2-2-2 Rhythm

Following Jesus in Missional Community

Introduction

One of the biggest obstacles to deep meaningful community on mission is pace of life.

Instead of human beings, we often default to human doings, hurrying from place to place with too much to do. The cultural narrative that we’re given teaches us to be obsessed with going faster. We’ll buy almost anything if its name promises to help us go faster: Federal Express, Sprint, Quicken, Slim Fast.

We are addicted to speed and that leaves us with no margins. One thing goes wrong, one interruption, one delay, and we can’t catch up. There’s this constant sense of feeling rushed or fatigued.

In the lifestyle of Jesus, we find the solution to the frenetic busyness of our culture. Anchored in the Bible, steeped in the history of the Hebrew people, embodied in Jesus, and practiced by the New Testament church, we find the answer to our modern-day dilemma in one word: rhythm. As disciples of Jesus, we choose to follow Jesus in rhythm as we live on mission in community. Again, we can go to Matthew 11 where Jesus says this to us:

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG)

Rhythms

What is rhythm? It means finding a sustainable beat for life.

Daily Rhythms

First of all, God built rhythm into the day. In Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31, it says this:

And there was evening, and there was morning – the first (second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth) day.

For the ancient Hebrew, there is a divine beat here that governed the pattern of every day. The work of the Hebrew was agrarian and therefore, productivity was accomplished during daylight hours. When the sun would fall, there was time for family and friends sharing a meal.

There was time for story-telling around the fire. The basic pattern of a normal day for the Hebrews went like this: 12 hours available for productivity; four hours available for relationships, and eight hours available for sleep.

Weekly Rhythms

Not only was there a daily rhythm, but there was also a weekly rhythm. In Exodus 20 it says,

Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work…

The rhythm here is work six and rest one. God takes the idea of a day of rest as seriously as he takes, “Do not steal, lie, or commit adultery,” but we seem to think we can break this commandment without consequence.

The fact is, that as far as God is concerned, the fourth commandment (“Remember the Sabbath”) is just as important as the other nine.

Yearly Rhythms

Not only was there a daily and weekly rhythm, God built rhythms into the year through seasons and in the festivals that the Hebrew people celebrated. Within each year, there were seven specified feasts. Basically, God asked his people to party seven times a year. Jesus took this ancient idea of rhythm, reinterpreted it, embodied it in his life, and passed it on to the early church. We read this in Acts 2:42-47:

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Lifestyle Rhythms

The language we’re using to summarize the lifestyle rhythms is BREATHE and BLESS. Every member of a microchurch is a missionary living out the BLESS rhythms of: Begin in Prayer, Listen and Engage, Eat, Serve and Story.

Missional Community Rhythm: 2 OUT

Another key rhythm is the 2-2-2 Rhythm. This is a monthly rhythm that guides each simple church to move forward on mission together. Here’s what we want to suggest as a starting point, 2 Out, 2 Up, and 2 In.

The first rhythm is OUT. This rhythm leads us to schedule intentional time to throw one party and find one time a month to serve together as a missional team. Once a month, plan a party that is an open invitation to other sojourners, the people you’re investing in where you live work and play. Once a month, look for a way to serve together in your neighborhood or network. Parties and serving often create opportunities to share the Gospel story and communicate the better narrative we are inviting people to join. This first rhythm also opens up the pathway for your missional team to engage that sense of belonging in the social space or the 72.

Missional Community Rhythm: 2 UP

The second rhythm is UP. Twice a month, meet with your missional team. This will be a gathering of the core of your microchurch. This is a time to focus the community in spiritual practices, strengthening the core through a

shared meal, prayer, listening, discussing the Scriptures and serving each other, and planning for mission in your neighborhood or network. As we go back to examine the early church rhythm, it says they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and prayer. At a minimum, missional teams should aim to gather twice a month for this purpose. This rhythm, in a similar way as the out rhythm does, provides a pathway for individuals to engage that sense of belonging in the personal space or the 12. In the personal space we can more easily and tangibly practice the One Anothers that we find the early church practicing.

Missional Community Rhythm: 2 IN

The final rhythm is IN. We encourage every microchurch to connect IN with the larger body of Christ, whether that is a Collective Gathering or their Hub. This space is inspirational and reminds us that we are a part of a greater movement than what is happening in our neighborhoods or networks of relationships.

The Rhythm Continuum

The 2-2-2 Rhythm is on a continuum that highlights one of the core frameworks of simple microchurches: Hubs and Houses. At the Out end of the continuum are Houses.

The practices of throwing parties and serving our neighborhoods and networks, as well as the communal Up rhythms can happen in our homes. On the other end of the continuum are the Hubs. Every time we connect with a Collective or Hub, we are reminded of the greater redemptive work occurring within the full body of Christ.