COMMUNITY RETREAT, TOPIC 1.

LIFE IN COMMUNITY, IN
WHAT DOES IT CONSIST OF?
FUNDAMENTALPREMISE.

GOD IS COMMUNITY.
▸ The most complex doctrines of the Bible: the
Trinity and the incarnation of Christ are extremely
pastoral. God is communal and asks us for something that He
live.

▸ Any community exists as a result of the

the creation of God is such a reflection of an eternal reality
that is intrinsic to the being of God. Because God is
eternally one, when he created in his image, he created
unity" (Gilbert Bilezikian).
THE BIBLICALCALL.

UNIT WITHOUT LIMITS.

▸ All of you are children of God through faith in Christ Jesus,
for all who have been baptized into Christ have
clothed in Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free,
neither man nor woman, but all of you are one in Christ
Jesus" (Galatians 3:26-28, NIV).

▸ All social, cultural, and gender barriers must be

abandoned, because no one can be saved by them, nor
to win God's favor through a certain condition.

▸ What fully identifies us is that we are 'children of God'.

There is no greater identifying appellation that we can receive!
THE CHURCH: COMMUNITY SPACE.

THE RADICALITY OF THE COMMUNITY.

▸ The church of Jesus Christ is similar to an ocean in its vastness.
diversity. And, just as the waters of the sea have clear parts
and warmer, and others darker and colder, parts in which
to enter confidently and others in which the risk of perishing is
Great, church life can be a blessing or a burden.
test. I am indeed aware of the danger of advising my
readers looking for a church to join. But it is
however, advice that I do not give lightly, and for which
I warn you. But the truth is that there is no other alternative. There is no...
Can one live as a Christian without the family of faith as true?
church" (Timothy Keller, The Reason for God)
THE CHURCH: COMMUNITY SPACE.

▸ There is no solitary Christianity; it always occurs in

community.

▸ One must fight against the comfort that adapts to

individualistic and fragmented culture that, beyond the
easy speeches, does not tolerate or enjoy diversity.

▸ La iglesia es el lugar donde se reúnen personas que jamás

they would have come together. This is achieved by grace, enabling the
brotherhood.

▸ That brotherhood involves risks, but these must be

taken.
ALLEGED ENEMIES.
PURPOSE.

WHAT WAS THE COMMUNITY MADE FOR?

▸ To know and be known (true connection, not simple)
friendship Facebook style.

▸ Providing attention, loving and being loved (principle of the

reciprocity.

▸ Humility: to serve and to be served.

▸ For the integration of more people and for inclusion.

▸ For hospitality (Francis Schaeffer, The Church at the End of...

20th century, pp. 144-147.
PURPOSE. WHAT WAS THE COMMUNITY MADE FOR?

▸ Living freedom and guiding others towards freedom, enjoying it

in it.

▸ To tell the truth: to love and to be admonished (to discipline is

to shepherd.

▸ Affirm us: celebrate and receive celebration.

▸ Turn our soul towards others (care).

Presbyterianism.

PRESBYTERIAN PRINCIPLES OF THE COMMUNITY.

▸ The community is for the glory of God and expression of His

sovereignty.

▸ Strengthening a theological identity: confessionalism.

▸ Strengthening a practical identity: presbytery community.

▸ Importance of wise leaders, who stand firm on the Word, that the
preach and teach, be role models for life (knowing that
our failures and the need for grace), and that they be
willing to serve. Leaders who flee tyranny, who do not seek
serve themselves and do not project the construction of a human kingdom (that
exalt the 'I'.
HARM TO THE COMMUNITY.

THINGS THAT HARM THE COMMUNITY.

▸ Idolatry: that the mechanism of evaluation and acceptance
they are the idols of the heart and not the Bible.

▸ Personal agendas: using people and the community

for personal and individual growth.

▸ The construction of 'GCU' spaces (people like one).

Principle of homogeneous communities.

▸ To think that a position is required to work and serve.

▸ Think that only the shepherds should work.

THINGS THAT HARM THE COMMUNITY.

▸ To think that working for the benefit of the community only

I should do it in my spare time (actually leftover time).

▸ The lack of commitment and identification. The 'not getting involved...

"Hands to the fire" is an ideology unworthy of the Kingdom of God.

▸ The "never let anyone down." The lack of discipline and

correction so that no one gets angry and leaves (artificial peace).

▸ The abuse, misuse, and neglect of individuals.

▸ The carelessness of others.

▸ La falta de honestidad, el chisme.

THE DOUBT.
CONCLUSION.

