The life of the Church should be weird. That is, when we look around at those we are breaking bread with, praying alongside, worshiping and living with, they probably all should not look and sound and smell exactly as we do.

In the book of Acts the Holy Spirit seems utterly intent on creating a people who hailed from every tribe, nation and tongue. This new type of family was displayed to the world through their common meals, their common economy, their common life, and their common worship. Christ tore down the walls of hostility in his flesh, and it caused a pretty major reaction from the religion and culture around them.

We have spent the last two thousand years very carefully and deliberately rebuilding those walls.

If we look around at our Church community, and think that maybe, given the homogeneity therein, we could have built this community without the help of the Holy Spirit....well maybe we did? Maybe we haven't been listening? Maybe God actually wants his people to gather and live in ways that are very different from the way the world typically gathers and lives? And maybe we don't want to? Because maybe it doesn't make a lot of sense from a marketing and Church growth perspective? Or maybe we're just uncomfortable around people who don't share our backgrounds and assumptions?

A lot of maybes there. But maybe we really need to examine what we are actually a part of when we say we are a part of the Church. And maybe that means more than finding a place where our needs are met, or we are "being fed".

Just some thoughts.