Living and Growing in Community

I live in community. Like these shoes piled up near our front entry, we are an interesting collection of different ages, backgrounds and worldviews tossed together for an uncertain period of time.

Could you tell by the shoes? There are seven of us now living in this house. A majority of them are male! We share the same roof, kitchen, living room, driveway, laundry area and coffee maker! It's never boring.

The owner of the house is a "collector" of sorts... but not of tea cups or Chia Pets, she collects people! They're "gathered up" by her and tucked around the house in all sorts of places, including the garage. She seems to be quit content with the arrangement and in turn, we too are content to live simpler lives with smaller living spaces.

This unique living environment has provided me with some interesting missions pre-field training! I am daily challenged to choose flexibility, cooperation, patience, forgiveness, self-control and love, over my own selfishness. This is a humbling thing, in fact an impossible task to accomplish apart from God's grace and power. Only by His indwelling, the Spirit at work with in me, can this happen.

As followers of Jesus, we need to do more than "preach the gospel". We are called to "be the gospel" to those we are in community with. We are to live our lives in such a way that we demonstrate or manifest Him. We are to be the essence of Jesus where ever we are. "I am not ashamed of the Gospel for it is the power of God for salvation" Romans 1:16

We are ALL called to BE THE GOSPEL not just PREACH THE GOSPEL. This is not a neat and tidy idea. Living the gospel is messy, because we as humans are not perfect. We have to be willing to take off our "dress shoes" or "slippers" and get a little dirty, maybe even scuffed up! For many that is an unappealing thought, even if it is true. We were designed to live in community, to rub up against each other. How else will others have a chance to touch, see and hear the Jesus that lives within us?