Community and Truth

Written on March 13, 2008 in thought

I’m recognized as the primary teacher in our community and am counted upon week to week to deliver a talk. However, I’ve started to relax that expectation a bit by opening up the teaching time as a discussion opportunity. Even though I do have an opinion (and that can’t be helped), I hope I communicate that I hold my opinion loosely. I do not hold a monopoly on truth. I do not want to open the floor to simple confirmations of what I am saying, but to real and genuine discussion as we earnestly explore truth and its implications together.

In fact, it isn’t enough for me to declare a truth statement and have it supported or challenged, affirmed or denied in a community setting. The members of the community must truly know that they have the complete freedom to search for truth and discover it for themselves. And even when we do “discover” it, we again hold this discovery loosely because we know it isn’t the end statement, the conclusion, the final assertion to annihilate all other assertions.

I believe this is crucial for the health of a community. There is no other way, in fact, for us to exist as true community… the ultimate community being the whole human race. This is the only possible way for my specific community… a Christian (religion) Vineyard (denomination) Church (local tribe) to exist in love both inward and outward. This is the only possible way for us to exist as a religious group among other religious groups, whether Muslim, Buddhist, Jewish, or whatever, and for them to exist among us.

Let me boil this down more specifically: my wife Lisa and I disagree theologically on certain issues. Centuries past I could’ve had her burned as a witch or she could’ve turned me in as a heretic to be quartered by horses. But in order for love to determine the nature of our relationship and to actually maintain it, we hold our opinions lightly and are honestly open for change. This is the only way community can work. Conformity against one’s intelligence or will does not community make.

I can’t see, personally, how love would have it any other way.

http://www.mimosa-mikaela.blogspot.com Mimou

Sorry was only here now, and there’s much too many comments to read them all through! I know someone probably already said something similar but just want to cast my lot in as well.

fishon,

pretty big to say who goes to heaven and who not. i thought it wasn’t our deeds but His. I’m not saying “everything is ok”, i’m not one of those people, but laying it out like that, I do resent it and don’t think the same way, I don’t think I can say who goes to Heaven and who not. And even if I am of some certain opinion, like David said, I can be it “lightly”. I don’t need to compromise, but don’t need to fix people either! Unless they ASK for my opinion, help or advice. People already often feel bad and guilty already. I think love for that man, whatever you think is the truth, would be something else than bringing judgement on his head. When I’ve been in low points in my life so far, What gets me up is love and help, not judging look. Check out MercyMe’s “Does anybody hear her”
(could be Casting Crowns, I always get them mixed up!!)

all the best

Mimo
fishon

Mimo,
A couple of things.
#1. Just where did I say who goes to heaven and who not???? Please show me that?

#2. You wrote: I donâ€™t need to compromise, but donâ€™t need to fix people either! Unless they ASK for my opinion, help or advice.
——–Did you not really read what I wrote? “We sat down and immediately he went into how he was an alcoholic.” Do I have to spell it out?

Mimo, you have done what many here do. You don’t like what you read, so you make assumptions and read into what is written [Oops, myself included].

So, I ask again, where do I say who goes to heaven and who not?
And since it wasn’t apparent to you by what I wrote about the young man and me sitting down to talk, he wanted my opinion and advice.

I love Casting Crowns. Great concert. “Does anybody hear her.” Great song. Just a minute, I am going back and listen to it. Yep, just what I remember. No one helped her see the “Ways of God.” Two parts to that song.
#1.
Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?
Or does anybody even knows she’s going down today
Under the shadow of our steeple
With all the lost and lonely people
Searching for the hope that’s tucked away in you and me
Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?
—————-No one ‘Under the shadow of our steeple’ stopped to help her before she
went down.

#2.
If judgement looms under every steeple
If lofty glances from lofty people
Can’t see past her scarlet letter
And we never even met her
—————-After she went down, no one loved her enough to help her.
Jesus would save her life, and tell her, “Go and sin no more.”
Remember, those where Jesus’ words, not mine.

Mimo, good to make your aquaintance.
fishon
http://butlerbritblog.blogspot.com/ thebutler

We all deserve to be thrown out because of the law and the fact that God being good means He can’t let any corruption through.
ALL OF US!

Reason enough to stop being all high and mighty and start being non judgmental to other sinners, don’t you think?
fishon

thebutler,
Don’t know if you will come back to this thread or not, but if you do, question.
I take it by your last sentence, you are ‘non judgmental?’

Yes–No?

Of course, we haven’t yet agreed as to the biblical definition of ‘judgemental.’
And of course, if you choose to answer, no matter your answer, that could lead us down a long path.
fishon