Gregg Larson led a short devotion for us recently that centered on a section of Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Life. In it, Warren suggests that in order to cultivate community, you must have:
- Commitment
- Honesty
- Humility
- Courtesy, and
- Confidentiality, and that the process requires
- Frequency
Throughout the devotion I was intrigued at how well he was describing our odd little group and how much of a community we have become in nine short months. In some ways, it was when we jumped to meeting weekly a month or so ago that things really came together (the frequency part of the equation).
Trust me, there are some very distinct personalities and differences of opinion represented on this PNC, but we have all chosen to make the commitment to our task, discerning God's chosen leader for our congregation, paramount. In doing so, we have been called to be honest and treat each other courteously in our disagreements. We have also shared deeply of our own hopes and dreams for WCPC, acknowledging that some of these dreams may at some point be mutually exclusive. That said, the commitment to Jesus, to our process and to one another has been wonderful, and we are convinced the person is out there who will be the right choice for all of us.
Because the Holy Spirit is at the center of this experience, binding our 12 flawed selves together, it is a beautiful, if taxing, journey. We are working hard, and we are tired, and we are at the same time deeply thankful for the opportunity to be part of this amazing time in our church's development.
We look forward to sharing more details as they emerge in the months ahead. We are especially thankful for your prayers (and that peach cobbler was awfully nice, too).
