We Might Be Crazy, But COMMITMENT: (def.) Something that engages one to do something, a continuing obligation. ~ Webster’s Dictionary

We Might Be Crazy, But

COMMITMENT: (def.)COMMITMENT: (def.)

Something that engages one to Something that engages one to do something, a continuing do something, a continuing

obligation.obligation.

~ Webster’s Dictionary~ Webster’s Dictionary

" Church is the place where " Church is the place where people ought to breathe most people ought to breathe most

freely and most together. Church freely and most together. Church is the place where people ought is the place where people ought

to feel most free to be to feel most free to be themselves and most themselves and most

accountable to one another."accountable to one another."

~ ~ Leonard SweetLeonard Sweet

““Since community alone will Since community alone will survive from this world into survive from this world into the next, it is ultimately the the next, it is ultimately the

only thing God is doing today only thing God is doing today that has eternal significance.”that has eternal significance.”

~ Dr. Gilbert Bilezikien~ Dr. Gilbert Bilezikien

““The Christian ideal has not The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. been tried and found wanting.

It has been found difficult, It has been found difficult, and left untried.”and left untried.”

~ G.K. Chesterton~ G.K. Chesterton

““We will never transform the We will never transform the world as individuals.”world as individuals.”

~ Julie A. Gorman~ Julie A. Gorman

““People love the idea of People love the idea of community more than the community more than the

experience of community.”experience of community.”

~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer

““We are a community not We are a community not because we like each other or because we like each other or

have a common task or have a common task or project but because we are project but because we are

called together by God.”called together by God.”

~ Henri Nouwen~ Henri Nouwen

““The silent churning at the core of The silent churning at the core of our beings is the tormenting need to our beings is the tormenting need to

know and to be known, to know and to be known, to understand and to be understood, to understand and to be understood, to

possess and to be possessed, to possess and to be possessed, to belong unconditionally and forever belong unconditionally and forever

without fear of loss, betrayal, or without fear of loss, betrayal, or rejection.”rejection.”

~ Dr. Gilbert Bilezikian~ Dr. Gilbert Bilezikian

““The most conspicuous The most conspicuous weakness of evangelical weakness of evangelical

Protestant theology has been its Protestant theology has been its lack of understanding and lack of understanding and

witness to authentic community witness to authentic community as the fulfillment of the believer’s as the fulfillment of the believer’s

personal relation to God.”personal relation to God.”

~ C. N. Kraus~ C. N. Kraus

““Jesus Christ, by putting us in Jesus Christ, by putting us in his body, determined that we his body, determined that we

would need each other as would need each other as much as we need him.”much as we need him.”

~ Richard Halverson~ Richard Halverson

“ “ The notion of looking on at The notion of looking on at life has always been hateful to life has always been hateful to

me. What am I if I am not a me. What am I if I am not a participant? In order to be, I participant? In order to be, I

must participate.”must participate.”

~ ~ Antoine de Saint-ExuperyAntoine de Saint-Exupery

““It is through encounter with It is through encounter with others that the self exists.”others that the self exists.”

~ R. S. Anderson~ R. S. Anderson

““When the church becomes When the church becomes worldly and replaces oneness worldly and replaces oneness

with hierarchy and sanctification with hierarchy and sanctification with stratification, modern with stratification, modern

pagans find no reason to trade pagans find no reason to trade one form of hell for another.”one form of hell for another.”


““Whatever system God touches has Whatever system God touches has the marks of relationship on it the marks of relationship on it

whether humankind in general, the whether humankind in general, the nation of Israel, salvation, revelation, nation of Israel, salvation, revelation,

or the church. And this relational or the church. And this relational imprint bears both dimensions of imprint bears both dimensions of

being in relationship with God and in being in relationship with God and in relationship with others.”relationship with others.”

~ Julie A. Gorman~ Julie A. Gorman

““The true value of a human The true value of a human being is determined primarily being is determined primarily

by the measure and sense that by the measure and sense that he has attained liberation from he has attained liberation from

the self.”the self.”

~ Albert Einstein~ Albert Einstein

““To be in the presence of even the To be in the presence of even the meanest, lowest, most repulsive meanest, lowest, most repulsive

specimen of humanity is still to be specimen of humanity is still to be closer to God than when looking up closer to God than when looking up

into a starry sky or at a beautiful into a starry sky or at a beautiful sunset. For we cannot really love a sunset. For we cannot really love a sunset; we can love only a person.”sunset; we can love only a person.”

~ Mike Mason~ Mike Mason

““For contemporary Christians, to For contemporary Christians, to meet regularly in small groups is not meet regularly in small groups is not an option or a luxury. It is a biblical an option or a luxury. It is a biblical mandate that they must obey if they mandate that they must obey if they want to experience communal life want to experience communal life

and if their churches are to become and if their churches are to become biblically functioning communities.”biblically functioning communities.”


““Your people will be Your people will be my people my people

and your God and your God my God.”my God.”

~ Ruth to Naomi (Ruth 1:16)~ Ruth to Naomi (Ruth 1:16)

SURVIVOR! SURVIVOR! (The 70(The 70 CE CE Version)Version)

THE SADDUCEESTHE SADDUCEES = Pleasing God through = Pleasing God through Temple Temple sacrifices.sacrifices.

THE ESSENESTHE ESSENES = Pleasing God by rejecting = Pleasing God by rejecting society.society.

THE ZEALOTSTHE ZEALOTS = Pleasing God by killing the = Pleasing God by killing the bad bad guys. guys.

THE PHARISEES THE PHARISEES = Pleasing God through = Pleasing God through Torah Torah observance/living.observance/living.

THE MESSIAH-MOVEMENTTHE MESSIAH-MOVEMENT = Pleasing God by = Pleasing God by embracing the embracing the

Messiah.Messiah.







Messiah.Messiah.







Messiah.Messiah.

““We are the temple of the We are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I living God. As God has said: ‘I

will live with them and walk will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their among them, and I will be their

God, and they will be my God, and they will be my people.’”people.’”

~ 2 Corinthians 6:16 (TNIV)~ 2 Corinthians 6:16 (TNIV)

““As you come to him, the living As you come to him, the living Stone – rejected by men but chosen Stone – rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him – you by God and precious to him – you also, like living stones, are being also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual holy priesthood, offering spiritual

sacrifices acceptable to God through sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”Jesus Christ.”

~ 1 Peter 2:4-5 (NIV)~ 1 Peter 2:4-5 (NIV)

““Christ has set us free! This Christ has set us free! This means we are really free. Now means we are really free. Now hold on to your freedom and hold on to your freedom and don’t ever become slaves of don’t ever become slaves of

the Law again.”the Law again.”

~ Galatians 5:1 (CEV)~ Galatians 5:1 (CEV)

FatherFather

WordWord Holy SpiritHoly Spirit

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FatherFather


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We Might Be Crazy, But COMMITMENT: (def.) Something that engages one to do something, a continuing obligation. ~ Webster’s Dictionary