The Advent Of "Intentional" Spiritual Communities

A great shift is taking place across church groups around the world. This shift is a result of the growing disparity between “faith life” and “real life” in people’s lives. Today’s culture desires to incorporate spirituality into a lifestyle that embraces a common purpose. By eliminating “church” as a societal institution in our lives, it frees us up to become passionate in our walk with God and “be” the church
as Jesus originally intended.

No longer driven out of obligation or expectation, individuals can engage with others in the persuit of a shared, holistic spiritual experience. Central to this paradigm shift is Jesus. Jesus remains the sole purpose for becoming “intentional” in our local communities to bring about spiritual change. Many critics of the emerging church claim that it is becoming “unitarian” in nature. I would argue that most emergent groups have been organically grown out of the need to search out the teachings of Jesus at a much deeper level.

Emerging spiritual gatherings tend to lean heavily on the experiential, with the focus of developing the spiritual being inside us all. While politics, nationalism and economics may play some role in our lives, most of us have agreed that the transformation that Jesus was talking about can only come through an inner spiritual awakening. That awakening, when shared, may hold the potential to actually solve the world’s problems.

So what is it that these ISC’s do anyway? (Intentional Spiritual Communities) They are filled with tableside conversation. The sharing of time, resources, talents and spiritual experiences is a daily occurrence. It might be hard to describe because there is no set agenda other than the common bond to explore the Ways of Jesus together. Individual and communal worship is an expression of ones relationship with God. Artistic expression is encouraged and no topic of conversation is off limits. There tends to be a lot of smiling, crying and open heartedness where people use their hearts as well as their heads to work through this thing we call "life." (maybe a few laptops and coffee cups as well!)

Coming soon to a Church near you…

RC