That is what his sign said.  I saw it while walking through the West Mall on UT’s campus a few weeks back: “God Wants Community Back on the Air.”  I assume he meant the NBC television show that was originally canceled, but is now set to return on March 15, 2012.  Woot! Woot!  My significant other got me hooked on this show, and over time I have developed some genuine affection toward the characters– Annie, Abed, Pierce, Jeff, Troy, Britta, Shirley…even Dean Pelton and all the other “human beings” at Greendale Community College.

It is nothing short of a miracle that this study group ever gets any real work done, with all of their quirks, prejudices, quarrels and otherwise crazy shenanigans getting in the way.  But community is really the point of “Community” anyway, right?  Isn’t it refreshing to see seven people who are superficially so different– racially, religiously, politically and so on– find ways to live life together, to be real with each other, to be flawed with each other, to fight and then forgive and finally become better human beings in the process.

Groups like this work out better on television, don’t they?  Where plot lines follow standard genre motifs and conflicts can be resolved in one, maybe two, episodes.  Where can you go in real life to find community that even approximates what our favorite study group has to offer?

What about in your spiritual life?  Is faith something you try to do on your own, or do you have a community that can carry you when you’re weak, laugh with you when all is well and challenge you to think deeper and live with more courage and compassion?

In an authentic Christian life (as opposed to a hate-mongering, fear-based fundamentalist life), community is non-negotiable.  Jesus said that where two or three were gathered in his name, he would be there.  It is just too hard to practice the Gospel of peace in a violent world, or the Gospel of forgiveness in a punishing world, or the Gospel of simplicity in a greedy world, or the Gospel of love in a world of cut-throat competition without a community with which to practice.

It can be tempting to isolate in this world, where many communities (especially religious ones) can’t be trusted to offer true wisdom and inclusion.  But isolation is its own dead end.  Only the risk of relationship, practiced over time with great patience and care, can lead us into abundant life.

Since “Community” is actually coming back on the air next week, during the season of Lent, maybe it’s also a good time for you to return to your spiritual study group.  And if you don’t have one, yet, we’d like to invite you to ours here at Labyrinth.

Love & light,

Amelia, Labyrinth Minister

Community on NBC

Spirit Lab: Experiments in Faith is a Labyrinth blog dedicated to exploring issues of faith.

Last words are powerful things.  Last words can give you an insight to a person’s character and attitude, like Todd Beamer. Beamer’s last recorded words are “Are you guys ready? Okay, let’s roll,” right before he and some other brave souls prepared to storm the cockpit of US Flight 93.

Some last words include regrets, like da Vinci’s “I have offended God and mankind because my work did not reach the quality it should have.”

Sometimes, the words are words of advice. When asked for words of wisdom, Conrad Hilton replied “Leave the shower curtain inside the tub.” And other times, last words are just absurd, like Alfred Jarry’s “I’m dying… please bring me a toothpick.”

In the passage from Joshua we just heard, Joshua is getting his last words in. He knows he is dying, but he has a message for the Israelites. He sends for all the big leaders of Israel, and wants to make sure they’ve gotten something right.

First, he gives the Israelites a brief overview of their history. Like a lawyer presenting a case, Joshua is presenting the case for God. He tells of how throughout the history of the Israelites, God has been with them, time and time again. And how time and time again, the people had chosen to follow God.

But Joshua knew that unless these people made the choice to follow God themselves, they wouldn’t follow through with it. Just like as Baptists and Christians we emphasize professing our faith openly and of our own accord, Joshua wants the leaders he has assembled to do so as well.

But when the leaders promise they will follow God, Joshua seems not to buy it at all.

When Joshua challenges the Israelites’ commitment to serve God, he uses some pretty tough language. “You cannot serve God, he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he won’t forgive your transgressions or your sins.” Now, I don’t know about you, but that isn’t the kind of God I signed up for. That isn’t what my understanding of God is. But if we look a little deeper, we can see what Joshua is getting at.

Joshua did not want the people to take the relationship casually, and abandon it when things became tough. He didn’t literally mean that “it can’t be done,” or else Joshua couldn’t have said his house would be following God, either.

What Joshua is ultimately doing here is using strong language to emphasize the seriousness of the leaders’ commitment. Because to serve God is a serious commitment. It means totally changing the way you look at things and adjusting your attitude and actions accordingly. Joshua doesn’t mean “it can’t be done, serving God.” What he means is that they wouldn’t be able to do it with a problem they had: Idolatry.

Now, when I was a kid, sometimes I would look at the 10 commandments and see how I was doing. I’d go down the list. Idolatry was one of the ones I thought I was good on. The thought of worshipping gold statues, which is what I understood idols to be, was absurd. I definitely had A LOT more trouble with the ‘honor thy father and mother’ one. A LOT.

Since then, I’ve come to understand that idols come in all sorts of forms. In fact, this has come up in Labyrinth more than once. For some, idols could include your work; for others, friends. Computers, video games, art, reading, partying, music, anything can be an idol. When I was in school, before I messed up spectacularly, sleeping in was an idol. If you don’t believe me, my class attendance records will show it. And how many Sundays I slept in.

