Can I get a price check?

Our NE community consists of people living in community houses but also many people who are just a part of our family. I have a question for all of the above. What does/has community cost you?

I suppose it makes sense that I go first. Community has cost me my pride. I have also had to lay down my sense of "doing it all myself." Relying on people costs a lot more than I thought it would. I also have a competative nature. Not like in a sport, but I have to battle trying to be better than people, or on the flipside, living in their shadow. I have had to lay this down and pursue being equals. There are probably other ways that community has cost me but these are what stand out right now.

thanx for the encouragement Jeanie!

I look forward to reading peoples response.

Hi team

It has been a while since anyone has posted on this blog so I thought I would blog a bit. I am excited about what is happening in our community right now. As the Green House gains Charlie and the Casa rearranges a bit, it seems like we are entering a new time of growth. I am not quite sure what that looks like, but I think it is going to be good. I spent much of Saturday hanging out at the Green House, and I walked away with a deep appreciation of the unique atmosphere that each member brings to the house. I went on to eat a beautiful dinner at the Casa and was thankful for their individual ways of blessing me as a community member (the berry pie was definitely one of those ways). I love seeing the different expressions of community that are developing in the NE neighborhood. It is a glimpse into the body of Christ--we are all one body with different functions. The diversity being born in the NE community reminds me of how big our God is and how we are all free to engage with him in our own unique way while still remaining unified with the larger body. I am excited to see how the Green House and Casa continue to live out community life and am thankful for the diversity that they bring to my experience of community. And it doesn't stop there, I am blessed to observe so many people interact with and live out community: some who live in the neighborhood, some who live in the city, and some who pass through on visits. It is so cool to take a step back and see that this "community" thing is really happening. It isn't something I dream about or read about, it is in my home and surrounds my relationships. I am a significant part of other people's lives and they are an invaluable part of mine. Every now and then I take a moment and revel in this knowledge. It is moments like these that heaven shines into my life and catches me off guard and I love it.

Cheaper by the half-dozen?

This was taken from my blog. The first section is the original post, then a comment from one of my friends in Texas and my response to the comment. Forgive me if my response was a little randy...it was intended only to be cheeky.

Cheaper by the half-dozen?

Our living situation has changed over the past few weeks...

We have one new family member and several more on the way. Yes, Betsy & I have decided to start a community house.

We've found this beautiful old bungalow in the Alberta Arts neighborhood (just a block from the Kennedy School theater/pub/soaking pool!) and we're trying to fill it with our new intentional family.

Crazy? You bet. Rewarding? We hope. Financially beneficial? Perhaps, but we're not counting on it. We'll soon know if five or six can eat as cheaply as one.

Meanwhile, pray for us and give some thought to joining us in the GreenHouse.

Comment:
sean, for us non-Greenies reading, besides the possible financial benefit you mentioned, what are you hoping to gain from this? Truly curious.

My response:
Actually the financial benefit is pretty unlikely. Even if we save money on food, rent or utilities, there will undoubtedly be roomies who are going through hard financial times, which will necessitate our financial assistance.

Actually there is no 'good' reason for this: our space will be invaded, people will need to use my car on a regular basis, there will be loud noises and late visitors who I didn't invite to the house, we will have at least one mandatory group mealtime each week to have a community business meeting/planning session/'airing of the grievances', people will know intensely private information about me and my current struggles, Betsy & I will have to work extra hard just to schedule time alone together, personality clashes and other conflicts will arise, no more yodeling during sex, roomies will use up the last of the hot water right before my shower, roomies will use up the last of the shampoo right before my shower, roomies will take a really big dump without lighting a candle right before my shower...

So, those are pretty much the reasons.

Those and the scientific fact that the more bodies you shove into a small space, the warmer it gets.

Smiles to all of you,
Sean