Community
is something that we all long for. Its something that every church
advertises and yet so often come up short. Community is something
that should be integral to the life of the church and yet the
countless volumes on this topic are a pretty good indicator of the
fact we often come up short. I found myself intrigued by the title
and the catalog description of “The Irresistible Community” when
the publisher offered me a copy for review. I found myself engaged
within the first pages as the author uses the illustration of the
Last Super to show us what community was intended to be. Each chapter
begins with a first person narrative from one of the 12 disciples.
Donahue does a great job and drawing us into each of their stories
and how they likely felt on that fateful night. This personal
vignettes give us an personal and emotional connection to the various
elements of community each chapter addresses.
The
book itself is broken into three sections, which cover the three
dimensions of community that make it irresistible. The Table is where
we gather and community happens. The Towel is what we must pick up to
serve each other and together serve others. The Truth which must
encircle our community. I really appreciated these three dimensions
as many “communities” fall short because they lack or over
emphasize one. We're often good at gathering around a table but often
fail to pick up the towel or we're so engrossed in serving we forget
the truth, or so concerned with the truth we fail to serve.
The
first section talks about the Table, how we find our place, table
manners, different kinds of tables and telling our stories around the
table. The truth is a lot of community happens around the table,
often because food is involved, but what I appreciated most in this
section was the recognition that there are different kinds of tables.
Not everything can be or should be done at the dinner table.
Sometimes one needs, not a family dinner, but a boardroom or a
surgery. There are tables made for these different situations and it
is important to recognize that community can play many different
rolls including, counsel, encouragement, correction, negotiation,
teaching and more. There are different kinds of tables, and
recognizing which one you are at and the rules around that table is
key to doing life together.
The
second section deals with the Towel. Just as Jesus picked up the
towel to wash the feet of His disciples, we too need to pickup the
towel and serve. A community must serve those inside and outside its
numbers. The author makes several good points here, including the
fact that the towel will get dirty. Serving gets dirty but in the
dirt, it is rewarding. A couple of helpful points in this section are
in the Don't do list about how to use your towel. This included, not
waiting until your exact gifts are needed to serve and don't lose the
big picture. The first has to do with sitting on the sidelines
because we don't think we really fit the need yet, often we can do
something and may even need a little stretching. The second is that
we must always keep the fact we are part of something bigger in mind
and that even the smallest thing might have a major impact. Often
times the big break troughs don't come from something spectacular but
just from hundreds, if not thousands of cups of coffee shared in
love.
The
final section deals with the truth that every community must keep.
This is not simply about including a Bible study in every community
but letting the truth of the scripture really get inside us to
transform and renew. Truth must be at the heart of community, it is
only when we know and embrace the truth of who we are in Christ and
to each other that we can get any depth to our relationships. The
truth at times will hurt but it will also heal. When we face the
truth we can truly see ourselves and others and build the kind of
community we long for.
Overall
I found this to be a great and accessible book and well worth the
read for anyone in church leadership or simply wanting to build and
be a part of an irresistible community.
(I received this book from Baker Books in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.)