{"id":39746,"date":"2019-10-27T09:37:22","date_gmt":"2019-10-27T07:37:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kernbeisser.ch\/faith-community-as-a-pioneering-project\/"},"modified":"2024-07-15T11:15:55","modified_gmt":"2024-07-15T09:15:55","slug":"faith-community-as-a-pioneering-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kernbeisser.ch\/en\/faith-community-as-a-pioneering-project\/","title":{"rendered":"Faith community as a pioneering project"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/1″][vc_column_text text_lead=”yes”]The big question for any pioneer community is: How can we create and sustain community? Both Jesus and Paul had emphasized the issue of unity. What were they up to?[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”129179″]<\/p>\n

With the same mindset<\/h3>\n

Jesus explained to His disciples that they should be one, just as He and the Father are one (John 17:1-11). That’s a lofty goal, but it sets the standard. Paul deals with a chaotic community in the Greek city of Corinth. He urges them to have “the same mind and the same judgment”<\/em> (1 Corinthians 1:10-17). This is valuable input that we can explore.<\/p>\n

“Becoming one” is not to be confused with “giving up personality.” The disciples were different people, but they were focused on the same goal. Each of us is unique, but we can have our hearts set on the same important things. Even when we think differently, we can still have the same way of thinking.<\/p>\n

Here is the idea: we<\/strong> are the community. It is never about the Church, as if it were about an institution, a building or a tradition. It may be familiar, but it was never about external features. It’s about people and what connects them. It is about what offers hope and perspective, what fills our hearts with joy and gratitude and boundless curiosity. When we pursue a goal together, what drives us and what do we push for?<\/p>\n

Becoming aware of what we want to be is an important process. Your voice is important. Your contribution results for the community. We may think differently on certain issues, but we can still have the same attitude and vision, the same mindset and way of thinking. Mindset is a cool word. It corresponds to the English “mindset”. This could also be phrased as “sense of thought,” as the Concordant New Testament does. This expression is not just about thinking, but about what we have in mind. It is what our thoughts have been “set” to, what we have “in mind” and it is the “way we think”.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”793981″]<\/p>\n

Share vision and a goal<\/h3>\n

Paul expressed the desire that the believers in Corinth should have “the same judgment.” He is not talking about being judgmental, but about the ability to “judge something.” We should know how to think. And even more, we should know how to love with a healthy mind. In this regard, we should have “the same judgment” or understanding.<\/p>\n

When we point this out, it becomes clear that we can no longer think of the church as a place where we are served, but as a place where we serve. Much of this results from the values we have and share:<\/p>\n