Here’s a pic from the gathering this past Tuesday. It’s scary to think that all four of the original roommates (and our adopted roommate, Sue) are either currently, or have been, in active, professional ministry. Three of us are pastors. One was a pastor, but saw the light and is now a professional counselor. Our kids range from age 3 to 16, and we live in five different states.
We had a great time getting together. The kids played well, and generally let the adults be adults. We pulled out the guitars and sang songs that we wrote in college which made me giggle with their self importance. We laughed and laughed, telling the old stories, and catching up on new ones as well.
It is a bit pretentious to say so, but our experience in Bowling Green, KY was an experiment in Christian community. We were all religion majors. We shared similar values. We shared financially — because we didn’t have any other choice. We prayed together, sang together, worshipped together, broke bread together, and yelled and screamed at each other. It was a place of authenticity for us, and I think led us into a relationship that can easily pick up from where we left it the last time we were together.
Yeah, it’s special for me, but it represents one model of life together in the body of Christ. Perhaps much of my striving in church is to regain that sense of community that we felt back in the 1980’s.
Only Wonder Understands 