When I was a freshman in college I read a book that changed the way I look at a lot of things; Church, Community, God, Love, Hatred, Enemies, and the very way I live my life. I have since seen this book change the same perspectives in friend and family. I have had the chance to hear the author speak and have even had the blessing of conversing with him on one occasion, I have read more books by him and I have tried my hardest to put the teachings he lays down to practice in my life. The book: The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne.
This book teaches many things, but its main point is to tell about “another way of doing life” (chapter 5). Claiborne talks about the beginnings of their intentional community called The Simple Way. Basically it is a community of people that live together and spend their lives loving and serving in the name of Christ. They have done some amazing stuff but if you want to learn more about The Simple Way go to http://thesimpleway.org/
Anyway, the reason I am talking about this (and the reason I am blogging for the first time in FOREVER!) is because since the day I finished the book, I have been in search of this community in my own live, I knew that I had to find something like what was being described to me in the pages of Irresistible Revolution. I soon gave up completely on churches in my town because I could only see hypocrisy in the way that those people lived their lives; tying to be holy and praise God and love others on Sundays and spend the rest of the week doing whatever they could to get ahead in life, to make more money and to buy more things for themselves. Now, I am not saying that I am not the same but I saw that in myself and I wanted to embrace it rather than run from it. I only needed some like minded people that could join me in this idea. I would read Acts over and over, that was the kind of “church” I wanted to be a part of. (Read Acts, 2:43-47 to understand just what I am talking about there)
Over the years, I would find people here and there that thought similarly to the way I did (most of them also directly influenced by Claiborne’s books and the early church) and we would dream and complain together but it never would go farther than that. Then one day earlier this semester, everything started to change.
About two months ago, I got a call from a friend of mine who told me that he had just met a guy named Christian who had a house and was looking for roommates. I didn’t think much of it at the time except thinking that it would be good to get out of my house and try the whole “living on my own while still in college thing”. But a few weeks went by and my friend and I talked again, he told me that every Saturday night a bunch of our friends were getting together at Christian’s house to make and share a meal and simply engage one another with their company and conversation. I was incredibly intrigued and a couple of weeks later I went over to check it out for myself. I had no idea of the opportunities that were awaiting me in that house.
A group of people sitting around sharing a meal, laughs, thoughts, and love; all of it surrounding a Christ filled atmosphere that would rival any church and any worship service I have been to in a long time. I have gotten to know Christian over the last few weeks and I just wish I could put into word the depth of his vision for this house. Basically, we are working to make it everything we have wanted: an intentional community. A place where people come to live and learn and grow together, all while serving our Lord and loving not only each other, but also every single person who walks through the door (or doesn’t).
I just can’t convey how excited I am about this. The house is in rough shape and will take a lot of work, but that is part of our journey that we have undertaken together. Two people already live in the house, and I am planning on moving in as soon as I can and fully learning another way of doing life.
The house has been named “The Human House” and is Sterling’s first intentional house community of its kind. Our lives are about to change for the better, we are about to dive so deeply into following Jesus in our lives that I would be lying if I didn’t admit it is a little bit scary. It is a welcoming place of rest, where everything we do is done in Christ’s love. Holding each other accountable and loving each other because we are all humans with faults who strive to be better.
I ask anyone that reads this to be in prayer about the Human House Community of Sterling Kansas. We will be facing hard times ahead as we are still in our planning and ideas stage. Pray for community to stay Christ centered and full of LOVE. Pray for financial blessing in the restoration process. Pray that we can be as much of an impact on the community of Sterling as we are planning on being.
I will post pictures as soon as I get some taken and I will also be giving updates in future posts .
LOVE.PEACE.JON
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Things I have learned lately...
Inspired by A LOT of things!
1) You can only be the hippie that society allows you to be. (Another blog coming on this one)
2) MGMT is one of the best bands of all time
3) MGMT has a very skin crawling website
4) Modest Mouse is one of the best bands of all time (I already knew this but still…)
5) Fog is some SCARY ASS stuff…
6) I really want a ham and cheese sandwich and some chicken and noodles right now!
7) Sopranos is a completely different show when you watch it the third time through
8) I should have been a musician. (Not that I can play anything, but still)
9) I have a real issue with this whole “scared to be in a car” thing
10) I have a wonderful Girlfriend!!!!! Seriously, the best in the world!
11) B. B. King is AMAZING!
12) I could do things. Real things. Impactful things.
