Why the emergence of Small Christian Communities at this time?

The emergence of small communities at this time expresses a faithful reception of the Council's teaching on the nature and purpose of the church. A spirituality of communion defined the way early Christians lived the gospel. In fact, the Gospels and letters of St. Paul are best read as handbooks for community rather than as historical accounts of the life of Jesus. This is remarkably clear in the pastoral letters of Paul and the pastoral decisions of the early church. the kinds of social behavior to which Paul called the churches, the list of virtues he affirmed, and the values he promoted provide a rich compendium for an ecclesial spirituality of communion today (see Eph 4). Pauline instructions pertain to ways of promoting a genuine life together where salvation has less to do with doctrinal confession and more to do with a doctrinal life, where the core doctrine of God's Trinitarian communion unfolds in communities that live in God for the sake of the others. Salvation, thus understood, is a communion event: we are saved in the corporate Body of Christ by belonging to one another.

Anne Marie's Story

Anne Marie, a shy, quiet woman from County Mayo, Ireland, shared with her small community on Tuesday evening a nudge she was experiencing during the community's prayer and conversation. The group had talked about the meaning of forgiveness in their own lives and in the Gospels. Several noted the gap they felt between Jesus' readiness to forgive unconditionally and their own tendencies to hold on to hurt. As the conversation moved from hard experiences to action steps, Anne Marie stammered out her resolve to write a letter to her brother in Ireland, with whom she had not spoken in years. A rather inconsequential squabble over the family farm had torn their relationship apart. No one offered a response to Anne Marie or followed up with any personal resolution.

Driving home that night, Anne Marie questioned herself about such an intimate personal disclosure. She felt dissatisfied, exposed, and foolish. Throughout the week, she said to herself "I'll write that letter tomorrow," but she never did.

The following Tuesday, when the community gathered, Anne Marie was amazed to hear three people recount their personal actions toward reconciliation, all inspired by Anne Marie's courageous outpouring. Anne Marie was humbled and aware that it was God's Spirit working through her. She confessed how own failure to carry out her proposed actions, but with new conviction, reiterated her resolve. The community agreed that God's nudging presence was once again made real for them through one another. God had spoken in the hesitant, Irish brogue of Anne Marie.

Another story demonstrates the maturing of a small Christian community in selfless love and responsibility for one another. It offers a powerful witness to a society in which the individual self or family is too often the sole object of one's concern.

Jim's Story

For almost ten years, Jim and his wife, Helen, met weekly to share faith and life with their small community in Cranford, New Jersey. Two years after Helen's death, Jim's feeble health required his going to a nursing home, where he has lived for the past six years. Jim can no longer move freely, think clearly, or meet weekly with his faith community, In fact, he cannot even feed himself.

Jim and Helen never had children of their own and had left the few relatives they did have back in Chicago, when they moved East sometime after World War II. In many ways, Jim might be considered family-less. Why then did his situation initially present such a puzzle to those who observed him in the nursing home?

Each day at about 5:30 pm, residents and staff noticed a very caring visitor arrive to sit with and feed Jim. "Are you his brother?" someone asked. Next day, the question might change slightly, "Are you Jim's daughter? Niece? Sister? After a few weeks and the same answer, the staff began to understand: Josie, Frank, Ellen, Fran, Tom, Barbara, Jerry, and Alice were members of Jim's community. Yes, Jim did belong to them; yes, he was a part of their family. Of course, they would continue to be there each day to feed and care for Jim. Their lives had long ago been woven together. Why should anyone be surprised?

Mutual respect and trust lay a firm foundation for genuine life together. Listening to and learning from one another, engaging conflict, forgiving and being forgiven, collaborating and discerning, calling forth each others' gifts, being accountable to a group, growing in mutual care and personal support of one another are values and skills, attitudes and behaviors that small communities foster. Over time a "community self" becomes recognizable as memories and hopes, joys and pain, gifts and needs of individual members are claimed as belonging to the group.

But no community is complete as long as there are lost individuals or isolated communities anywhere. The expanse to which communion calls the church is beyond its grasp as a human organization. Yet, the vision of universal communion must impel the church forward in history toward the far reaches of the kingdom of God.

Ann's Story

The community had been praying about Jesus' experience of hunger during forty days in the desert. The conversation moved from their own spiritual hungers to the very real, physical hungers of so many, particularly right there in the city of Buffalo. Joe, another group member, lamented the memory of events he had attended where food in abundance had been wasted. Others recalled similar experiences. What could this small group of Christians do about the gap between the rich and the poor in their own city?

Ann volunteered to call the County Health Department to see if anything prevented them from trying to find a means to transport extra food from one place to the hungry in another. She said that she represented a small Christian community concerned with bridging the gap between those in want and those tempted to waste. The county health representative understood. In fact, his wife worked for a large, local bank with a food cart that moved throughout the building each day selling lunch and snacks to employees. Daily, the bank had leftovers. His wife had often mentioned her distress over the thoughtless discarding of so much good food.

Ann presented to her small community a sketch for the first food transport operation. For the coming week members recruited volunteers to pick up leftover food daily from the bank and bring it to "Friends of the Night," a large food pantry in the poorest section of Buffalo. Seven of Ann's group served as drivers. The Food shuttle of Western New York was born on the Second Sunday of Lent, 1989.

At its tenth celebration a few years ago, the Food Shuttle reflected on its simple beginnings in a Renew small group, a community that encountered anew the story of Jesus' temptation in the wilderness. The intersection of two vision-that of God's kingdom and the contemporary situation-has made quite a difference for the hungry in western New York over the past thirteen years. There are currently 400 drivers who move two tons of food every day from banquet halls, bakeries, hotels, and supermarkets to soup kitchens, food pantries, detention centers, and homeless shelters. Ann admits that she still stands in awe of God's kingdom at work in their midst. The small faith community continues to meet weekly.

Communities as Schools of Communion

Many similar stories reflect a deeper understanding of Eucharist as the community's summons to "become what you eat" (from Augustine's homily to the newly baptized). To the extent that the reign of God does not inform small communities' self-understanding and incite their vision of the future, a spirituality of communion is diminished. To the extent that participation in the Eucharist does not impel communities to become the body of Christ in the world, small communities remain but "potential" signs and instruments of communion. To keep alive the eschatological vision of God's reign, however, small Christian communities need more and better pastoral care. Without critical, biblical formation, sound sacramental catechesis, and informed socio-political skills to interpret the "signs of the time" in light of the church's mission, the full potential of small Christian communities in helping to further the reign of God will not be realized.

I'm convinced that small Christian communities, like many emerging here in the United States, provide the best possible school in which to learn and live a communion spirituality. According to Vatican II, God wills to make us holy and save us as a people. As small Christian communities participate in this unifying work, god's communion life takes visible shape in human history.

I strongly suggest that those of you in ongoing groups set aside time (a whole SESSION if needed) to discuss the above article. The following questions may help your reflections.

1. What spoke to you most in the article? Why?

2. Which story spoke to you most? Why?

3. Which story or piece of the article challenged you or your Small Christian Community the most?