Timotheose - A son in the Faith

Have you ever wanted to simplify your life?
Have you ever wanted to slow things down a bit?
Do you wonder if the race you're running is really worth it?

More and more I am coming to see and experience the value of Christian community living. Every day I am blessed by it and want to share it with others. There is an amazingly potent mix of prayer, music, sharing, work and joy here that seems to soothe my soul and heart.

Our culture is saturated with the belief that being 'independent' and 'successful' are the highest ends and goals of life. Even our Christian culture is influenced by these beliefs. It seems to me the expectation of most mainline Christian culture for its young people is for them to go to school, marry, buy a house and raise a family. These goals in and of themselves are not bad but I think they are somewhat shortsighted in light of the saving grace the we have in Christ. In our church's as in the wider secular culture at large, if you do not have a career path, a car, and some type of relationship prospects you are considered 'less than'.

I can't help but think that we don't have much influence in our culture today because we don't differ from our culture much. We have the same dreams, the same aspirations, the same values (more or less) we just seem to want to do it a bit 'nicer', a bit 'kinder'.

When I look down the annals of history at those Christian movements which made a difference I see courageous souls who stood in direct opposition to the status quo. They said that life in God's Kingdom is of a different sort than the rest of the world, and they lived it out.

I believe that community living can be, and is like that in our culture. Living as an extended Christian family flies in the face of conventional wisdom and yet opens up so many gifts and joys in the process.


Maranatha