Sunday night on the plane to Bethlehem, PA to visit old friends and for the Northern Province of the Moravian Church Synod (meeting of the larger church for fellowship and decision making that occurs every 4 years), and I finished a book about Mother Teresa ("Do Something Beautiful for God") and Og Mandino's "The Greatest Salesman in the World." Both books struck me with the simplicity of doing what is good and right in life for an abundant life of joy and community.
Mother Teresa who is known for her work among the poorest of the poor in Calcutta, India talks about her work and how she feels as she works to care for Christ in the bodies of abandoned children, lepers, those dying on the streets and those coming to serve. She reflects on the need to pray for and work towards having a heart big enough that the love of God can come through you to the world. I am always amazed and inspired that she simply does the work of Christ--feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, etc. Why is it that in our world these things are rare and special to the point that we venerate those who follow Christ's directions?
The greatest salesman is a story about a young man who is given a set of scrolls that, if he follows them, will make him the greatest salesman in the world with money and success! Each of the scrolls has a different "life commandment" written on it. Things like love, laughter, perseverance, generosity are included on the scrolls that will lead him to success and happiness. It is simple really, the directions aren't hard to understand but they may be hard to follow.
As I think about creating this new community of faith I believe that we face similar opportunities and challenges. Our world tends to admire those things that are difficult and complex more than the simple and continuous actions of living intentionally. But living simply, choosing to care for the homeless or dying, generously living, loving others are far from easy and it can be very difficult to do. So as I read these two books that highlighted the simplicity that truly changes life I thought about how I could learn to be more like them. How can my choices reflect a different approach? What can I do to let go of the control I would like to have over the things in my life and simply be present in the moments God gives me?
As a community the challenge to live simply calls us to honesty, trust, and intentionality which sounds easy but often takes a lot of work. To be honest we must push beyond the boundaries of niceness to true care for the other. To trust we must move past our history of hurts and times when trust was not warranted and try again. To be intentional we must move out of making decisions as they come and choose ahead of time the limits and directions that we want to follow in our living.
We are starting in a new direction...
What things will you continue?
How will you seek to change as we move together towards the new vision?
What choices will we make to create a community that is creative, hospitable, relational, intentional, sustainable, and transformational?
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