Monday, December 30, 2019

loving a neighborhood

There are no formally recognized church buildings in my immediate neighborhood. And it's the kind of neighborhood that would be "walkable" in a developing country, but not here. Our streets are dug into the side of a cliff. Every direction from our house ends up being an uphill journey, thanks to the topography of local creeks. We live in a commuter community anyways, but our neighborhood especially requires access to a car or access to compassion from someone with a car.

 I can't remember if it was right before we moved into the house or right after, but sometime this summer I printed off Google Maps pages showing every house of worship near us. The closest ones are just shy of 2 miles. For a neighborhood titled by the county as an "Urban Growth Area (UGA)" those maps were my pictorial representation of what it looks like to be an "unchurched" county.

 Just about every day we drive past a large parcel of re-zoned land, home to an upcoming development. I finally found the details through a Zillow announcement yesterday that 240 homesites are ready for purchase/building. The picture below is from the developer's website, clearly showing our little church-less neighborhood:

 In 2014, our neighborhood had a population of 480 people. (That was the last time the city tried to annex our neighborhood, but didn't.) I couldn't find any updated numbers, but I can see four houses that were built after 2014 from my window. It feels like our community is already growing, but with 240 new homes it may be ready to double. I think that our neighborhood is following the same trend as our county, pictured here:

 Charts and graphs aside, we love our neighborhood by being the Church. We've only scratched the surface of meeting our community. So far our primary way of meeting our community has been working on the unruly fence and front yard. The way we engage our community is by writing the details of our next party on a door and leaning it against the house. A literal interior door is our signal that our door will be open for anyone. It's cheesy and makes my husband cringe a little, but it's how our down-the-hill community knows there will be a party.

 It's easy to spend time with the friendly neighbors with similar family structure and sleep schedules. It's fun to share baked goods and celebrate in the backyard or living room. And the Art Show! The "Good Fences Make Good Neighbors" Art Show was one of my favorite days of, well basically ever.

 We haven't done much of the hard stuff yet, but we're ready. It helps that one of us is always home. We've driven neighbors up the hill to the bus stop and into town for kid's doctor appointments. We've shared our grief openly and been humbly comforted by those who have an opposite belief system. 

 The previous owner, Chelsea, left a heart-shaped chalkboard sign with some of her garden supplies. It hangs next to our literal front door with the quote "the Christian community is to treat everyone with dignity." It's a quote from the book Everyday Church by Tim Chester & Steve Timmis. Beau & I both read the book again this Spring for book clubs we were part of at our local church. It's our written reminder to be kind to all who enter our house, invited or not. We entertain all kinds of guests at our humble house on the cliffside. We see our home as an extension of our family, able to show Christ's love by listening, praying or just enjoying a cheese plate. 

 We love imperfectly. We do everything imperfectly. But, we try. Since we're loved perfectly, we step out and take big risks in love.
  • We love our neighbors because Jesus tells us to: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Mark 12:31 
  • We love our neighbors because they are people, made in God's image. "So God created man and woman in his own image, male and female he created them."  Genesis 1:27
  • We love because love shows the world who Jesus is. "We love because He (Jesus) first loved us." 1 John 4:19
  • We love in the little details, like making change for bus fare. "For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me." Matthew 25:35&36 
I would love for all of my favorite people to join us in this neighborhood. I keep pushing out real estate listings to friends thinking about moving already. But the reality is that God is at work in the cliffs. Whether our friendlies join us here or not, God is building the Church as Heaven comes to earth. 

We get a front-row view here on the edge of the cliff at the edge of the continent. We're loving our neighbors and our neighbors to come. We're trusting that God's plans are for glory, for humanity restored in relationship with God forever. We choose to love.



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Ephesians 5

Therefore, be imitators of God as dearly loved children and live in love, just as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God. But among you there must not be either sexual immorality, impurity of any kind, or greed, as these are not fitting for the saints. Neither should there be vulgar speech, foolish talk, or coarse jesting – all of which are out of character – but rather thanksgiving. For you can be confident of this one thing: that no person who is immoral, impure, or greedy (such a person is an idolater) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

Let nobody deceive you with empty words, for because of these things God’s wrath comes on the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them, for you were at one time darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light – for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth – and find out what pleases the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For the things they do in secret are shameful even to mention. But all things being exposed by the light are made evident. For everything made evident is light, and for this reason it says:

“Awake, O sleeper!

Rise from the dead,

and Christ will shine on you!”

Therefore be very careful how you live – not as unwise but as wise, taking advantage of every opportunity, because the days are evil. For this reason do not be foolish, but be wise by understanding what the Lord’s will is. And do not get drunk with wine, which is debauchery, but be filled by the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your hearts to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for each other in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord, because the husband is the head of the wife as also Christ is the head of the church – he himself being the savior of the body. But as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her to sanctify her by cleansing her with the washing of the water by the word, so that he may present the church to himself as glorious – not having a stain or wrinkle, or any such blemish, but holy and blameless. In the same way husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one has ever hated his own body but he feeds it and takes care of it, just as Christ also does the church, for we are members of his body. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and will be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This mystery is great – but I am actually speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Nevertheless, each one of you must also love his own wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

hey guys