13) I cant wait to be in Denver
14) Feeling is almost and easy and hearing
15) Girls are like hard drugs (and not in a sex way like porn or anything, just them
in general)
16) Iron and Wine is one of the best bands of all time
It’s like I can hear the band like outside my window at a concert. A giant outdoor concert, with people everywhere singing along and enjoying the music while they enjoy the company and solidarity of the concert. The way they feel can’t be matched by any other feeling. The crowed is head over heels in love with the music in the air and the vibrations in the ground, as well as in their own chests. Everyone has huge smiles painted on their faces. The band continues to play long after the song had pasted its true ending. They too can feel that this moment is special. Moments like this one don’t come around but once in a lifetime and they are embracing it, making it the one time they will remember until they die. And even after they die, if there really is a heaven they will simply slip into the past and relive this moment forever. The sun a shining brightly yet has made the decision to honor this minute of time and not shine into anyone eyes and distract them from the magical sense of community and love they all feel. The passersby look at the crowd and hear the musicians playing on and on. They don’t understand what they are missing. They don’t realize that if they would only embrace the feeling a few yards in front of them at the edge of the crowd, they would no longer feel the pain of the day in and day out. Stress is flowing from this mass of people like water off the back of a seagull. The flood of negativity running away from these feelers is being shut out by the music which has turned from the improvised guitar rifts and keyboard solos back into the original song for one more declaration of the chorus. The band understands that this has to come to an end; it would be and exercise in futility to try and save this moment in time forever. Others must be invited to join other people all over the globe. The people too are beginning to understand that this could very well be as good as it will ever get for them in this life and some can’t stand the wait until they once again find this much of a high from simply being. As the song ends for the final time and the people begin to come back to earth, some, sobbing with a sense of emptiness and some, shedding tears as they hold onto it the last few drops in the bottom of their hearts. They know that its over, but they have come to understand that the moment can be shared with everyone and we should all do our part to see that everyone enjoys what they just went through. The media is standing just outside of the shape of people that for a brief moment in time became a combined gathering of one mind and let the music and magic fill theirs souls. The media wants to understand just some of the PIECES OF WHAT they just witnessed. Some people are eager to share with them and invited them to join, others don’t. But regardless of what the people do, the band has left.
1) You can only be the hippie that society allows you to be. (Another blog coming on this one)
2) MGMT is one of the best bands of all time
3) MGMT has a very skin crawling website
4) Modest Mouse is one of the best bands of all time (I already knew this but still…)
5) Fog is some SCARY ASS stuff…
6) I really want a ham and cheese sandwich and some chicken and noodles right now!
7) Sopranos is a completely different show when you watch it the third time through
8) I should have been a musician. (Not that I can play anything, but still)
9) I have a real issue with this whole “scared to be in a car” thing
10) I have a wonderful Girlfriend!!!!! Seriously, the best in the world!
11) B. B. King is AMAZING!
12) I could do things. Real things. Impactful things.
13) I cant wait to be in Denver
14) Feeling is almost and easy and hearing
15) Girls are like hard drugs (and not in a sex way like porn or anything, just them
in general)
16) Iron and Wine is one of the best bands of all time
It’s like I can hear the band like outside my window at a concert. A giant outdoor concert, with people everywhere singing along and enjoying the music while they enjoy the company and solidarity of the concert. The way they feel can’t be matched by any other feeling. The crowed is head over heels in love with the music in the air and the vibrations in the ground, as well as in their own chests. Everyone has huge smiles painted on their faces. The band continues to play long after the song had pasted its true ending. They too can feel that this moment is special. Moments like this one don’t come around but once in a lifetime and they are embracing it, making it the one time they will remember until they die. And even after they die, if there really is a heaven they will simply slip into the past and relive this moment forever. The sun a shining brightly yet has made the decision to honor this minute of time and not shine into anyone eyes and distract them from the magical sense of community and love they all feel. The passersby look at the crowd and hear the musicians playing on and on. They don’t understand what they are missing. They don’t realize that if they would only embrace the feeling a few yards in front of them at the edge of the crowd, they would no longer feel the pain of the day in and day out. Stress is flowing from this mass of people like water off the back of a seagull. The flood of negativity running away from these feelers is being shut out by the music which has turned from the improvised guitar rifts and keyboard solos back into the original song for one more declaration of the chorus. The band understands that this has to come to an end; it would be and exercise in futility to try and save this moment in time forever. Others must be invited to join other people all over the globe. The people too are beginning to understand that this could very well be as good as it will ever get for them in this life and some can’t stand the wait until they once again find this much of a high from simply being. As the song ends for the final time and the people begin to come back to earth, some, sobbing with a sense of emptiness and some, shedding tears as they hold onto it the last few drops in the bottom of their hearts. They know that its over, but they have come to understand that the moment can be shared with everyone and we should all do our part to see that everyone enjoys what they just went through. The media is standing just outside of the shape of people that for a brief moment in time became a combined gathering of one mind and let the music and magic fill theirs souls. The media wants to understand just some of the PIECES OF WHAT they just witnessed. Some people are eager to share with them and invited them to join, others don’t. But regardless of what the people do, the band has left.
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