A certainty for the closure.

THE COMMUNITY OF BELIEVERS EXISTS

BY THE REDEEMING ACTION OF GOD, FOR
THE SUBSTITUTE WORK OF CHRIST, BY HIS
MEDIATION, AND BY THE FORCE OF THE SPIRIT
SAINT THAT VITALIZES US FOR IT.

CHRISTIANITY IS COMMUNITY-ORIENTED
BECAUSE THE TRINITARIAN GOD DESIGNED IT THIS WAY. NO
YOU CAN LIVE YOUR FAITH OUTSIDE OF THE CHURCH.
RETREAT 'COMMUNITY', TOPIC 2.

COMPANIONSHIP AND THE

FRIENDSHIP IN THE CHURCH.
PROBLEM IN THE LOOK.

Have you seen yourself stating this?

▸ The little groups harm the church.

▸ It's always the same ones.

▸ Friends groups are constantly seen in the

church as if they were problematic poles.
WHATARETHEYANDHOWARETHEYRELATED?

Companionship and Friendship.

▸ The companionship calls for support, for 'sharing

the table,” to work together.

▸ Friendship appeals to meaningful and trusting relationships.

It involves the generation of a loop.

▸ Both can occur together.

THE KEY.

RECIPROCITY.
▸ In companionship and friendship, there is no selflessness because
always requires feedback and RECIPROCITY.
It is in the act of giving-receiving-giving that the objective is fulfilled.

▸ Reciprocity is not giving a kilo and receiving a kilo. It is giving of

what one has.
C. S. LEWIS.

FRIENDSHIP AND THE COMPLEMENT.

▸ C.S. Lewis wrote about his friendship with Charles Williams and
J.R.R. Tolkien:

▸ In each one of my friends, there is something that only another friend can
bring fully to light. By myself, I am not great enough
It's like calling all men to activity; I want other lights.
apart from my own to showcase all its facets [...]
C.S. LEWIS. FRIENDSHIP.

▸ Now that Charles is dead, I will never see again the

reaction of Ronald [Tolkien] to a specifically joke
from Carolina. Far from having more than Ronald, having him
now 'just for me' when Charles has left, I have
less than Ronald. Hence, true friendship is the
less jealous of love. Two friends delight
when a third party joins them, and three for a fourth [...] No
we possess less of each friend, if not more, as we go along
increases the number of those with whom it
we share. In this, friendship displays a glorious
'closeness by similarity' with the sky [...]
C.S. LEWIS. FRIENDSHIP.

▸ Because each soul, seeing HIM in its own way,

communicate that unique vision to everyone else. That's why
says an old author, it is that the seraphs in the vision of
Isaiah calls out 'Holy, Holy, Holy' to one another (Isa 6:3).
The more we share the Heavenly Bread like this among
we, but we will all have

▸ (C. S. Lewis. The Four Loves)

FRIENDSHIPAND COMPANIONSHIP.

WORK TO BE DONE.
▸ Building relationships that create pathways.

▸ What is least required is little commitment, lack of

consequence and consistency, laziness and cowardice.
It requires commitment, effort, struggle, and the spirit of
to risk one's life for friendship.

▸ That is why Fromm, when talking about love, will say that it is about a
art, because it is not only cultivated and practiced, but also
one learns.
FRIENDSHIP, COMPANIONSHIP, WORK,

▸ A true friend will always be there for you, but will also support you.
and will confront as the occasion arises. Will say yes and no, depending on

correspond.

▸ That love receives, laughing or crying, but above all it

Yes. A friend will never take off their head and their heart to
sharing with you, on the contrary, will have the absolute
confidence to act without the armors and defenses that
occupy yourself with other people. They will always say what they think and

believe and act accordingly.

PURPOSE.

WHY IS THIS TOPIC IMPORTANT?

▸ A church with dynamics of movement, however,
generate ideas, leaders, and initiatives from the grassroots. The ideas
there are fewer strategic meetings and more of
regular conversations between friends. Since the
Motivation for work is not so much a matter of compensation.
self-interest as a matter of shared disposition
to the sacrifice due to a contagious vision, such churches
naturally produce friendships among members and ministers.
These friendships become mini-engines that drive the
church, along with more formal meetings and events
"organized" (Timothy Keller, Centered Church).
ACTIVITY.

GROUP WORKSHOP.
THREE PEOPLE.
RETREAT 'COMMUNITY', THEME 3.

THE HOUR OF DISILLUSION

IN THE COMMUNITY.
REFLECTION.

