reimagining community

This year, we’ve been moving through a series of teachings, conversations, and stories stirring us to reimagine faith, life together, and a better way of being human here. It is becoming pretty clear by now that so much of our human flourishing has to do with relationships.

As we look at the story of scripture, we find that despite all of the pain we humans tend to inflict on one another, communities are still the container chosen to carry Divine presence, healing, and hope. Community was then - and is now - the antidote for isolation and the means for bringing about renewal.

During our upcoming Sunday gatherings, we are exploring some of the letters and other writings directed toward the faith communities that formed in response to Jesus’ life, teachings, death & resurrection. They too were navigating difference, division and disconnection. They too experienced the joys and hurts inevitable in sharing life together. During this season, we will also hear our own stories related to community. We’ll be given opportunities to reflect on our own experiences, expectations, and hopes.

My hope is that this can be not only a time for reflecting on the gifts and challenges of community but also a time for practicing a healthier, more honest, clear, and loving way of relating to one another. As we make room to talk about everything from how we share to how we set boundaries to how technology helps or hinders real relationships, I pray we will experience community as a lab for learning to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.

We’d love for you to join us starting this Sunday. We begin gathering on the back patio of Hyperion Brewing Co. at 10 a.m. for a coffee + community, then begin our time of listening & exploring scripture, reflection and conversation at 10:30 a.m. This Sunday, part of our time will be spent gathering in groups around the ideas that emerged in response to our reimagining life together with money. This feels like a great starting point for reimagining community together.