Would our neighbors weep?

I finished reading a terrific book by Church of Christ preacher, college professor and author Joshua Graves this week. The book is called The Feast: Serving Jesus in a Famished World (Leafwood Press, Abilene, TX, 2009). He has educated and challenged my thinking in many areas.  At the end of the book there is a study guide for groups.  The study guide is written by Josh Ross. At the end of "Chapter 2",  Josh Ross asks a thought-provoking question:

"Is your church invested in its surrounding community in such a way that the neighbors would weep if your leaders chose to move to another location?" (p. 180)

There are a couple quotes from Joshua Graves in "Chapter 3: Wrestling With The Real Jesus". They may help us, as a church family, in evaluating our answer to Josh Ross's question.

"While many think of leaving earth as the goal of life, Jews and early Christians adamantly talked and thought about heaven as the coming together of God with a renewed earth.  Heaven was not a destination nor a place one escapes to. Heaven was the merger of God's realm and the realm currently inhabited by humanity. Thus Jesus was 'back from the future' showing the world what that day looked like." (pp. 40-41)

"Jesus judged beliefs and practices and called all people to something more. He dared them to imagine the world differently. To see the world as the canvas on which he was displaying God's intent for the world in his very words and actions. Heaven had come from the future to the present in order to begin the renewal of creation. The gospel is the announcement and arrival of God in the world." (p. 42)

How do our neighbors see us as a church family? Are we giving them a foretaste of heaven--where love for all abounds? Where everyone is cared about, prayed about, considered important and worthwhile and worthy of our attention?

I'd really like to hear your thoughts. And, if you believe, as I do, that we have some work to do in this area, I'd like to hear your suggestions on how we can grow into a church whose absence in our current neighborhood would make our neighbors weep!

--Posted by Mama O.