"I didn't come to the conviction easily, but finally there was no getting around it: there can be no maturity in the spiritual life, no obedience in following Jesus, no wholeness in the Christian life apart from immersion and embrace of community. I am not myself by myself. Community, not the highly vaunted individualism of our culture, is the setting in which Christ is at play."
- Eugene Peterson, Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places: A Conversation in Spiritual Theology
"I am not myself by myself"...the implications of that concept are almost too heavy for a Monday morning. Yet when I reflect on all I've leaned and gained from others it's undeniable. To slow down and become self-aware of my inner joys and conflicts while in community is a gift I recognize I need in order to mature and grow into Christlikeness. To be "present" to both self and others is a discipline Jesus mastered that enabled Him to have impact while not letting that impact become His identity. As I as I attempt to follow His footsteps my need for others is made more evident .
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