the meaning of community

yesterday, while I was talking about running after an increase of passion + desperation for Jesus in my life, I quickly mentioned the community by which I’ve been blessed over the past seven years. here's a bit more.

I graduated from high school in 2006 and moved one province over, to Nova Scotia. I studied at a small, formerly catholic {now secular} school whose numbers doubled the town’s population while school was in session. I chose StFX over a bigger school in a city {Carleton University in Ottawa was a major contender} for the education.
tiny school = more one-on-one time = better learning environment, right?

in my freshman year, I relished the thought of being away from home for the first time, out from under the gaze of my parents, eager to not have to go to church on sundays or have to go to bed at a decent hour. excited to be in a residence with hundreds of students my age, including my boyfriend + my best friend, who happened to be roommates.

I wasn’t looking for a relationship with Jesus. I had been down that road before; I’d been hurt by my home church in the year prior + I figured I'd move on from the whole christian scene. little did I know that the summer youth director at my church had emailed the then-leader of the christian fellowship group on campus, asking him to look out for the three students who would be coming from her youth group.

on society night, as we checked out the clubs + groups available to us throughout the school year, we happened upon the christian fellowship’s table. the three of us signed our names + email addresses, although I’ll admit, I didn’t have any intention of actually going to their meetings. they were sure to be lame.

but when we placed the pen back on the table, the guy sitting by the sign looked at the paper + then back up at us with excitement. "you’re the Miramichi crew!” he exclaimed. he remembered our names from the youth director’s email + was intentional about following up with us. this made all the difference to me. now it was personal.

we met a few more people who were a part of xavier christian fellowship over the next few days, and went to the year’s first meeting, which turned out to be a worship service. they held these each friday night + they. were. super.

over the next few years I would learn the meaning of community.

 

in this strange little place, christians shared {at least a good portion of} their possessions. they worshipped, prayed, ate + did life together. it’s not something you expect to see on a university campus. it’s not something that many adult christians have even managed to accomplish organically {none at all, that I’ve seen}. but this group of forty-or-so 18-22 year olds had it down to a science. it wasn’t forced. there wasn’t any real effort put forth. it just was.

and we lived it.

in my senior year, I lived in a house with five ladies from the christian fellowship. a seventh woman lived downstairs in the basement apartment, and five more next door. there was a house down the street where three guys lived + another across town with six other members divided into the home’s two apartments.

the boyfriend + I got married after graduation, so we don't live with others in the community anymore, but the group still meets as a whole for dinner once a week, with many pockets of brothers + sisters dining together at other points. there are four different bible studies, two prayer groups, and a worship service, all spread out through the week. for the most part, the groups are facilitated by full-time students. the fellowship as a whole is completely volunteer-based. completely love-based.

my hope is that the students who remain here once we’ve gone will not take for granted the community that has been established. that they will pour out time + heart + money from their own pockets -- freely + without hesitation. because it’s what they’re called to do.

each one is a “broke student,” yet those with the least are offering drives to the grocery store, contributing to potlucks, giving up precious time to pray with their brothers + sisters. because it’s what they’re called to do.

doing life together.

because it’s what we’re called to do.