Communionity via Simplicity

What are ways that the community where we live can benefit from the communion we have with Christ?

Communion with Jesus has tended to be a one way event - up and down spirituality between me and my savior. But when Jesus ate and drank, it was often with sinners. And in sharing a meal with them, they and their friends found salvation.

What would happen if Jesus-followers broadened their understanding of communion. What if every time a Christian broke bread and drank from a cup became a time of communion - with Jesus as Lord and whoever was there to share it with them, sinner or saint? As radical as this idea may be, it may better then the routine mass consumption of bread and grape juice that is received during some meditative music and prayers for forgiveness.

When Jesus shared communion with his disciples in the Upper Room, it evoked all the dinners he had shared in the years prior. Especially one of the more recent ones with Zacchaeus. In that encounter, by sharing a meal together, salvation comes to Zacchaeus. Jesus declares that this life-change is why he came - to seek and to save the lost. And sharing meals together was a powerful conduit.

And what is communion if it is not sharing in a meal together in the name of Jesus, to remember Jesus. But it's not enough to just remember Jesus - but to obey him and do what he asked us to do - which is to seek and save the lost. One of the ways we do that is by sharing communion with them. Communion can become a way that the lost become found.

Communionity is when communion connects us to our community through Christ. In the Zacchaeus story, we see that this communionity led to salvation for him and joy to his community. Communionity prompted Zacchaeus to give half of his possessions away and to repay four times the amount he cheated anybody. This act of repentance introduced the power of simplicity into his life.

Being freed of his sin, shame and guilt, being free of his past, he began to be free of his possessions, his money, his prestige, his reputation, his greed, his apathy to the poor. Communionity connects you with others in the community through Christ such that you find you need less stuff.

Communionity opens up your heart to the generosity of Christ who is willing to eat with you while you are yet a sinner. The generosity of Jesus, if received, requires us to shove out the windows and doors of our heart all the junk we've accumulated to make room for the love and peace of Christ - for others through us.

Alot of the stuff we've accumulated in our hearts is reflected by what we've accumulated in our homes. As we make more room in our hearts for Christ, we can make more room in our homes for our community - which means clearing out stuff we don't want or need and giving it away to those that might have use of it.

This simplifying of life is a way to become more free to respond to the communion we have with Christ and through him with the community.

Here are some examples of what spiritual formation through simplicity looks like:

• To uncomplicate and untangle my life so I can focus on what really matters
• Cultivate the art of “letting go” to bring freedom and generosity
• Set priorities that flow from loving God above all else
• Downsize on your possessions, give away to those in need
• Eat simple foods, enjoy simple pleasures
• Assess things or activities that keep life complicated or confusing – work to simplify
• Create more space in your schedule for serving others
• Declutter your house
• Limit your time with: TV/Facebook/Games, etc.
• Walk and listen
• Stop giving excuses
• Ask God to help you let go of _________

Consider which of these acts of simplicity the Spirit is prompting you to do as part of your growing participation in communionity - communion with Christ who is in the community. Simplicity flows from your Spirit-charged heart, and it overflows into the people in your life. You become more available to them, more free to be with them and for them.

“Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ be ‘No.’” - Jesus