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roy soto of via del red camino, a network of communities in latin america, wrote these. we thought they were so appropriate for the refuge commmunity. may these kingdom principles be part of the fabric of our community.

1. blessed are those that share what they have, for they will be a community of life.

2. blessed are those that are able to enjoy the fruit of their labor, for they will be a community of honesty.

3. blessed are those that stand together for equality, for they will be a community of justice.

4. blessed are those that release their grip on their possessions, for they will be a community of freedom.

5. blessed are those that feel the pain of others as their own, for they will be a community of mercy.

6. blessed are those that teach their children kingdom values, for they will be a community of hope.

7. blessed are they that show love instead of the law, for they will be a community of grace

in november we hosted a really fun evening for people outside of the refuge to get a taste of our community & mission called refuge Xperience. it was an evening of creative conversation, drama, dinner, and communion. part of this evening was showing a dvd produced by tom herrick & paul romig-leavitt that shared a bit of who we were. it all starts with one of our favorite events the refuge hosted last october-dialogue instead of debate, the conversation between an atheist & a christian. since this dvd was produced, the refuge continues to evolve, but it gives everyone a taste and we didn’t want to keep it to ourselves (it took us a while to get it up on youtube!):

For some this word describes an activity that we participate in weekly. Something that we “do”. 

For others this words describes a place, a building where we go to participate in something. Someplace where we “go”.

I don’t remember who said this, but I remember reading or hearing that we need to stop saying we are “going” to church, because we are the church. We can’t go someplace when we are the place itself. And not just the place but the soul within the place.

Can the “we” as the church stop being a place and return to being a person?

And as people we are needy. Even if you don’t feel like you have emotional needs you have physical needs, you don’t just like food, water, roofs, shoes, you need them. And I venture to say that in the dark of your mind and heart you may know some other things that you need.

I think my church is needy. Like, really needy, like ravingly insecure, freakishly needy. And people don’t always like me.

I think lots of people believe that the church does not need people. 

The church always needs money and bigger facilities and more help in the nursery, but the church doesn’t need people. At least not in the way that people need people. If the church is a place and an activity then those things don’t need, those things don’t have emotions, those things are things…not people.

But what happens when a church (remember not a building but a group of people) is very obviously needy and needy in the sense that they need people. Not just money, or better facilities or more help in the nursery, but people. And not in the sense that people = numbers=money=success=better Christians, but in the sense that hearts and dreams and talents and minds are needed. Are you humming the Streisand tune, “People?  “People…people who need people are the luckiest people in the world.” When and why did this stop holding truth?

I am certain and certainly fearful that I need people. So that means that my church needs people and I think my church is pretty obvious about that. When someone leaves us that loss is grieved. Grieved. Tears, anger, denial, all five steps of grief. I think in our neediness we place a lot of importance on each person and this is difficult for the other person to take.

It means you are important.

It means we want you. And it is not easy to be loved and wanted.

It means we all are responsible, you are responsible and we often don’t want anymore responsibility than we already have.

I think because my church is needy in this way, because I am needy in this way, we are/I am looked at as weak, unsuccessful, failing, wilting and stupid. People think we should be strong, but strong as in brick building, 2-story, 5 services, 35 person staff, million dollar budget strong and I don’t think that is real strength.

I can’t stop needing. It’s a wound in my person that can’t be closed. But, my wound, although tender, isn’t bleeding. Not really. I’m just oozing me. My self. Sounds dangerous, but it isn’t really, not when people are there to stand next to my ooze, willing to get it on their shoes, on their hands. They see me as a person, not a place, not an activity, but a woman who needs love and who has love to give. They see me as part of the church, a body part of a body, sometimes a hand, maybe a brain here and there, or at least a big toe, but always a heart. And they see a strength not a weakness. They know that even if I never have money or a big house or help out a lot in the nursery that I’m still worthy and I know that even if all those thing aren’t true about you that you are worthy too.

A needy person, a needy church…in need of provision, shelter, protection, salvation, love…doesn’t sound too bad, doesn’t sound untrue…sounds a little like…me…you…us…

Don’t you want to stand next to me? Don’t you want to let me love you? Let me, let the church love you. She can, He will.     

I was in the produce aisle the other day with my friend Sam Trujillo.  We were talking about authentic community while I gently pressured avocados and he, the limes.  We mused about the rubber meets road challenges of making community together at The Refuge, contrasted with wistfully talking about ‘community’ as a distant, golden dream as we have done before in other circles.  Sam summarized the paradox of authentic community in this way:

“Many want to have it,  but few are willing to own it”.

Since we are both into restoring and building custom cars, I thought of my Volkswagen camper project.  I have a rare vehicle that many would like to have, and few are willing to own.

For the sake of analogy, let’s take little ride together.  As we go, think of what it takes to live out what Jesus taught.  I mean every day, whether you like it or not.   With those whom God has placed in our lives,  and not just on the good days.  Working toward something that you love in a deep way, but which may not give an immediate reward.  Something that you believe in, but sometimes makes you feel crazy just from the contrast of being in an odd vehicle in such normal traffic.

My bus was built in December of 1981.  Being the first of the economical small diesel vans ever made, it was rushed to the U.S. market at the end of the last fuel crisis.  President Carter had set the national speed limit at 55 mph.  The VW execs felt bold enough to authorize sending a two-ton deluxe campmobile with a 48 horsepower rabbit engine (not kidding) to America, because it can go 55.  

Unless there is a hill or a headwind.

By the time it got here in 1982, the solar panels had been torn from the roof of the White House,  gas was on it’s way toward being cheap again, the speed limits were being raised, and my Westfalia instantly became weird.

Fast forward 26 years.  Another fuel crisis, bad economics (for 95% of us, anyway), and concern once again for our planet.  An RV that gets 30 mpg on renewable fuel?  heck yah.  Who wouldn’t want that?  Now, you can upgrade to a turbo for more power (after the engine is rebuilt) change the transmission,  etc, etc, etc.  It would be perfect. 

The problem is I still have to do the work.  And I’m starting with something that is old and worn out, and needs lots of restoration.  I’ve had it for a year now, and it is my daily driver.  It is original, slow, more ugly than flashy, and needs a lot of TLC.  I patch it together together myself and keep going, and avoid driving on interstates.  I hold on to it and keep working at it, because someday it will great.  And even as it is, it has given me some really great times.

In some ways, being in authentic Christian community has some similarities.   Since we all have a lot to learn about this,  it often seems like a “fixer-upper”.   We are not obsessed with working on ourselves, but undertake the path of following Jesus with others.  We seek to be honest about our lives.  When it’s good, it is good.  When it’s hard, we are there for each other with love without having to sugar coat it. 

I continue to hope that others will jump in with us as they will.  We’re always happy to meet new and old friends.  We don’t know it all, but we know enough to trust God, and praise him together as we go. 

we all need a little love now and then!