The Word Became Flesh and Moved into the Neighborhood (John 1:14 MSG)
by Rev. Dr. Tim Catlett, Executive Director of New Faith Communities
My family has lived on the same street for almost 10 years. This is the longest we have lived in one place. We have watched the children in our neighborhood grow from toddlers to teenagers. We have celebrated life milestones together, and grieved life’s losses together. However, when we first moved into our neighborhood, we were new. We did not yet know each other’s stories. We had to listen and learn about each other, and grow and change together as a community.
In Eugene Peterson’s The Message, John 1:14 is paraphrased as, “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.” During the Advent and Christmas season, we remember the world changing event of the incarnation. The idea that the incarnation of Jesus could be understood as God “moving into the neighborhood” has shaped many Christmas sermons, conversations, and even our practices of co-creating new faith communities.
Some of the same practices which occur when new people move into a new neighborhood also occur when a new faith community is co-created in a new place. It takes time to listen and to learn from the neighbors who are already there. It takes time to learn each other’s stories and to build trusting relationships and authentic community. Over time, the community is able to celebrate, grieve, grow, and change together.
For our churches, one of the first questions we must ask is, “who is our neighbor?” We follow-up with questions like, “what kind of neighbor will we be in this community?” Over time, and with God’s grace, as the body of Christ takes shape in a community, we experience the privilege of suffering and celebrating together. Our churches are shaped by the community, and the community is shaped by the body of Christ.
And just like the whole world changed when the Word became flesh and moved into the neighborhood, our prayer is our congregations and communities might also experience the transforming power of the gospel because the presence of Christ is welcomed among us.
Thank you for your ongoing prayers and support for our new faith communities who seek to be good neighbors, as we co-create new places for new people to gather at the expansive communion table of Jesus Christ.
As always, thank you for your support.
To make a financial contribution for 2022, please visit us online, https://nccumc.org/new-faith-communities/.