In these modern times, living in a society is considered demanding and uneasy. Urbanites, especially Americans, don’t like to compromise their comfort.
In these modern times, living in a society is considered demanding and uneasy. Urbanites, especially Americans, don’t like to compromise their comfort. Dinesh D’Souza portrays individualism as the “self-directed life” in which “the individual is in control of his own life…” In addition, James Davison Hunter describes it, “and the individual is portrayed as the main actor in societal change,” and chain of change normally moves from the person to the family to the society. Due to the individualistic nature we have acquired, the belief in what is beneficial to us personally, has contributed a lot to the changes experienced in culture. However, this is a vague supposition compared to believing that since it tastes good, you can live on Mountain Dew. In the long run, it will prove imprudent. What if comfort was not being focused on so much in order to make room for community? This view point sends a cold shiver to the spine.
Yet community, of any depth, will require that comfort fall from her lofty throne and be replaced by something that can hold our fickle attention and move us toward a more transcendent motive for our decisions. Intentional community living can mean many things, but the common denominator is always the deferral of personal comforts for a goal or experience valued by the members. The more transcendent the motivation, the more willing we are to exchange comfort for it. Ecclesia Austin is a downtown Austin Church that is motivated to living in a community of people focused on the transcendent Gospel of Christ. The Gospel, carefully beheld will motivate individuals to be less self-centered. A non-denominational Austin church, Ecclesia, is centered on the gospel and the life and vision of Jesus for His body and the renewal of Austin, Texas.
The vision of Ecclesia Austin is to be a downtown Austin church that is a missional church, reaching out to the downtown area and the neighborhoods of Austin, Texas. Non-denominational churches are expressions of the love Jesus has for the city and builds a great city for all people through a gospel movement that brings personal conversion, community formation, social justice and cultural renewal to Austin and the world. But how can a downtown Austin church reshape the habits of people so dramatically that the Gospel’s goals and direction can countermand our natural inclinations toward our own selfish interests? The key is the gospel itself. Unlike other religions and philosophies, the gospel is not advice on how to live your life to please God or to become a sort of god yourself. The Gospel isn’t advice, its news. This news is God’s word that your faith in His son’s substitutionary sacrifice makes you guiltless before God.
Information is not advice, but declaration. You can only react to a proclamation and not act upon it. A rational reaction to information that you have been acknowledged by God regardless of your shortcomings and transgressions is through Missional church, valuing God and others by living according to the Gospel. Ecclesia Austin from an Austin downtown church tries to restore God’s love in the hearts of His people for the metropolitan center. God’s love for cities is irrefutable. In Jeremiah 29:4-7 (English Standard Version) God says, 4“Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. 6Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” Seeking the welfare of a place is to be present there. Therefore, you need to regard what is beneficial to the people of the city as important and that means individual comfort should come second to love. We are God’s ambassadors, downtown Austin church, sent to stay and love. We are still establishing what this will mean. Manifestations of this are already being experienced all over the city. You’re welcome to unravel the depths of the Gospel in Community and let it change your intentions.
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Mark Michael is the author of this article on downtown Austin church. Find more information, about downtown Austin church here
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