LUCAS
6:37-42

biblical reading.
CONNECTIONTOTHE PREVIOUSTOPIC.

FRIENDSHIP AND DIFFERENCE.

▸"Friendship is always had with Another."

She is not the contemplation in the
mirror. It is the overcoming of mirrors,
to open up to free exchange of
affection as a pleasure of life" (Tomás
Moulian).
DIETRICH BONHOEFFER.

LIFE IN COMMUNITY.
DIETRICH BONHOEFFER. LIFE IN COMMUNITY.

THE BOOK.
▸ Mandatory reading for those who work in construction
of ecclesial communities.

▸ Focus your gaze on Christ, author and founder of the church.

▸ He looks at others who are just as sinful as

one.

▸ This enhances a realistic outlook against the daydreaming of the

ideal church" from which one simply leaves because of the
annoyance.
DIETRICH BONHOEFFER. LIFE IN COMMUNITY.

▸ Life in the real community shows lives that

join in worship to the Creator, mandated in the Bible,
strongly bound by love for one's neighbor.

▸ The community is the work of the living God that allows us

a firmer understanding of grace.
FUNDAMENTAL STEP.

OPEN TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF OTHERS.

▸ Certain Christians, especially preachers, believe that
every time they meet others
men, their only service consists of 'offering' them something. They
they forget that knowing how to listen can be more useful than the
talk. Many people are looking for someone to listen to them and not
they find it among Christians, because they start to
talk even when they should listen. Now then,
he who no longer knows how to listen to his brothers, soon
will be unable to listen to God, because also before
God will do nothing but speak" (Bonhoeffer, VeC).
REALISM IS PREFERABLE TO ILLUSION.

THE ROYAL COMMUNITY.

▸ We must convince ourselves that our dreams of
human community, introduced into the community, are a
authentic danger and must be destroyed, under penalty of
death for the community. Who prefers their own dream
reality becomes a destroyer of the
community, no matter how honest, serious, and sincere they may be
his personal intentions" (Bonhoeffer, VeC).
THE ROYALCOMMUNITY.

▸ God abhors pious daydreams because they make us

hard and pretentious. They make us demand the impossible from God,
to others and to ourselves. They make us judges of
the brothers and of God himself. Our presence is for
the others a living and constant reproach" (Bonhoeffer,
VeC).
THE REALCOMMUNITY.

▸ "The opposite happens when we are convinced of

that God himself has laid the unique foundation on which
build our community and that, before anything else
An initiative on our part has united us as one body.
through Jesus Christ; for then we do not enter into life in
common with demands, but grateful from the heart and in
attitude of receiving. We thank God for everything He has
worked in us. We thank you for having given us
brothers who live, they too, under his call, under his
sorry, under your promise. We do not complain about what
it does not give us, but we give thanks for what it grants us
every day. It gives us brothers called to share our life
sinner under the blessing of his grace" (Bonhoeffer, VeC).
THE ROYALCOMMUNITY.

▸ When community life is seriously threatened

through sin and misunderstanding, the brother, although
sinner, still my brother. I am with him under the word
of Christ, and his sin can be for me a new occasion of
to bless God for allowing us to live under His grace. The hour of
the great disappointment caused by the brothers can
to represent for all of us a truly moment
healthy, as it makes us understand that we cannot live
not from our own words or our deeds, but
only from the word and from the work that truly unites us
with others, namely: the forgiveness of our sins by
Jesus Christ" (Bonhoeffer, VeC).
THE OTHER NECESSARY STEP.

LEARN TO FORGIVE.
▸ To forgive is to love despite the sin. Just like God
forgive the unworthy sinners who do not deserve
sorry, we also have to do it. No
we forgive our spouses for being good or
not because they deserve it, but because God is good and it
to deserve. Forgiving includes wanting the good for him
spouse who sinned against us, to be able to pray for them
well-being, and not maintaining a record of grievances in
against her like a pile of stones to throw them
when it is convenient. Forgiving is a style
incredibly valuable life continuum for
we, who live it for the love of God and to the
others" (Mark and Grace Driscoll. Real Marriage).
THE OTHER NECESSARY STEP. LEARNING TO FORGIVE

▸ "If someone wanted to boast about their"

integrity and despising others, must
to examine oneself and to be aware
this sentence. You will realize that it is not
more just than the others. Before God,
the wings must fall and we will be
happy to achieve forgiveness. No one
let's imagine that, while we live here,
we will reach the point of not needing such
remission of sins. In summary: if
God does not forgive incessantly,
we are lost" (Martin Luther,
Larger Catechism