Sublime

Communities in which we grow and flourish, however, last over time and are built by people who are faithful to one another and committed to a shared purpose.

A framework that focuses on practices allows us to see issues in congregational and community life from a different angle

working with practices allows us to move beyond important but individually focused literature on spiritual formation so that we can also attend to the formation of good communities.

I want to supplement Willard’s emphasis on the individual practice of the spiritual disciplines with what might be a counterintuitive thesis in our “millennial” moment: that the most potent, charged, transformative site of the Spirit’s work is found in the most unlikely of places—the church!

Chapter 11 Live into Community

Considering them as practices opens up the possibility of recognizing them as the relational dynamics of grace and truth — what grace and truth look like when they are embodied in community.

A combination of grace, fidelity, and truth makes communities safe enough for people to take the risks that are necessary for growth and transformation. That same combination makes it possible for groups to handle disagreements without being torn apart and to minister to the world in ways that are far greater than the sum of the individuals involve