These activities in and of themselves aren’t necessarily bad. Art can be a very spiritual thing, partying can be a form of fellowship, computers are a great technology. But putting those things in your life first, instead of God, turns them into idols, and denies you from really living. You’ll miss great opportunities, and an opportunity to really relish a deep and personal relationship with our creator.

Idolatry can be summed up pretty simply actually: cheating on God. It’s when you put your desires and energy in the wrong places, or in the right places but for the wrong reasons. It’s about not getting your priorities straight. And when we cheat on God, we are cheating ourselves out of great plans God has for us. Our choices we make can take away the blessings and talents we possess.

Joshua warns the people of this: “He [the Lord] will come and do you harm, and consume you, after having done you good.” And Joshua had seen it happen before, this revoking of blessings. See, apparently building a big golden calf, something his contemporaries and parents had done, and worshipping that calf instead of God, the one who just got you out of a horrible life of slavery, is a bad idea. Who knew? From living through experiences like these in the desert, Joshua knows that the promised land could easily be taken away from the generation of Israelites he was talking too, if they weren’t faithful to the covenant.

While that time in the desert probably didn’t feel like forgiveness to Joshua, it was a form of forgiveness. God could have just said “you blew it, I’m out.” Instead, God stuck with His people, even though they didn’t hold up their end of the covenant. But there were consequences for the actions of the Israelites that they had to contend with. Forgiveness doesn’t mean there won’t be consequences. Forgiveness meant that God still stuck with his people, but gave them tough love. Joshua had to live thru that tough love, and didn’t want that for his descendants.

Which brings up another point: Idolatry, like adultery, doesn’t just hurt you and the significant other; it hurts the people around you. Me focusing on things other than school wasted a lot of money, money that was not my own. It wasted time, energy, and abused trust from my parents. I’ve been forgiven for it, but I still have the consequences of my academic transcript and the difficulty of transferring credits to contend with.

When Joshua is done grilling them, and the Israelites promise they will serve God, Joshua then seals the deal. He has them say “We are witnesses.” This meant that they were fully accountable for the choice they made, and openly acknowledged that they made it. If they messed up, they would know it.

Then Joshua told them to give up their idols, and turn to God. This was his way of saying “ok this is what you are going to have to do in order to serve the Lord.”

What are the things you are going to have to rethink in order to better serve God? Are there habits you need to break, or take on, to better be in touch with God? Prayer is huge, and I certainly don’t do enough of it. Studying, not just reading, scripture can give you guidelines and point you in the right direction to serve God. Talking to other Christians can help you see how they are serving in their lives. When Jesus came into the world, he gave us an example of how to live a holy life. I think if we honestly ask the phrase “What Would Jesus Do?” we would prioritize better. People make fun of the phrase, but it is a great way to think about choices you are going to make.

Personally, I think Joshua nailed his final message to the leaders of Israel. Idolatry was and will continue to be one of the greatest struggles we as followers of God and Christ have. The faces of idols may change, but they will never go away. It is up to us to see that we face them accordingly, and like the saints that have passed before us, to set an example for those around us and after us, of how to live a holy, God-centered life.

-Katy Kammerdiener

Spirit Lab: Experiments in Faith is a Labyrinth blog dedicated to exploring issues of faith.

The first time I entered UBC, I didn’t really know what to expect. The sanctuary looked old, the pews a little creaky, they sang out of hymnals– there was an organ playing! This was a far cry from my Baptist mega-church back home. I thought for sure that these people were going to be soooo traditional. Which to a college student, usually just means pretty boring.

Little did I know that this church would entirely change the way I view God, religion, relationships, service, community, and the world.

As I got to know the people of UBC, I discovered the vibrant and diverse community that God has created here. It’s a community of people who are constantly learning and constantly asking questions. UBC has been a place that has allowed me to think freely on just about anything. It has been a safe place to ask any question and explore the furthest depths of my spirituality and my understanding of God. UBC has provided me a way to expand my education beyond the 40 Acres, and allowed me to be a student of the most fascinating questions in the universe. I have grown exponentially as a member of UBC, further pressing onward in my quest for truth, peace, fulfillment, and the ever-present need to have a greater purpose in life.

Just as my relationship with Christ has grown at UBC, so have my relationships with other people. In the college ministry, I have met and formed friendships with some of the most kind, interesting, and lively people I have ever met. These people are now my closest confidantes, who both challenge me and help me grow into a more compassionate, understanding, brave, and loving person. Plus, we have a GREAT time together, not only learning about God, but in playing kickball, eating authentic TexMex, spending time on the lake, and just hanging out on a Friday night. These people are truly my best friends.

If you’re a college student who’s not so sure about this UBC place, or maybe about this whole church thing in general, I’m going to ask you to give us a chance. UBC is a place of acceptance, love, learning, and service. Come eat lunch with us after worship– I promise you’ll have a good time. Don’t be afraid of what God has in store for you. Don’t be afraid to be challenged, moved, and shaped. Don’t be afraid to learn, to love, and to serve.

-Alyssa Davis is a Junior Plan II Honors / Sociology Major at UT.