The Art of 'Hanging Out'

A few weeks ago I was watching a group of teens hanging out.  I was close enough to hear their conversation as they were quite boisterous in sharing.  A couple of the jokes were more about flirting than laughter but suddenly the conversation changed when asked about what they were doing over the holidays.  One commented that they 'had to hang out with their family!'(implant sarcasm here!)  The others all nodded in agreement that they too were being sentenced to life with family.

It got me to thinking about those days long gone by.  Do you remember them?  When being with family was a sentence one must survive until the reunion of friends happened?  Or thinking that your parents were not cool or smart?  Or thinking that the most important thing in the world was hanging out?

I remember them.  I remember waiting until 3 pm so I could hang out after school.  I remember Friday and Saturday nights being vital to my existence.  And I remember sharing life together which included major topics like what our parents did, the hope we had for the future, whether God really existed, wondering who we were going to date, etc. 

Perhaps the teenage population still has something on us adults.  Perhaps teens have this innate ability to be drawn into community just as the first church was.  Truth be told, teens do need and listen to their parents.  Yet the community is where they learn to trust others, develop communication skills, be a part of something larger than themselves and find social norms.

The early church was marked in their desire to dwell together.  It shapes much of Acts and the letters.  These first Christians found strength, hope, love and purpose together.  They learned that in their being a community they could withstand any storm that brewed as they encouraged each other in the ways of Christ. 

What if that marked our community today? What would it be like if our community was a place where each person had no need for anything?  What if our community was marked by hanging out and doing life together?  Perhaps that was the vital role of the Church in some of the hardest of days and should be even today!