Community
GO
Journey invaded the McDonald's Playland last nite! AWEmazingly fun!!!! Love that group. True #community! instagr.am/p/J8hXBLvb1k/
— Julie Rothacher (@JulesRothacher) April 28, 2012
I could write for hours on community. How to get it all in 5 min...
Since moving 2 years ago, God has given us more community than we could have ever dreamed of. I mean, don't get me wrong. We've been in tiny pockets of community in our past towns but being a "pastor" family, everyone seems to shy away from us as if we're gonna stone'm for saying crap or damn; slap'm if they smoke; report'm if they don't discipline or discipline differently than we do, shun them if they watch "inappropriate shows".
When we moved here and became apart of the Journey Sunday school class we were initiated into COMMUNITY! Community is what the church is supposed to be. Community is Doing Life Together!!! That is what this group of people have become.
We don't just sit in a room together reading a quarterly and announcing prayer request. We "fellowship": share our weeks fun and struggles. Celebrate and cry with one another. Chooooose to hang out together Outside 'class'. Would some days rather have a continuation of "Sunday school" rather than go to 'big church' {shhhh}
We join in the fun of family birthday parties. PACK OUT the McDonald's Playland on a Thursday night while we joke, pass around each others babies, laugh, meet new friends, watch out for each others children, feed each others kids french fries, and watch a kid streeeeeak through the jungle gym while almost bring the McDonald's walls to fall like Jericho with laughter as we watch our friend race to the top of the toy to retrieve her child, his shorts, and diaper. {not rat'n out who ;o)}
I LOVE my community. I love seeing it grow. I love watching as we meet each others needs as well as the ones 'outside' our group who are hurting. I LOVE being the Church with these believers. This is one of the funnest, most meaningful, dedicated to one another, caring, genuine communities I've EVER been in.
STOP
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Hold you I could talk for hours about community...that was about 10 min instead of 5. hehehehe
I'll have to write later about how much I've had trouble going deeper and how I'm having trouble staying connected with this HUGE transition quickly coming.
Do you know community? Do you struggle to get knee deeps like most of us women do for fear of being hurt? Do you long for community? Share, PLEASE!!!!
More reads on biblical community:
What Part of the Body are You?
Splints and Talents {Body Parts Continued}
I loved reading this…what a reminder that God gives the exact people we need to help shape us and grow us. Your story sounds similar to mine…I spend Thursday afternoons at packed play places, too…with some of my favorite friends! Thanks for sharing your heart. Blessings! 🙂
Thank you so much for the encouragement. We are about to move and I’m {confession} worried it will take a long time, if it ever comes, to find community like this again. Knowing this is happening where you are is a HUGE boost of encouragement. Thanks for share!!!!
I Love it! Everyone just want to belong no matter what their ‘mess’ is. I once read “You don’t like me because my sin is different from yours.” Community should be about loving not judging. You are blessed to have such a beautiful community.
I totally agree that community is about loving! Helping eachother move through our faults not judging them! I surely have been blessed with a beautiful community. I no it won’t be the same when we move bc 1/2 of community is doing daily life together but I have definately made friends for life!
I love how you names your specific aspects of community! Family is probibly the 1st community we know, the most dependible {hopefully} community we have, and possibly the last community we experience.