7.3 Together in Liberty
© 2018 Christ Revealed Bible Institute
When we studied the ten most important verses in Symmorphy I: Purpose, in order to understand fully God’s motive as expressed in Romans 8:28-30, we extended that motive into God’s larger definition of man, one who contains God, reveals God, and casts down all speaking against. We must now consider the same extension, yet regarding Christ symmorphosed into the gathering together of “many brethren.” Just as symmorphy and being filled with all of God happen together, so “inhabiting the site” and “creating rooms inside and out” go together, both personally and inside of Koinonia.
In other words, we will not try to “split” practical application into these various categories, but simply bring things in as fitting.
Growing Organically. Now, Christopher Alexander, in his book, The Timeless Way of Building, shows how the structures of a village, those that most appeal to our deepest sense of home and belonging, become real by growing organically over time. This concept is the very thing that speaks the most to me as a builder of community over many years and why I include Alexander’s theories in these Symmorphy texts.
You see, the early church was an expression of the spontaneity of Christ arising by His Spirit out from the hearts of each individual person. We do not then make that form arising from spontaneity into a rigid “definition” of church order. The order is the spontaneity.
The Timeless Way. Here is what Alexander says about the organic development of the structures and spaces of a village. I will include only a few points in order to show the direction of Alexander’s thinking.
The Timeless Way
A building or a town will only be alive to the extent that it is governed by the timeless way.
1. It is a process which brings order out of nothing but ourselves; it cannot be attained, but it will happen of its own accord, if we will only let it.
2. There is a central quality which is the root criterion of life and spirit in a man, a town, a building, or a wilderness. This quality is objective and precise, but it cannot be named.
3. The search which we make for this quality, in our own lives, is the central search of any person, and the crux of any individual person’s story. It is the search for those moments and situations when we are most alive.
4. In order to define this quality in buildings and in towns, we must begin by understanding that every place is given its character by certain patterns of events that keep happening there.
7. The more living patterns there are in a place—a room, a building, or a town—the more it comes to life as an entirety, the more it glows, the more it has that self-maintaining fire…
9. This quality in buildings and in towns cannot be made, but only generated, indirectly, by the ordinary actions of the people, just as a flower cannot be made, but only generated from the seed.
Organic Design. This organic growth, for us, flows out of the perfect balance of liberty and commitment, loving one another on the one hand, and setting one another free on the other.
As a builder of “villages” of many years’ experience, I know the importance of organic design as well as its pit falls. Some places that are allowed to “just happen” in their design, become cluttered and disjointed. And a rigidly designed “master plan” for a town (think Community) creates a series of buildings and spaces that feel soul-less, without life or feeling.
The solution is spontaneity arising from love, but with a shared purpose guiding each personal expression.
The Theology of Construction. I also know that the buildings and spaces which we create are governed in their design first by our theology. Yes, they come out of ourselves, but what “self?” The theology of a “God” who “knows good and evil,” generating pretense and fakery in the human self-story, will generate buildings and spaces that are discordant and un-contributive to that sense of belonging and aliveness.
In complete contrast, as we love one another, so our thoughts in all that we design and build will be to bless one another. And as we set one another free, so we release each other to build that which gives life and joy. When our purpose is to bless with all the blessings of joy and goodness, what a design of life that would generate for a community!
An Agreement. In the remainder of this lesson, now, I want to do something quite different. I want to articulate an initial rough draft of an agreement of walking together in liberty that I would set before each individual person who has expressed a desire to join with me in Christian Community. And I want to word this agreement in such a way that it would be applicable to many differing expressions of community.
Most of the time, people will come to community as visitors, with a visit being up to three months in length. As visitors they are there for the sole purpose of drinking freely of all that is life. But should they express an intention to commit themselves to the community, I would set before them this agreement, which I would title, “Together in Liberty.”
Together in Liberty.
As a believer in Jesus, I, the undersigned, am committed, spirit, soul, and body, with all my heart and strength, to Father God through the Lord Jesus, to know Him and to reveal Him. And I am committed to the Lord Jesus, sent into me, now my only life, to know Him and to know all things through Him.
Now, as I am filled with all the fullness of God, I see the Love that is Father Himself flowing out from my own heart, bearing all for all. For that reason, I extend my commitment to the Lord Jesus, through Jesus to His body, that is, to all those who, with me, love His appearing now as them. My commitment is not to the body, but to Jesus IN His body.
Although my commitment remains to Jesus, yet I see Him in my brothers and sisters who are as Jesus to me. For that reason, in this agreement, I commit myself to walk together with the brethren in this place, for so long as I am present here, in the deepest respect and with the highest regard.
