“Bad” Community Beats No Community?

In a recent blog entry, Chris Erdman writes...

“Alan and Jane are engaged in a Christian community. Al lives a life feeling extraordinarily disconnected from a local community because of his apostolic ministry throughout the world. Stability, even within a troubling Christian community, is nevertheless a virtue . . . and one I would not presume to veto without spiritual direction. And I certainly am no advocate for walking out and finding one's own, self-prescribed experience of worship (some doctors may self-prescribe medication, but even they know it is a dangerous practice). Frankly, I don't know it nearly well-enough to avoid it entirely, but the path of self-pastoring is a path of dangerous self-delusion. Even bad Christian community and a limpid liturgy may well be more healthy in the long run (there certainly are exceptions) than what we presume is better.”

I guess what bothers me here is that I see myself in Alan’s situation...disconnecting from a “community.” However, what I hope is happening is the development of an alternative community and quite frankly, a more healthy one. It is interesting though, as I had a conversation earlier today with a professor/mentor, to admit that I have some baggage to deal with in this area. I need to be sure that I’m not escaping community merely because it became too uncomfortable. I think there’s much more to it than that, but one’s perception and judgment can easily be clouded in such a situation as ours.