Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

There are so many models and patterns and rhythms that people have adopted that can be adapted and learned from. I'll try and post some over the next while.

Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

During 1997-1998 I was a part of a community house on Oakridge Housing Estate in Basingstoke. There were 3 of us living in community, and we had moved to the area as it was a place of great social and spiritual need with virtually total unemployment, great drug and other substance abuse issues, many of the kids on the 'at risk' register and a high proportion of young single mothers.

Each member of the community worked part time jobs in the local area and we lived in a rhythm of prayer, service, hospitality and sabbath. We ministered alongside the local church in the area mainly spending our time working with children and young parents, and a large number of people with learning difficulties who were housed in a community house on the estate.

Our home was open to everyone, we fed kids whose parents threw them out in the morning and didnt let them come home until after dark, we helped young mums to get access to benefits and services that would help them to grow and develop, and we spent a lot of long hours prayer walking the estate.

It was hard work. Living life sharing all you have (or trying to) was not easy and we learnt a lot about each other and ourselves, sometimes in hard ways. But, the moments of Gods faithfulness - such as the many many occasions on which we'd emptied our cupboards and had no money left to buy anymore food to give to the kids, only to open the door the next morning and find boxes of food in abundance on our doorstep - shone brightly and increased our faith to believe for community restoration, even in the hardest moments.

Community Living - hard, but worth it.

One day when large groups of people were walking along with him, Jesus turned and told them, "Anyone who comes to me but refuses to let go of father, mother, spouse, children, brothers, sisters—yes, even one's own self!—can't be my disciple. Anyone who won't shoulder his own cross and follow behind me can't be my disciple.

Is there anyone here who, planning to build a new house, doesn't first sit down and figure the cost so you'll know if you can complete it? If you only get the foundation laid and then run out of money, you're going to look pretty foolish. Everyone passing by will poke fun at you: 'He started something he couldn't finish.'

Or can you imagine a king going into battle against another king without first deciding whether it is possible with his ten thousand troops to face the twenty thousand troops of the other? And if he decides he can't, won't he send an emissary and work out a truce?

Simply put, if you're not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can't be my disciple.

So let's do it—full of belief, confident that we're presentable inside and out. Let's keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let's see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching.

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

I want to zoom in on a few words from the massive Bonhoeffer quote posted previously.

Rich Wyld was the first person to tell me this in September 2009 and people have been reminding me of it regularly since then.

He who loves his dream of a community more than the Christian community itself becomes a destroyer of the latter, even though his personal intentions may be ever so honest and earnest and sacrificial.

The full section can be read here.

Thanks to Rich, Stephen, Freeman, Togwell, and everyone who keeps reminding me about this.