Earlier this week I had a little chill time at home. Ivey and Robby were doing homework and Amy was helping. That left me and Elijah - and a little TV time. After a few minutes of channel surfing, trying to find something I could watch with Elijah, he chose his show with excitement... Finding Bigfoot.OK, I thought... "maybe there is something interesting here." That lasted for about 5 minutes. Then my thoughts included: "This is the dumbest show I have ever seen," and "surely this isn't real." I moved on to silently wonder, "do people actually watch this?" and "do they think week after week after week - MAYBE this will be the week that they actually FIND Bigfoot?" Meanwhile, Elijah is loving it! The night searches scare him. The people talking about what they saw in the woods captivates him. He loves it... cuddled next to me he loves it. He's 8. I didn't love it... not the show... not for a whole hour! But I do love Elijah. And I enjoy seeing him happy. And sometimes he just needs to sit and talk, and laugh, and be scared with daddy. So for Elijah, and enjoyment of him - I watched the entire episode!
At New City Church we value life lived in community... a diverse community... we believe that this community should be racially diverse, culturally diverse, socio-economically diverse, and age/stage of life diverse. THIS should describe our Missional Communities (MCs). Sometimes living in that diversity is tough as one group or age may enjoy things that others don't. One group may want to do things, see things, talk about things that are as important to others. BUT learning from one another and living in this diversity is a) the biblical example for church, b) the best way/place for the "one anothers" of Scripture to be lived out, and c) according to the apostle Paul is the way that best exhibits to creation the manifold wisdom of God in the Gospel.
So - how with the difficulties associated with diversity do MCs work?
Like Finding Bigfoot with me and Elijah.
For the good and unity of the community and our own good and for the glory of God, we sometimes set ourselves and our desires aside and put others first. Paul said it this way in Philippians 2:
3Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus
