My ideal house would have lots of rooms, and this is what I would use them for:
1. My Bedroom. I'd need that. I love the idea of community living (1) and it's something I desperately want to be involved in, but I know I'm a person who needs my own space too.
2. The Library. I've been pondering this for a while. I have a LOT of books. I've asked God whether he wants me to give them away, but I really don't think he's calling me to do that at the moment. But what I would love to do is share them. So, one of the rooms in my house would be a library; it would be comfy, and have lots of bookshelves. Anyone (2) could come by and read for a while, or borrow books for a while, or leave behind some books they didn't need any more.
3. The Kitchen. Actually this is very important. It would need to be quite big, and preferably have sofas. That way, anyone (2) who was around could come in and chat while I was cooking. I imagine there'd be quite a lot of cooking, because I'm imagining there would usually be quite a few people about who needed something to eat. The kitchen should be really welcoming, a great place to hold conversations and find out about our visitors.
4. A Holy Place. I guess this should have come first really, but these are in the order they're occurring to me. It would be really important to have a holy place. A quiet space where family and visitors could go to hang out with God. A permanent prayer room (3).
5. Creative Space. Art room. Whatever you want to call it - somewhere with a table or two, and paper and card and pens and paint and clay. I find that I need some of these things, at least from time to time, to calm down, to express myself, making stuff for God, or for other people, or just for myself.
6. The Spare Room. Well, preferably, more than one spare room. In any case, plenty of space for people to stay.
7. The Garden. Maybe I'm getting really ideal here, but it's so important to be able to be outside, feel the wind and the rain, hear the birds... It'd be fantastic to have a huge wild rambling garden, or to be on the edge of moorland or woodland or a river.
8. Swap Shop. Strictly speaking this wouldn't have to be a room, but it might make organising things a bit easier if it was. A simple notion: bring what you don't need; take what you do need. I'm thinking mainly clothes, and perhaps small items of furniture. God would send us the things that people needed!
So what would it take to run a place like this? I'm not a terribly practical kind of person, and I don't have much notion of the financial requirements of such a project. But I have a lot of faith! I've been thinking and thinking over this for a few years now, and it's time to start doing something. So I'm going to start to pray. And I'll record any developments here. What I'm going to pray for today is that God will give shape to my vision, and that he'll put me in the way of meeting people who are, or have been, or would like to be, involved in something similar.
I'm excited!
(1) I know there are about a million different definitions of "community living", and I expect I mean about half of them. I'm not talking about anything freakish or scary - I'm talking about having a house where I live with one or more other people, and where we welcome everybody God sends our way, offer them hospitality for as long as they need, and help them in any way we can.
(2) Friends from church, friends not from church, lonely passers-by, acquaintances... anyone who knew about it!
(3) Maybe even a place where we could hold services - or at least informal morning and evening prayer for anybody who was living in the house.
I love this vision and I love that you have the courage to put it into the market place. I love the prayer room and the library and I love the swap shap idea - could this be in a garage or outhouse or something? I love the creative space and I love the garden.
ReplyDeleteThere's nothing specifically Christian in this vision, and I think I love that too, though, knowing you, I'd imagine you do intend something Christian. But what if people of other faiths or no faith wanted to belong? Can the community remain true if some name God differently in the holy space?
You write from your own perspective, which is only natural. The community will be made up of 'I's - and you are, so far as you are aware, the first 'I'. In an energising tension with this lies the question of 'We'. Perhaps it is in harnessing this energy that the true essence of community lies.
So is it possible to so express your own personal ideas that the invitation to integrate the ideas of others is explicitly stated and implicity felt and trusted?
Practical ideas:
How about a community website. On this website people could make pledges conditional upon the viability of its start. (Eg: someone might pledge £20,000 towards a house if and when there's a house available and other pledges to make the purchase possible.) These pledges could include capital, income, prayer, skills, a house, vehicles, equipment, support and advice... whatever people feel able to offer practically to step the vision onward. But those pledging may well feel they are making an investment on which they need a return. For example, if someone invests their savings towards retirment, they may justifiably feel that they own a proportion of the property. They then need to either live there or take the money out if things don't work out for them.
How about a shared google document - a draft Community Charter - a developing description of values, purposes and boundaries that could be shaped online by serious contributors.
How about opening a community bank account, and setting up a registration scheme. Those wishing to shape the community by helping with the Commuity Charter would have to make an investment of at least £10 as a gesture of their serious consideration of actually becoming a part of the community. Suggest that people with money sitting around might contribute ten or a hundred times as much!
If you got some clearer framework in place, I'd seriously consider making my own initial contribution.
How about naming a date for a community Saturday when potential community members meet somewhere for fun, prayer, talking, eating etc.
Well done! Keep building the City on the Hill!