Community

I have been searching for a Church that 'fits' me here; a community that I can belong to, if you will. I have gone to a few different Churches, from small Episcopal Churches to large Episcopal Churches to larger 'Community Churches' to small start up Churches where everyone looked just like me (i.e. under 30, white and struggling, but also somewhat affluent and wearing plastic-framed glasses). This past Sunday I went to St. Andrew's Presbyterian. Now, this is strange for me because I am definitely NOT Presbyterian. Not that I have anything against them, but I like the Anglican Communion and the liturgy and tradition that comes through that into the Episcopal Church. However, after my weekend retreat where I heard the pastor from St. Andrew's speak, I decided I needed to go there. Fittingly the sermon he preached was on Community.

In my search for radicalism in a Church I had not realised that I was also looking for a community that would support me in and encourage me in my radicalism. Hearing the pastor, openly and honestly, explain why Capitalism is opposed to Christianity made my heart leap for joy. I need a Church Community where I can live my life so differently that I can begin to question what society says is important so that I live the revolutionary life that Christ is leading me towards. Community is about choosing human rights over property rights and compassion over competition.

The sermon on Community was based on the famous Acts 2 passage that describes the Early Church. (I wrote a paper on this passage comparing it with Marxism for a class my sophomore year in college, but I can't seem to find it... if I do I'll post it or a link to it). The sermon was inspiring in that it recognized that this description is what we are 'aiming' for, but what we will probably never achieve. The pastor also recognized that we do need healthy boundaries, but need to give and be more in community than we think possible or think 'normal' in society.

I feel like I've finally found my Community here.