What I’ve been noticing more and more are the Christians who cut down other Christians. I’m convinced that if the final judgment day happens exactly as so many think it will, many of us are in trouble. Because if God is who God claims to be, we’ll have to answer for much more than how many people we helped lead to Christ.

What about the pastor who got fired because I started a Facebook group claiming he wasn’t a real Christian?

What about the friend who sank into a deep depression when I stopped talking to her because I found out she voted for *gasp* Obama?

What about that group of people I called out as heretics simply because they believed we should feed the hungry then tell them about why we’re loving them?

I’m concerned about the witch hunt of the early 21^st century. Sure, no one really gets burned at the stake. But the damage we knowingly do to one another doesn’t go unnoticed. By Christians like me who at those moments are ashamed to also be Christians. By non-Christians who decide if that’s the way we treat each other, who needs Jesus? By God, who created and loves absolutely every one of us—even when we can’t seem to love each other.

photo credit: bowtoo

We have set up a facebook album with all the submissions we’ve received so far. So, stop by and “like” your favorite submission. The photo with the most “likes” will win a free copy of The Mosaic Experiment.

But when was the last time we really communicated with each other? With the exception of mailing birthday cards (only to my immediate family, of course), I can’t recall the last time I sent an actual letter. My own communication has become sterile. Generic. Formulaic. I have dear friends scattered across the country who are journeying through difficult times–or at least experiencing considerable life changes.  At the moment, I know how none of them are doing.

Hebrews 3:13 instructs Christians to “encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today.”

But how can we begin to encourage each other, to love and hope for and build up each other, when all we know of each other is what we find when we type their names in the Facebook search box?

Maybe you’re better at real human interaction than I’ve found I am at the moment. Just to be sure though, hopefully like me, you’re taking mental inventory of those you value the most. And hopefully, you’ll pick up the phone. Or make a coffee date. Or send a note…

“Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today”…

Photo credit: DeclanTM

Why Moses? Because he was the inspiration for The Mosaic Experiment, and his beard graces the cover. So, we thought we would give everyone the chance to have their very own Moses. So download the template to make your own Moses here. Then once you make him, snap a picture of Moses in action–hanging out with you at work, ridding shotty in your car, keeping you company as you sip your morning latte. Send us your photo.

The best photo will win a free copy of The Mosaic Experiment!

Send all pictures to:

All photos must be in by September 7th, 2010.

• I am asking for grace, that God will give it to such a screw-up as me, and that he will supply it to me so that I can give it to others. Grace seems to be in short supply among the Christian family these days.
• That us Christians would stop being some of the ugliest people on earth, giving every reason for non-Christians to run as far away as possible so they don’t get sucked into the verbal cesspool.
• That God would unify me with my brothers and sisters in Christ who are also part of his body.

Will you join me in this prayer?

source: besimo

Thanks Pastor Scott. This is an insight too helpful to keep to ourselves.

5. Undesirable people will worship with you (well, undesirable by the world’s standards).
This is another area of Christianity where we like to add things to the gospel that simply aren’t there. Jesus never said that church should be a place where no one should smell, everyone should dress the same, and people should always behave in an appropriate manner. Unfortunately, church has become such a sterile place; those who need it most won’t enter its doors. Intentional Communities reach out to those leery of entering a traditional church, reaching people more open to worship in a living room or a local park.

Some people may smell and there will be interesting stories, but God meets these people in the same way he meets with us and to be a part of that is far more important than our odor preference.

4. You’re going to get stabbed in the back.
With everything in life, there will be victories and there will be defeat. In intentional community you will constantly be ministering to those in need, you will find that some take advantage of you over and over again—but for others, you will be the person God uses to bring his message. We are called to love, what we think they may do with that love should not change how often and how much we give.

3. You will always have a small church.
Intentional Communities by their nature are meant to be small and intimate, so you probably should not look to start one if your hope is to become the next mega-church or if numbers are how you judge successful ministry. When an intentional community begins to grow, there are always opportunities to start a second or third one in a neighboring community.

Also, with communities that remain small, there is less time spent worrying about administrative work and more time spent on individual relationships.

2. You may not get recognized for your hard work.
There is humility in being a part of an intentional community. You probably won’t get recognized for the work you do, but does earthly recognition really matter? Jesus never wanted recognition; he just wanted to do the will of his father. Didn’t Christ warn us about the dangers in seeking earthly recognition?

1. Many people will hate you.
Living in an intentional community will be controversial. While it is living the gospel, you may be accused of being liberal, turning away from your faith or being irresponsible. However, persecution strengthens character and forces you to rely on God more than ever.  We are again faced with the question, ‘what is our driving motivation?  For Christ, faithfulness to his Father rarely resulted in a standing ovation, at least not an earthly one.

So you have heard what we think, what do you think of living in intentional community?

It’s considered radical, moving into an intentional community—sharing your house and possessions with others while ministering to the community in which you live. For the last two days, Bruce has discussed the difficulties that can arise in choosing to live in intentional community, but those difficulties are also the very reasons many Christians consider radically changing the lifestyle they have grown accustomed to.

10. Extremely idealistic meets extremely practical every day.

For the most part, in America we live predictable, comfortable lives. But Jesus was far from predictable. He dined with sinners and selected a group of misfits as his twelve closest friends. As Christians, Christ has called us to reach out to the poor and open our church doors to everyone, but this ideal seldom happens and real relationship with those people rarely occurs. In intentional community, that ideal, the dream of the early church in Acts, can begin to form. And with planning and discernment, intentional community is where practicality and idealism can meet.

