Category: Random Thoughts

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Trinitarian Community

My thoughts of late have turned to the the relationship between God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. These thoughts are focused on how they relate to and with each other. I guess in part my thoughts are shaped by the images created in the book “The Shack” and how the author described the three sitting around a table talking, relating to each other. Their relationship leads then to a divine community built on these relationships.

My thoughts are now turning to what are the characteristics of these relationships? How do the Father, Son and Spirit interact? I believe that we are invited into this community, but we do not or can not fully partake in it. In Genesis Adam and Eve were living in this community, but then sin entered and the restoration process began. In John 10:10 Jesus talks about bring the abundant life to those who believe. How may of us fully embrace this abundant life, this divine community? Can we on this side of heaven? What would that look like? What impact would that have on our life? How would that affect our spiritual transformation? How would that impact the communities we are apart of?

I am sure there will be more to come.

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A thought about Community and Relationship from Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Although my Doctoral research was to focus more on Web 2.0 technology rather than content, God has stirred within me exploration of community and now relationship within community.

I was reading a devotional book filled with classic devotional thoughts and I came across this writing by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Bonhoeffer was a German pastor and theologian who was killed due to his willingness to live out his beliefs and stand against Adolf Hitler. His best known book is probably The Cost of Discipleship.

The reading I was looking at was from another one of his books Life Together. In this book Bonhoeffer is exploring the ideas of community and faith. In one section Bonhoeffer writes “Therefore, the Christian needs another Christian who speaks God’s Word to him. He needs him again and again when he becomes uncertain and discouraged, for by himself he cannot help himself without belying the truth.” You see we as Christ-followers need one and other to come along side our brothers and sisters when they have stumbled to help pick them up, dust them off and set them on path again. We do that for other and we need to allow others to do that for us.

Are you in a community where you are willing to help, come along side someone who is struggling? Are you willing to allow others to lift you up? Bonhoeffer puts it this way, “The Christ in his own heart is weaker than the Christ in the word of his brother; his own heart is uncertain, his brother’s is sure.” Be the voice of Christ who can speak into the life of others.

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Relationship and Community

These two topics have been apart of my pondering for a while now. Well, community longer than relationship. Can one happen without the other? It seems to me that one requires community to develop relationship and that relationships create this thing we call community. I have to add my disclaimer here that for this extreme introvert to be talking about community and relationship is one place I never thought my pondering and studies would take me.

In a sense I am wondering if community is the structure in which relationship (personal interaction between two or more people[off the top of my head definition]) gather. Community and relationship exist in a symbiotic relationship, unable to survive apart, but together they can grow strong and healthy.

OK, I admit that I don’t know where this thread is headed. I have just begun to even thing about the relationship between relationship and community. It will be interesting to see where it goes. Any thoughts from you?