Rule* of Community
Practice
Twelve Responses to God’s Grace
You know, 2007 is a new year. It’s a new beginning. So I’ve been thinking, “How’d you like to spend some time together? How about, say, twelve months?” Imagine this: what if we, as a community, could really help each other live well in this new year? What if we could build one other up and share in our faith? What if we could take on some community practices, say, one month at a time?
Not out of shame or guilt, mind you, or out of some unfounded desire or need to please God. But rather, out of what God has already done for us in Christ. The Christ Child has been born. God has entered our lives. We can be transformed. So here’s the thousand-dollar question: “How will we respond to God’s grace this year?”
It’s more about saying ‘Yes’ to God, than ‘No,’ or ‘Not right now.’ It’s about freedom, permission, and grace. It’s about living more fully into our faith. And it’s not like we’d have to do everything all at once. We could do some on our own. We could do some together. Buddy up! We could do one every day, or once a week, or just once a month. It’s up to each of us to decide. But let’s try to do them together, to help each other out, to share in each other’s faith journeys.
These aren’t legalistic or paternalistic disciplines. ‘We don’t do that kind of thing in this House.’ These are faith practices; ways to respond to what God is already doing in our lives. I like to think of these as tiny detachable metaphors for what God’s doing all the time, at every moment, in each of our lives. But that’s just me. These are the things God is always doing: making and recovering, giving and finishing, changing and teaching, etc. This is totally doable. And wouldn’t this be really good? Perfect for a new year. So let’s do it. Below are twelve responses to God’s grace in our lives. Ready, get set, GO!
Peace, Corey
*Used in the ancient sense, “Rule” simply refers to anything that regulates the lives of those who obey or follow it.
Here are the twelve:
January - Make Something
February - Recover Something
March - Eat Something
April - Give Something
May - Take Something
June - Start Something
July - See Something
August - Receive Something
September - Change Something
October - Learn Something
November - Teach Something
December - Finish Something
Check the whiteboard at church to see who is doing what and connect up with one another to do some together. Watch your Weekly Reader email for ongoing coverage, inspiration, and opportunities. Have a great idea? Share it. See Beth or Nancie and add your brilliant suggestion to the pot.
Sample January Response: Make Something
Suggested options:
peace
a new friend
someone
laugh
a cake to give away
a meal from scratch
a donation
a promise
a commitment
time
love
an effort
a plan
music/art
Robin decided she is making a prayer shawl for someone.