This commitment begins with the joy of giving to this family of people those blessings of life God has given me, whether physical abilities or spiritual giftings, not under obligation, but out of all the cheerfulness of Christ in my heart. I agree to speak Christ into and regarding my brothers and sisters, and to give Christ as me into the building up of this family in love, as a member of Christ’s body.
At the same time, I embrace with all joy the fabric of the body of Christ, that the Lord Jesus shows Himself as He is through us together, through our reciprocal love for one another. Thus I commit myself to receive with gladness of heart those blessings of Christ coming to me from each one of the brothers and sisters in this place, that I also might be built together with them as the revelation of Jesus Christ.
More than that, I agree to walk together with the brethren in this place in integrity and honor. I pledge myself to share without reproach or obligation my own concerns and ideas regarding anything pertaining to our life together, and to listen with all honor to each one of my brethren as they also share their own concerns and ideas.
As I live daily with this family in this place, I set myself to abide, as best I can, by the decisions of the governing body of adults regarding our life together. Should I see a different way of doing things, I will share my thoughts without recrimination as a member of that governing body, but I agree to yield my own way to those decisions that seem agreeable to all of us together.
I commit myself to the Lord Jesus that He might fulfill His word of our submitting one to the other in the fear of the Lord through my life and actions. And if a brother or sister should instruct me regarding the decisions the community has made, I will receive their instructions with grace.
If I should discover a concern in my own heart that is much deeper than “should we do it this way or that way,” a concern that to violate would be, to me, a violation of my own knowledge of God, I will share that concern honestly and without recrimination, knowing that my brethren will not obligate me to violate my own heart. Yet, at the same time, I will not, then, impose that concern, by obligation, on my brothers and sisters, but leave them fully free in Christ, as they also do me. Should my concern continue without answer, I will place myself before the Lord Jesus in my heart, to show whether or not He is taking me to His next season for us together. I will never use my concern to accuse either myself or my brethren.
If I see that any brother or sister is taken in some fault, a fault that seems to me to be more than the normal bumbling of humans walking together, a fault that I perceive could lead to harm, either to themselves or others, I agree to share that concern only with those recognized as elders in this place. And should I be recognized with the gift of shepherding, I pledge myself to restore such a one taken in some fault with a spirit of gentleness, knowing that I, also, am carried by the Lord Jesus through all my mess. My goal will be to see that one singing in the knowledge of Christ their life once again.
At the same time, if those who are shepherds inside this family come to me with a concern regarding my own fault, I agree to receive them as the Lord Jesus Himself.
I recognize and affirm that any concern the brethren might have regarding my own conduct is not whether I am “sinning,” but rather, that my conduct might harm myself or others in our life together. Thus, I pledge myself, should the elders in this place express such a private concern to me, that I will hear them with respect and consider their concerns carefully inside the freedom of Christ.
If I am unable to respond in a positive way to their concerns, then I will submit to them as shepherds caring for this family and, in a reasonable but short time, separate myself from this place to the next season of life the Lord might have for me. In doing so, I agree to lay no accusation or obligation upon my brethren or upon this community.
As I commit myself to walk in unity with the family in this community, I understand that my commitment is not a perpetual vow of obligation to a “group” or to some “hierarchy of authority.” My commitment is to Jesus, to love each of my brethren in exactly the same way that He loves me. Thus my time in this community and with these particular brethren is for a season only, whether long or short. Should the Lord indicate to me, in my own heart, that He is taking me on to a new season, then I will go out with joy, receiving the blessing from my brethren here and blessing them in return.
Yet so long as I live in this place, I will seek as Christ through me to walk together in unity and in love with each of my brothers and sisters here and with all of us together.
Unity of Spirit. This agreement is, of course, a preliminary layout. It could easily be extended to include things deemed important to any local church, but only in a manner that continues to set forth this wondrous union of commitment and liberty.
The key point for unity of Spirit inside this agreement is one that would be invoked only on rare occasions, and that is, not just to hear and consider private correction from those anointed as shepherds, but to move away from the community without accusation or obligation should no agreement be found. Let me give a for instance. Suppose someone is abusing a child in a way that is not a criminal offense; those shepherding the community must have power to protect inside this agreement. (If the abuse is criminal, please, turn it over to the legal authorities.)
Blessing Each One. The larger daily expression of this agreement is the giving and receiving of those good gifts of Christ, one to the other, that build up the local church as the revelation of Jesus Christ to the cosmos. Fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind (Philippians 2:2).
It is, however, the middle level of the agreement where the construction of the community takes place, that is, in hearing with honor and sharing with all respect inside the governmental meetings of the community, to bless, to be a blessing, and to receive all as blessing, giving thanks for all.
When our purpose is to bless each one with joy and goodness, what a Community of LIFE we would build!