Last night we had a great discussion about what it means to be a community of faith and what some of our challenges might be. This week I’d like to use this website as a way to anchor that ongoing discussion.

This will be the only major post this week. I’ll add a few brief quotes and links over the next few days that hopefully with stir the pot a bit, but for the most part this is the critical discussion we need to have in depth.

Last night I suggested that community life together is where discipleship actually occurs most powerfully. I would add that it’s only in our community relationships with one another that we encounter biblical “salvation.” If you want to dig in a little right now, here are some key biblical narratives for gaining a vision of how the people of God are to live out salvation concretely in community:

Read Matthew 5:13-16 and do the exercises below:

• What do you think might be the connection between Jesus’ discussion of salt and light here, and the previous beatitudes? In other words, how does the beatitudes lead naturally to this proclamation of being salt and light by “good deeds?”
• Read Col 3:10-11 & 2 Cor 5:16-17. What is the connection between Jesus and Paul’s teachings?
• Have there been times in your life when you felt you learned you had helped someone simply be virtue of being “with God?” Have there been times you knew you should be “shining your light” but chose to hide it instead?
• Heavier lifting: Take some time to learn about Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Even if you already know who he was, do a little more research and read about the details of his life. How was he “salt and light?”

Today is our day to practice worship together. If you’re not part of the Ikon Community, get together with a group of friends and practice the following exercises:

• Eat together
• Receive communion together (choose a reading from John 6:43-58, or 2 Cor 11:23-26, a liturgical book like the Book of Common Prayer)
• Read all, or some portion of, Matthew 4 together and share your experiences from your exercises this week
• Pray for anyone in need