Day 1 w/John 13

This discipleship journey has been an amazing time.  As we approach Module 5 - this weekend will be all about Community and the unique role that it plays in discipleship.  We are to focus our reading for 7 days on John chapter 13.  Here are the instructions...

1. Define Community, what does it look like, what should it be?
2. For 5 days read John 13 and only after reading it for 5 days then do the following:
1. View John chapter 13 through a lens of your definition of community.  What do you see?
2. What would challenge you if you were apart of Jesus disciples in this context?  Why?
3. Who acts like an "individual" and who acts like they are part of a "community"?  Why do you think so?

Day 1:

So my definition of community is heavily influenced by v.34, the New Commandment, that says we are to love one another as Christ has loved us, by this all people will know that we are His disciples.  

So for me, Community answers a question of ownership [are we His Disciples or not], Community answers a question of submission [are we willing to put our needs/wants secondary to the needs of those in the group] and Community answers a question of risk [are we willing to open ourselves up to the potential hurt that comes with any relationship.]

In this chapter, Jesus starts by answering the question of ownership, what he is about to do, what he is about to undergo, would be troubling if Jesus was living for himself.  It would be hard to do, if Jesus was his own person.  But in verses 1 & 2, Jesus points out that he knows that he came from God and was returning to God.  He belongs to and with God.  I am reminded of that verse from Romans 8:31, when Paul says, "if God is for us, who can be against us?"

In this initial reading for this weeks' assignment I am also struck by the fact that there are two, about to be, betrayals mentioned in this chapter; Judas and Peter.  Those are my thoughts for today.