The Search for Rhythm

The church needs to call to a life in rhythm with each other.

Years ago, I remember reading Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Life Together. In it, he lays out a rich theology of what it means for the church to be a family. It was, and remains, quite formative in my thinking.

The second part of the book, however, focuses on very specific rhythms Bonhoeffer used to foster intentionality within the discipleship communities he was leading in Nazi Germany—particularly the secret training grounds for pastors.

While most of those rhythms don’t translate directly into our context, the book increased my sense of conviction that healthy communities need rhythms.

In many church contexts, there is only a single rhythm around which the community is organized: the Sunday gathering. Even that is considered fairly optional for many. Some churches also rely on small groups, but these often function more as an add-on than as something that shapes daily life together.

It strikes me as interesting that many of my neighbours’ daily rhythms are firmly centred around sports for their kids. Between hockey and baseball, there are daily—and I really do mean daily—activity requirements. It’s no surprise that, in many cases, sports function as a kind of religious experience, with the local hockey rink or baseball diamond acting as the temple.

What I find particularly interesting is that on most university campuses, the strongest community groups are Muslim student associations. Within Islam, there are very specific—and if one is serious about getting to paradise, quite strict—daily life rhythms, including multiple daily prayers and a pilgrimage to Mecca. The resulting strong community ties from these predictable life rhythms, especially on campus, have meant that many Christian groups struggle to match their cohesion or evangelistic impact.

So What’s the Point?

We were made to live in intentional, daily rhythms of community with one another. When the church doesn’t create space for this kind of life together, people will either seek it elsewhere or drift into a depressive state of loneliness. Both of which, I think it is fair to say, are self-evident from a cultural standpoint.

Often, the Western church hesitates to ask much of its members. We yield ground to the nuclear family or to individual autonomy as ultimate priorities. And while individuality is beautiful and the nuclear family is precious, the church is meant to hold both together—creating a richer, healthier, and more vibrant environment for people to flourish.

A Picture from the Early Church

The story of the early church, especially in Acts 1–2, makes it clear that the church was designed to live in sacrificial, intentional, and open community. This included sharing life with people of different backgrounds, cultures, and stories. It even includes opening our lives and our homes to people we might not even like. Yes, it’s true.

Our Everyday Practices

To give some practical expression to this conviction, we’ve articulated six daily values that shape our shared habits as we live on mission together. They’re drawn from Acts 2:42–47, and we call them our Everyday Practices:

• Spiritual hunger – A love of Jesus and his Word, expressed primarily through synchronized daily devotions.

• Church at the center – Using church life as the central organizing principle for our lives.

• Intentional proximity – Choosing to live close to one another and close to our mission field.

• Open home – Keeping our homes and our lives open to others.

• Sacrificial living – Living simply and humbly so there is capacity for generosity and spontaneity.

• Passion for the lost – Talking about, praying for, and encouraging one another to reach those who don’t yet know Christ.

Looking Ahead

Some of these may feel obvious, while others may feel a bit intense. Taken together, though, they’re meant to deepen both our relational bonds and our missional conviction. The two belong together.

In the coming months, I hope to share a bit more about each of these. Let me know in the comments which one you’d find most helpful to explore further.