Must Read: “Body of Politics” by Yoder

ask about praying for the kids

Everything we do, as the church, has a sociology to it.
Holistic approach to Christian thought

Practice #1, Binding and Loosening
returning a lost person to the community
reconciliation
practice of the community to forgive and restore one another
creation of community
skill of conflict resolution; needs to be a make of Christian community
bringing peace
in the world, Christians can stay who they are and help the world reconcile and conflict resolution
Christianity as the presence of peace

Practice #2: Breaking Bread: “Communion”
Real food for hungry people
The demonstration of the banquet table
Everyone had enough within the church, within the common community
Economic Sharing as part of our identity, the way we are suppose to be
Forgiveness of debts
Part of the Church is the sharing of economic means

Practice #3: Baptism and the New Humanity
All sort of people, from all walks of life, become one people
The concept of equality is of no concern to Yoder, as it raises alarms if it is used in the Enlightenment connotation as with Hauerwas
A church full of division, racial or otherwise, then the Gospel is not there
Not just a concept of having an open door where “all are open,” but diversity is needed
Most church in the US 95% are mono-cultural
Segregation as anti-Gospel
Rooted in the idea of non-violence: Non-violence as a means of creating a relationship with the “enemy”
Freedom to convert and reconcile individuals to the community through baptism
Not coerced to be something your not, “Liberty”




Practice #4: Fullness of Christ
Gifting of all members of the body
Everyone has a role to fill, we all have gifts to give
No laity verse clergy demarcation
No push for the “Shaman”
Even though some are paid does not give them special status
One of the only one’s that don’t really happen, very radical
Team driven assembly
Any space where the members fit together as a team, and create a push against the powerful leader
Every institution falls into this: marriage, government, business… etc.

Practice #5: Rule of Paul
Everyone gets a voice in the meeting, “the Church”
A move to a consensus
God might move through any of the persons present in the community, so we need to give everyone a voice