THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
(in no particular order)
You will be challenged:
‐We try to use as little as we can, including space, materials, money, fuel, etc. We don’t have cable TV, we look for less wasteful methods of transportation, we avoid using central A/C and heating, and we share our rooms and possessions with each other.
‐We take an active interest in each other’s lives, supporting each other in all that we do, and holding each other accountable to the values by which we have chosen to live.
‐We live closely with each other so that we have to learn to deal with our differences of opinion, taste and personality without becoming destructive to each other.
‐We chose to live in a low‐income, high‐crime neighborhood. Our love for our neighbors will be tested when they steal from us, threaten us, attack us, antagonize us or frustrate us.
‐We look to God to lead us and guide us. He knows, better than we do, the desires of our hearts and the idols that we set up in that place; and His will challenges our own will, sometimes fiercely.
You will be disappointed:
We are not an exemplary group, according to standards agreed upon by Christian culture. While any sane person would admit, "I'm not perfect", we say that we are riddled with flaws and inconsistencies. In some ways, we do not conform to standards which have little to do with following Jesus and more to do with cultural values and prejudices. In other ways, we simply fail at following Jesus faithfully, and we are without excuse. We are a group of men in recovery from consumerism, from judgmentalism, from relational disease, and from hatred of others and of ourselves. So we choose to recover together as a community of the weak, and not as a community of pious believers.
"For the pious community permits no one to be a sinner. Hence all have to conceal their sins from themselves and from the community. We are not allowed to be sinners. Many Christians would be unimaginably horrified if a real sinner were suddenly to turn up among the pious. So we remain alone in our sin, trapped in lies and hypocrisy, for we are in fact sinners."
We are not an exemplary group, according to standards agreed upon by Christian culture. While any sane person would admit, "I'm not perfect", we say that we are riddled with flaws and inconsistencies. In some ways, we do not conform to standards which have little to do with following Jesus and more to do with cultural values and prejudices. In other ways, we simply fail at following Jesus faithfully, and we are without excuse. We are a group of men in recovery from consumerism, from judgmentalism, from relational disease, and from hatred of others and of ourselves. So we choose to recover together as a community of the weak, and not as a community of pious believers.
"For the pious community permits no one to be a sinner. Hence all have to conceal their sins from themselves and from the community. We are not allowed to be sinners. Many Christians would be unimaginably horrified if a real sinner were suddenly to turn up among the pious. So we remain alone in our sin, trapped in lies and hypocrisy, for we are in fact sinners."
-Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together
You will be bothered:
‐People knock on our door or call us, needing something. They may be hungry, or they may need to take a shower or wash their clothes. They may need someone to listen patiently to their story or their problem or their good news. They may need a ride. This and more is part of what we do and why we are here, and we are learning to do it with love and respect for our neighbors, each of whom bears the image of our God.
‐The way that you think things should be done may not happen. Part of this involves openness to new ways of doing things. Part of this involves working with people who may not be reasonable according to your standards. Part of this involves the destruction of your own expectations and of the agendas that you put onto other people as conditions for helping them. All of this points towards our ultimate and immanent reliance on the grace of God.‐We all have different standards of cleanliness, organization, discipline, and order. Some of us will annoy others by our messiness. Some of us will annoy others by our demanding. All of us have some good and healthy disciplines to share with the rest. All of us will need to be gracious and kind to each other in our weakness. Be an example, not a critic.
‐Our house is old, our materials are what we can find or forage, and our willingness to simply purchase what we would like is crucified daily. Sirens, yelling neighbors, enhanced car stereos and the police helicopter are what lull us to sleep at night.
You will be counted upon:
‐Our lifestyle is characterized by a high degree of teamwork and shared responsibility. We come home depending on one another to have dinner prepared or the house cleaned or the animals fed. We share our possessions with each other and try to treat them better than if they were our own. We support each other in our trials. We don’t carry our own weight; we carry each other. And this is just the warm‐up for others who will need us as ambassadors of God in desperate moments, in conflict, in pain, in need and in doubt.
‐We throw ourselves into the fray with abandon. Sometimes, we get in over our heads. When that happens, the rest of us are there to pass the baton and keep going. Any one of us would almost certainly burn out, but the lot of us can press on and heal each other in turns. Banish now from your mind the words “That’s not my job.”
You will be hurt:
‐Our joys come in quiet moments, but as often as not, they come in the midst of pain. Our experience of this lifestyle cannot be measured in pros or cons, good times vs. bad times; because our best moments may be the ones when we’re spent, or rejected, or taken advantage of, or we just can’t do it anymore. We are learning slowly to rejoice in pain. Please don’t be discouraged when things get difficult, but rather mine that rocky terrain for the gold that is hidden among the rough. We’ll do this together.
You will be amazed:
‐God is bigger and wiser and more patient and more loving than we know. Time and time again we forget and remember that He is with us, and it’s the coolest thing in this world. Have eyes to see the blessings and mercies shown to us, and you will find more to be grateful for than you could have guessed.
If you haven't been scared off yet, this is for you.
