Introduction · Jun 29, 2007 - 09:53 AM
And as we lie beneath the stars
We realize how small we are
If they could love like you and me
Imagine what the world could be
If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
We’d see the day when nobody died
These lyrics from If Everyone Cared by the rock group Nickelback express both the hope and frustration of many in our culture. We share these hopes (and frustrations) and join Nickelback in imagining a better world. We call it the Kingdom of God. Canton Family is a simple community of people who love God, love each other, and daily try to follow Christ. We are co-workers with God in revealing the Kingdom of God around us.
The prophet Micah boldly called for this new way of living when he proclaimed (Micah 6:8 TNIV):
He has shown all you people what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.
We take Micah’s call to action seriously, and believe that action and expressed love in the world is the key to the Kingdom of God. We believe that we must face the obstacles to this call, whereever they appear…
... whether it is prejudice, economic systems, or ideologies that distort justice
... or culture, history, and fear that foster hate and hinder love
... or pride and self-centeredness that prevent a humble walk.
Admittedly, we don’t look like a traditional church. We don’t have a building. We don’t have a single “pastor.” We don’t have a budget. But we are being shaped by the Spirit of God in community, one that feels called to not only receive blessings, but to be a blessing to those around us.
We aren’t a “Come and See” church. We meet at parks, homes and coffee shops. While we welcome visitors, we encourage visitors to get to know people in our community first, or to join us in working on a Habitat house or playing frisbee. This is important in developing a context for understanding our communal life in Christ.
