Community!

Fellowship And Support

"Iron sharpeneth iron;so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend." Proverbs 27:17

Jessup Gathering 2012
      Community...a known and yet unknown space...almost sacred yet very common...balmy yet stirring.  Known in the sense that it is a safe place to open even the deepest spaces of our hearts ...to bless our fellow man,to exchange the stirrings in our hearts ,to receive constructive criticism.Unknown in the sense that we ourselves do not know the beauty that can be achieved through these refining processes."I will seek that which is lost,and bring again that which was driven away,and will bind up that which is broken and will strengthen that which was sick:" Ezekiel 34:16\

     Community can have a powerful impact on an individual level, and or on a family level. When we had our last baby a whole freezer's worth of food came knocking on our door, a Blessing Way was held in our family's honor, and my husband's milking shifts were taken on by another so that we could bond as a family. This was huge! Gideon was my 7th child, but this was the first time I had more than a day to recuperate after his birth before taking over household duties again.

       During the year 2013, we participated in sharing skills and equipment for canning and gardening, we have pooled efforts toward building a house, raised money for a family dealing with health issues, and harvested sorghum together. We have benefited from a gift of used bee equipment, hand-me-down clothes and shoes, help building our home, and the list goes on! Our dear friends, the Jenkins, have opened their home to our family every week for a special meal and fellowship. These evenings together have been a time of fellowship and a healing balm in times of struggle.       

         The photo above was taken at the Jessup Gathering a few years ago when several families camped out. There were campfires, singing, hikes, children playing, and friendly chatting amongst the adults with a full service kitchen and bathroom available 24 hrs a day. (Anyone camping with 7 children knows what a blessing this was!) It was a very special weekend! (Such hospitality! They are amazing!)

          So how did this come to be? Many years ago I contacted a community on www.ic.org (IC stands for intentional communities.) and  asked them how they built their community. Their response was that "God did it!". Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I wanted some practical pointers! Their response was that they didn't have any! At the time I thought they were just being patronizing. Today I can see it from their point of view. God knew the end from the beginning. Unless the Lord builds the house we labor in vain to build it.

        But if you feel that building community is something your family is led to work in there are some things you can do to test that leading! The obvious would be to check with existing communities looking for common ground and doable living arrangements. Beyond that, I have contacted people in my area using www.ic.org  (IC stands for intentional communities.) who were also trying to build communities. Our family has also met other families at our closest Meeting House. (While that is two hours away, another family came to visit from our local area and we struck up a conversation.) Another thing that has been helpful to our family is a willingness to approach strangers who "look" a little like us! (They may have a larger family, shop at similar stores, or dress more simply.) Surprisingly, midwives have been very good at connecting my family with other like minded families as they know so many people. The craziest thing I ever did was contact a family I read about in a news article online. Once you meet a few families you often find that you can tap into their circle of friends as well!

          There are differences amongst our families in how we dress, belief systems, how we discipline our children, etc. But there is plenty of common ground and whole other worlds of skill sets to tap into. A lesson well learned is that although communities can't do our work or build our dreams for us, they will often help. Communities are supplemental and play a supportive role because they have families too. But in a pinch they are often right there and ready to serve!