The Two Soups Challenge - Step 1: Find a Friend

"The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense" 

Proverbs 27v9

Before we begin, we need to get our heads round something... 

Better community is done on purpose.

Often when I read those scary books and articles written by the crazy people, their accounts of their better community living always seem to just 'happen'. Someone's always 'popping in' - or moving in - and they always seems to be cooking for 20 as standard. It sounds like it's just happening all around them and all they have to do is leave the front door unlocked. However, let me let you in on a little secret, this is not quite true. Sure, people can just call round unnanounced and stay for breakfast, lunch and even tea but even in the most extreme of houses, Better Community is actually something that is done on purpose, with intent and planning, and for those who need to have boundaries and rules in place in their lives, this will come as a relief!

So this challenge is going to be all about intentional actions. Each step is going to be something that needs to be planned and actioned - not in a huge scary way, in fact, some weeks you might think the planning is overkill, but it's there to help us understand that this is a choice we're making to do what Jesus says, that we're doing this on purpose.

So with that in mind...here we go...

The first step to better community is this...

 find a friend. 

God places people in our lives. It's doesn't happen by chance. The people we see the most are placed there by God. The neighbour you live next door to, the annoying man who gets the bus with you every morning and doesn't stop talking, the best friend who always has your back...always. All of them are God given, and therefore important. They are there - all the time - because God is at work. He uses those He has placed nearest to us, yes even the annoying ones, to do his good work. Work to bring people to salvation or work to chisel you into a more Christ-like form. God sees them as sweet as perfume in your life...even if they actually stink! Whoever these people are, Christian or not, they aren't going anywhere 'til God moves them somewhere. 

But for this first step you need an actual friend, one who you actually like and respect. (I can hear your sigh of relief). The first step in better community is to find a great friend. Chances are you can instantly think of this person without any effort. Maybe they are the person who knows you best, who has been through tough times with you and who you can say almost anything to. Or, maybe they're just someone you like and respect. Maybe they're someone you want to help be better at community, someone you want to help nurture and train up. 

Whoever this friend is, they need to be a Christian friend who is also in your church. This is going to become clear why in later steps so for now, trust me that this is going to work best (and easiest!) if you worship in the same place. 

Once you have your Christian friend from church, you need to both agree that you are up for The Two Soups Challenge. Both of you need to be on board. You can't just decide you're doing it and select an unwitting participant hoping they don't mind finding themselves in extra community at the end. They need to be willing, because, as we've discuss in previous posts, hospitality, er, better community, requires sacrifice and that has to be willingly given not accidently taken. 

 And if, from last week's post, you've already found a good friend whom you know wants to do this challenge and has already agreed to do it with you, then you're ahead of the game this week! You're like Ginger Rogers who, when asked if she was as good a dancer as Fred Astaire she replied "I can do all the steps he can, I just do them backwards and in heels". You have our admiration!

So that's it...Step 1 is to just find a friend...easy peasy!