And you may get stolen from and you may get used, but fearing what may happen shouldn’t stop you from what Christ has called you to do. Too many times we chose a non-intrusive, unimposing version of the gospel instead of something that looks like the life of Jesus.

9. You don’t just have to learn to live with your own family, you have to learn to live with others.
Christ calls us to participate in community, and that is hard to accomplish on Sunday mornings alone. So while it is not imperative that you live under one roof, the accountability, support, and Christian community that would form in doing so would be beneficial toward your ministry and purpose (not to mention learning patience and mercy for personalities different from your own).

Another benefit is the money, time, and resources that would be saved by communal living—splitting bills, chores, and amenities. All the time and money saved could go directly to ministry.

8. You’ll have to learn what it means to trust God with your future.
I think this should be a goal of all Christians, whether they are considering living in intentional community or not. There is beauty in fully relying on God day-to-day—no matter how tiresome or challenging. While some days this may stink, what would really stink would be realizing you chose comfort over faithfulness. Living in intentional community fosters this kind of trust.

7. It’s hard work.
In intentional community you learn very quickly that it’s not about you. It’s about Jesus and what he can do through you. He never promised following him would be easy.  And while it may get frustrating painting over graffiti over and over again, it’s not about you, and it’s certainly not about your comfort.

6. There isn’t much financial security.
While this is frightening, it is also freeing. Our money and our possessions are not our own, so financial security cannot be a deciding factor when following Jesus. And when you’re truly following him, the world may tell you that you need a retirement fund and a new car, but do you?

Reasons 1-5 will be posted tomorrow.

5. Once you begin inviting undesirable people to worship with you, you’re going to find it hard to worship with them.

It may sound funny when you hear the story of a schizophrenic sitting on the front pew flipping the bird at the pastor and congregation throughout the service. Or to hear about the homeless person who comes to church smelling so bad the entire sanctuary fills with a year’s worth of body odor. But will you be able to overlook those things when it’s happens in your church?

4. You’re going to get stabbed in the back.

If your ministry includes the underprivileged, or homeless, or the addicted, metaphorically you are going to get kicked in the gut over and over. Alcoholics and drug addicts will tell you themselves that you cannot trust them. But you’ll have to, and then you’ll have to be okay when you find they’ve taken advantage of you. And when many of those who are used to living without necessities and niceties find that you are a source of those things, Christian commitment will not be high on their list of priorities.

3. You will always have a small church.

You’re probably ok with this one for now. And really, the church growth movement has passed on. But when you’ve been ministering in the same place for 10 years and still have the same basic 50 people, will you be okay with that? Most people who attempt to join you will not last long. And who would, given these 7 truths so far?

2. No one will appreciate your hard work

Don’t expect a parade every time you bail someone out of jail or provide service to your community. Most of the time you won’t receive gratitude for your efforts. Don’t expect your community members to provide it; they’re doing the same thing!

1. Many people will hate you.

From the anti-Christian people in the community to your own Christian brothers and sisters, living counter-culturally brings out strong emotions. If you are young, will your parents understand when you cancel your trip home for Christmas in order to provide company for the homless in your area? Will established churches have a false impression that you feel superior to them? Will people of faith accuse you of being a cult? For sure.

Christians are all called to live in community, but not necessarily communities like these. God will reward us for our obedience to his leading in our hearts, but don’t expect his leading to be easy or fun. If he is leading you to live in an intentional community, may he bless you beyond measure. You’ll need it, and you’ll deserve it.

source: greycap

Intentional communities are all the rage these days. If you don’t recognize the phrase “intentional community” perhaps you’ve heard them called “missional communities.” They are typically started by visionary Christians who desire to live into the pattern created by the church in Acts, where everyone shares what they have and ministers to the community around them.

Like many of you, our imaginations have been captured by some of these groups. While there are some great reasons for living in this type of organization if you are called to it, it is not a decision to take lightly. So, to balance the equation for those who might be considering it, I offer here 10 reasons why you should NOT rush into living in an intentional community.

10. Extremely idealistic meets extremely practical every day.

Sure you want to show God’s love to everyone, and invite all who would to come to your services. But what does that mean when the types of people you are inviting are mentally ill, or dangerous? Does God ask us to put our reasonable impulses on hold in order to have a service anyone can attend? And how to you tell someone he or she is NOT welcome?

9. You don’t just have to learn to live with your own family, you have to learn to live with others.

Remember some of those awful roommate stories you and your friends shared in college? Take those situations and add children, pets, and the need for living expenses into the equation. Are you ready for that?

8. You’ll have to learn what it means to trust God with your future.

It sounds cool to live in the daily grace of God, where waking up each day brings no preconceived idea of what is in store. And sometimes it is. But more often, it really stinks. Spontaneity is way overrated.

7. It’s hard work

It sounds great to be in a position of need in your community, where people come to you for their physical and spiritual needs. But after working your day job–which you’ll need to support yourself–how many trips around town removing graffiti and visiting people in jail do you want to make? There isn’t much spare time in this way of life.

6. There isn’t much financial security

It’s hard to live daily in the presence of people with big needs and still keep back money for your retirement account, or a new car. People in these situations tend to become conduits to the flow of money rather than stopping places.

This blog is already too long, so I’ll finish with part 2 tomorrow.

source: greycap