...

was on a website today for a community in austin called mosaic and i was just floating around being hugely inspired by what God is doing in their midst and i read this,

regarding their small groups - "provide a place where the gospel connects with life and where we connect with each other and the world. While slowly learning how “to do life together” groups will talk through and wrestle with what it means to follow Christ together."

so simple but spot on. my personal experience of small groups over the years is really mixed. the biggest thing that has always glared at me is the inability of the samll group to have any longevity to it. the only time the small community had a definite longevity other stuff shut it down.

then a bit further down i read this - "Note, though, that some groups are full: they can’t grow any more and still be “small groups.” Others may be difficult to join if they’re reading a specific book, and won’t be able to make any progress if they’re recapping every week."

how refreshing is that. no one is excluded but some groups are protected because the important stuff that goes on between individuals as they connect together and get close and raw is not there to be abused or broken up. it's to be invested in. and also that in inviting someone to join a small group they respect you enough to say that some groups are open but may be difficult cos they're in the middle of stuff and the people in the group are respected enough to be given space so that they don't have to keep getting disrupted.

obviously, all this is fine when you have enough groups for new people to slot in to the best space but it's God that builds it and God respects us, values us, loves us, loves the raw and vulnerable stuff that goes on amongst his children when they "talk through and wrestle with what it means to follow Christ together". God will show our communities a way too until we start to put God into th 'community tool' or the 'program' or 'the way we do things round here'.

hey mosaic, amen amen amen!!! a million blessings on everything you are doing and everything God is giving you.

one more thing... God it's good to be blogging again!!