Values in relation to community

Disclaimer:
This is part of another comment section on JP's Blog.... I guess I am feeling lazy today and this is the most inspired thinking I can muster.

We have great freedom in Christ... but not all things are beneficial. The main point is do we accept those who do not fit our idea of the "Christian" or do we cram them into “our” image of Christ.
I believe when one is in Christ, one has the Holy Spirit to guide them... but also God wants us to have fellowship with one another.
In Emerging thought we call this community. Each community must find its "values". In some community it may be important that we learn to approach "middle class peoples" in some the homeless. One friend calls his "People" his "tribe”. Issues of the early churches varied with every church... not all had the same problems...Galatians battled legalism while Corinth well battle a too permissive Grace. (A man amongst you brags about sleeping with his father’s wife?!...Slight paraphrase).
I was in a service last Sunday where the pastor was trying to explain that we live by principles... not rules... I tapped my wife on the shoulder and she turned and said what I was thinking... "Don’t we live by the life of Christ?"
From the outsider looking in principles and rules are the same thing... there is no difference.
We as a church must learn to understand our culture and reach out to it... embrace the "seekers" and bring them into community.
Kristin brought up music. Great example.
If one is reaching out to the death metal culture... then we need to understand it. The difference is that though I can't relate to that "style", others might, and reach those yet to find Christ. I know many who do not enjoy Miles Davis as I do. My wife always asks... "Can we listen to something else?" I always say, "He's a jazz giant". In other words she would not relate to that part of the "Jazz" community.
The idea is to accept the people and bring them into community that leads to developing values of that community that in turn can reach out and reach more people of the culture around us.
To many churches have isolated themselves from culture and wonder why no one enters their doors. One church in Billings thinks that their church growth program is to keep the church from growing.... literally! I think without realizing it many churches do this or send the signal to their community this message.
I find it interesting that Jesus was condemned for sitting with people the religious people would not accept. Jesus said it was the sick that need the Doctor…not the well. The issue is that we are all sick.
In some ways we have gotten too attached to the idea of how we “do church” here in America. I was told I did not have a church because I had too few members… and meet at a coffee shop. Yet, I recall sitting in a church that had about 6 people sitting in the pews and thinking that these people had nothing to do with each other outside of church and seemed to be content with their “religious duty” of attending church.
The idea of community is the development of the people in the fellowship. In other words growth. Will mistakes be made on the way? You betcha! (as we say in Montana).
That is all a part of growth.
Blessed,
iggy