Notes on the Journey: The Church is not a building, folks.

The Church is not a building. We are the church.

I remember when my little brother, Eric, came home one day from church and shared this idea with everyone when we were kids. It was what he had learned in bible school and he was repeating it proudly to show everyone how much he knew. But I remember being very confused by this as a kid, because the church I knew met in the church building. We "go to" or "attend church" on Sunday mornings, then we leave the "church" (building) afterwards and go home.

I have long understood the meaning of "being the church," but living in intentional community has really made this truth come alive for me. One reason is that this lifestyle ensures that church doesn't only happen on Sunday but is something you are apart of daily. When you share space regularly with Christians and have meals often, it begins to change how you see your faith. It becomes less about punching in on Sunday, and more about being a part of something bigger than yourself. So, I guess that I am most excited to share is what all we have been doing lately that I see as being apart of our little church.

We have focused on hospitality lately and have had people over for dinner several times a week for the past several weeks. They have been staying for and participating in our nightly prayer time afterwards. I love having a full house!

We have been reading the Rule of St. Benedict before dinner as a group.

We have been learning new prayer styles such as Taize, Lectio Divina, Examine, Praying in Color, and have been reading from Shane Claiborne's new book of Common Prayer. I have also been excited to be the song leader for our groups- teaching and learning new songs for prayer.

We are about to start reading the book Creating a Healthier Church together. The curriculum for the year is shifting from healthy communication to focus on leadership, emotional awareness and group dynamics in church.

I will leave you with some pictures of us snow tubing and enjoying winter. They are about a month old, and I can't say that I am still enjoying winter this much!