The compelling witness of the living community

We bear witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ through a wide variety of acts. One aspect often overlooked is the compelling witness of living together in Christian community. The challenge may lie in opening our lives to allow others a glimpse of HOW we live in Christian community. Pastor Phil Kniss challenged the congregation to practice hospitality and let go of our obsession with privacy. Both Jeremiah 29:1, 4-8a and Luke 10:1-12 describe communities that went out of their way to practice and accept hospitality in the settings in which they lived. How can our life together as a community of Jesus followers be witnessed by people outside of the community? Can we create a third space, neither in church nor in our own smaller, closely knit communities, where others will feel welcomed to observe and perhaps join us?