Step into community

I really love this image from Grace Presbyterian here in Columbus. The key phrase for their congregation is "Grace changes everything." Never a truer statement has been made. Grace indeed changes lives. Hopefully, when you and I step into Christian community, we experience grace, that is unconditional love and acceptance. It is the important place to start with people...where we can step into a room of people and be at ease, as our imperfect selves. Does it mean blanket acceptance of every sin and behavior? No. It's not sloppy love. There is accountability, challenge, and encouragement. But growth begins with grace...acceptance...love.

I was talking with a friend of mine this afternoon about community. We are in an improv group together that performs regularly. We meet weekly to rehearse (rehearse improv? I thought it was all improvised...you may ask...more in another blog), and to twice a month to perform. We pointed out that really, the people in our group are friends and a tiny community, but we really don't know a whole lot about one another. We don't know each other's histories, our likes and dislikes, our birthdays, our favorite colors, where we grew up, etc...but we all consider each other good friends. How can this be? We simply showed up as ourselves, without all of the extra stuff we bring with us to impress others. We don't have the "props" of life. Improv as in life, there are no props, only actors. Life as in improv, there is only people. We've known each other for nearly 2 years, the six of us, but on a week to week basis. We simply are who we are. We show up, have fun, laugh, create, and make one another look good. It began however, when we all decided to show up, as ourselves...taking a step, an important step, into community.

Is the Christian community like this, or do we unconciously place standards on others or ourselves to "be somebody" before they are accepted?

"While we were STILL sinners, Christ died for us." Apostle Paul (Romans 5:8)