In the last few years you have probably noticed the buzz around "organic community." Yet, are we all on the same page with the definition of that phrase?
What do I mean by "organic community"?
Here are a few of my thoughts on what it means.
Organic Gardening
When we read through the scriptures we find many examples of how physical gardening reveals spiritual truth.
The Psalms compare a man to a tree planted by water. Jesus often used gardening when He spoke in parables. It is very natural for us to see spiritual truth in physical things or circumstances.
To have an organic garden you must start with organic seed. The seed needs to be free of all human tampering.
To spare you from information overload, some seed is genetically modified by scientists. We often see packages of food with labels stating that it is GMO-free.
GMO or GMO-free?
Genetically modified organisms (GMO) do have an advantage. They are protected from attack from outside threats like bugs, weather, and even help food last longer.
Yet, GMO seed produces food that may be dangerous to our health. Many times we a utopian type of community. We must understand that organic seed is bigger than us.
Organic seed has a beginning with a Creator. It has an origin we can't take credit for, but it's planted in a garden we are called to nurture. To keep an organic garden growing and living, effort and intentionality must be put forth.
If the garden isn't tended, the garden dies. Everything organic has risk and reward. To have organic community we must realize the bigger than us source, and be very intentional in our nurturing.
Organic community
Organic community is a body of diverse, yet committed people.
Diversity within a group of people requires intentionality. Humans tend to come together based on similarities. That's normal. That's why we having sayings like, "Birds of a feather flock together."
The danger of being in a community based on similarities of interests, hobbies, nationalities, or race, is it tends to turn into more of a social club than community.
To experience the fullness of community we must risk and expect a level of discomfort due to difference. From that, we will reap the fruits of fullness, ability to love on a deeper level, and have a bigger picture of life.
Do you want organic community?
I am glad to see and hear the buzz about organic community. May all this buzz and desire turn into intentionality to tend the organic garden of community.
Forget about formulas and methods. Focus on the Seed which is Christ Himself.
What do you see Jesus doing?
What is he blessing?
What is he building?
What is he loving?
Now go out and plug into that.
This is a guest post by Sergei Kutrovski whom I've worked with the past few years teaching and training others in discipleship and Inductive Bible Study. You can see more of his posts at — http://kutrovski.wordpress.com/