Biblical
Community
HOU STON G R A DUATE S CHOOL OF T HEOLOGY
S P I RITUAL FOR MAT ION UN I T
CS 830
Foundations of biblical community
Marion K. Rich – The early Christians were
often together around the teachings of
Christ—the word, prayer, the sacraments.
They were together to share their common
life in Jesus. Somehow we need to rediscover
the life the early Christians shared
together—the kind of fellowship that gets
deeper than football scores and the latest
fashions.
Albert J. Wollen – In 1965, Dr. Francis
Schaeffer made the following comment
about the future of the church: “Unless
the church changes its forms and gets
back to community and sharing of lives
personally, the church is done.”
Larry Crabb – A central task of
community is to become a place safe
enough for each of us to own our
brokenness. Only then can the power of
connecting do its job. Only then can
community be used of God to restore
our souls.
Gilbert Bilezikian – Community is
deeply grounded in the nature of God.
It flows from who God is. Because God
is community, God creates community.
It is God’s gift of self to humans.
Community was promised and planned
for in the OT with the development of a
nation.
Community was restored in Jesus.
Les Steele – By gathering followers
around him, Jesus implicitly affirmed
that participating in community plays a
central role in maturing.
Community in the NT – the “one
anothers.”
True community begins with a biblical
understanding of love
Longsuffering – what love is
◦ Greek meaning is “patience” or the act of bearing
with someone.
◦ OT – Describes God
◦ Ex 34:5-7
◦ Ps 103:8-13
◦ Jonah 4:2
◦ NT – Since God has been patient with us, we
should be patient with one another.
Descriptions of “longsuffering” in the
negative sense
◦Love is not easily provoked or not easily drawn
into anger.
◦Love thinks no evil.
◦Love is not envious.
Kind – what love does
◦ OT – Describes God and is usually partnered with
“longsuffering.”
◦ NT – Believers are to love as God loves.
Therefore, believers are to be kind and bear the
stamp of the Holy Spirit by displaying kindness as
a fruit of the Spirit’s presence.
◦ Gal 5:16-25
◦ Eph 4:29-32
Descriptions of “kindness” in the
negative sense
◦Love is not boastful, proud, or arrogant.
◦ Boasting – intellectual pride emphasized through
speech
◦ Arrogance – action or the way boasting comes across
◦ Pride – seeks to build itself up by tearing others down
◦Love is not rude.
◦Love is not self-seeking.
Spiritual vs. Unspiritual Community
Conflicted relationships met
Spiritual
Friendships
by
(Care of the Soul)
Conflicted relationships
handled by
Congenial
Relationships,
Cooperative
Relationships,
and Consoling
Relationships.
And, as needed,
And, as needed,
Spiritual
Direction
Counseling
Relationships or
Conforming
Relationships
(Cure of the Soul)
Characterized by
Characterized by
Dependence on Dependence on
the Spirit (Listening the Flesh
to God through word and
spirit)
Barriers to Community
Antonyms of Community Synonyms of Community
◦ Disparity
◦ Differences
◦ Dissimilarity
◦ Disagreement
◦ Conflict
◦ Private/Personal
◦ Individual
◦ Nurtured
◦ Nourished
◦ Sustained
◦ Strengthened
◦ Educated
◦ Discipled
◦ Corporate
Barriers to Community
But where do we find the biggest barriers to
community?
INSIDE OURSELVES!
What are our tendencies when trying to make
things better in our churches, homes, lives?
We want spiritual community! Why don’t we get it?
How can we incorporate the principles of biblical
love with our desires for community?
A Story of
Brokenness
Family Systems Thinking
Personal Transformation
◦ Happens best as an inside-out process of
committing to obey Christ.
◦ Happens best in the context of a loving
community that extends grace and truth.
◦ Happens best through development of a
reflective lifestyle.
Differentiation of Self
◦ The ability to know oneself apart from others.
◦ The effort to define oneself, to control oneself, to
become a more responsible person, and to
permit others to be themselves as well.
◦ The ability to remain connected in relationship to
significant people in our lives and yet not have
our reactions and behavior determined by them.
Anxiety
◦ Anxiety, most simply described, is the response
to threat, whether real or perceived.
◦ Acute vs. chronic (reactivity).
◦ Chronic anxiety or reactivity is usually a result of
a perceived threat to hidden needs.
◦ Usually, a person will discover through this
process three or four general needs he or she
attempts to meet in unhealthy ways on a regular
basis.
Chronic anxiety is most evident during times
of:
◦ Conflict
◦ Distancing or cut-off
◦ Overfunctioning/underfunctioning
◦ Projection (making someone or something the
problem
The Dance Goes On
Although each response keeps the anxiety spill
contained in one place, each also contributes
systemically to the level of anxiety in the system.
We are anxious, we react, and we produce a
symptom. We become more anxious because of
the presence of the symptom. The dance goes on.
The Leader’s Journey, 58
Anxious Systems
Heightened level of reactivity – people
confuse feelings with opinions – everything
seems dire and serious.
Herding instinct – the greater the level of
anxiety, the more we pressure one another
to be the same, think the same, and
conform.
Blame displacement – the tendency to look
outward for explanations rather than inward.
Quick fix – the focus is on eliminating the
symptoms rather than on dealing with those
underlying emotional processes keeping the
symptoms alive.
Poor leadership – the lack of a leader who
operates with clear vision and thoughtfullyheld principles.
Become less anxious
Increase self-awareness – recognize
underlying unhealthy needs and allow God
to replace those needs with godly virtues.
Monitor thinking patterns – take time to
recognize how anxiety feels and when it is in
operation.
Manage feelings – wait before reacting.
Slow the pace – take a step back to observe
and think.
The Process of Transformation
When recognizing patterns or tendencies of
behavior, invite the presence of Christ into
the scenario to reveal the source.
Ask Christ to reveal the needs you are
attempting to meet on your own and,
possibly, the source of those needs.
Dialogue about your discoveries with
someone you trust (spiritual friend/director).
What’s next?
For the church to become the safest place on
earth, the process of moving toward biblical
community begins with me…
Transformational Goals Worksheet
Answer the six questions with the help of a
spiritual director (or more than one).
Surprise! You may use first person pronouns
on the worksheet, only in response to the
questions.
Instead of a “conclusion,” please write a onepage reflection on the process and please
return to third person writing for the onepage paper.
Then, after your process of working through
transformational goals, complete the
assignment as directed in the syllabus.