A unique and brilliant get-together this week. A couple of hours in the Castle with some excellent folks - chatting about how we would like to be as a group. I hesitate to use the "Church" word. These notes are based on a little list I was scribbling down with a little help.
Things we don't want.
As I suspected we gathered a list of things we dont want, but the list was really revealing and in some ways exciting:
1) No to being passengers , visitors or observers. Brilliant - yes that is an excellent place for us to be starting.
2) Linked to that - no talking of the group in the second person. We take collective responsibility for us.
Other things we want to get free of:
3) History - now that is generally regarded as being a bad idea - "those who ignore the lessons" etc... What people want is a clean slate. Is it wrong/unrealistic to want that? - Well probably yes and no. forgiveness - possible, consequences - inevitable. Which leads neatly on to...
4) Dogma. - that's difficult too. This is probably because almost everyone in the group would tend to be a bit of a post-modern. What I want to be free of is faith in a set of dogma, as opposed to faith in a person. Faith doesn't have to be dogmatic.
Things we love and do want:
- Genuineness - authenticity. We live in the right county for this - Yorkshire folk call a spade a spade.
- Community - mutual commitment. (I was surprised to hear that some 30's singles enjoy a link to families with kids.)
- God expressing himself through us. Christ centered (recognising that our community will normally have people in it who don't experience or want this)
- Generosity - grace - in the widest sense.
- Vulnerability
- Uncomfortableness - challenge.
- Open to grow by including others.
- Commitment to spiritual journey. I would say "pilgrims, not settlers"
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