Community rocks!

Last night Jill and I started our new Life Group with 6 couples. We dined at Johnny Carino's, drank Italian beer and chatted the night away. I love watching people connect...experiencing what church can (and should do) best...grassroots COMMUNITY. I'm looking forward to where this group will go.

I have said this before and will beat this drum all day: Church is the best community on planet Earth. It's better than any bar, softball team, knitting club, fraternity, or coffee shop. The problem is that we love to put hoops up for people to jump through in order to be "in". Well, I'm personally saying what Howard Beale said in "Network" :

"You've got to say, 'I'm a HUMAN BEING! My life has VALUE!' So I want you to get up now. I want all of you to get up out of your chairs. I want you to get up right now and go to the window. Open it, and stick your head out, and yell, I'M AS MAD AS HELL, AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!'

Then we'll figure out what to do about the declining attendance in church and the lack of community and the loss of hope in our lives. But first get up out of your chairs, open the window, stick your head out, and yell, and say it." (modifications by me to emphasize the point)

I'm mad that we, the church, have made our community exclusionary and elitist. Significant spiritual growth happens in community and it's time to kick it in gear. I ready to bust down those obstructions that keep church from being a place of vibrant life. I'm excited to see what God is going to do with people doing community at Four Corners and beyond.