The eat together test, or, a post about deep community, part 2.

This is the second dose about community from me. Part one is here.

So last time I promised I would talk more specifically about how community looks in my current life. Perhaps you could call this some form of a ’state of our community’ address.

As I mentioned on Tuesday, Heather and I have been part of a house church for nearly three years. One of the major draws of this way of doing church was the hope that we would be able to be in deeper intimacy and community with the people around us. I could certainly pop off all the theoretical reasons that come to mind about how that would work, but I think only just lately are we starting to get a grasp on that deeper form of community.

I don’t want it to sound as if we’re not making progress and God isn’t drawing us closer together, though. Since 2005, we’ve moved in with another couple and their two kids, and since were joined by a single teenage guy (I call him the pet teenager. awesome). The d10’s have two single guys living in their spare bedrooms, both awesome dudes. Our house church has grown closer together, and we’ve really connected with one another.

But more to the point, for the first time I can say I truly love my circle of friends. Definitely all of the people I see week-to-week, all the couples, all their awesome kids, all the single people. I’d do anything for any of them, and I believe they would do the same for me. I don’t know if in times past I would necessarily have said that. Maybe, maybe not. This may seem harsh if you knew me in the past, but I’m just trying to be honest.

As I said earlier, I think we’re just starting to get there, though. Two Tuesdays ago, we had a meeting about this very topic. One of the couples shared about how they yearned for closer friendships between us, where it wouldn’t be wierd or awkward for us to be more spontaneous and sharing more meals/time together. They encouraged us that perhaps some of the distance/boundaries between us had no place in the kingdom of God, and were more drawn from a worldly perspective on friendship.

Additionally, H and I could definitely develop deeper friendships with those we live with. Despite sharing many meals together, we rarely make time/use our time to really do more than just live in a routine. The d10’s and their two single fella’s are sort of crazy busy, and have eaten precious few meals together.

I’ll probably talk more about this topic in the future, or at least I hope to. Please feel free to share any thoughts you have about these things, good or bad.