Why Commons?
THE NEWSLETTER
Dig Into Big Ideas at Commons
Why Commons?
Last week, someone messaged the church asking where the name Commons comes from. That’s an interesting question because the term commons has become far more popular in the city since we launched in September 2014. EPCOR CENTRE for the Performing Arts announced they were changing their name to Arts Commons in Dec 2014, and there’s now a venue management company called The Commons operating in the city. We love that.
The term commons describes the cultural and natural resources accessible to all members of a society, including natural materials such as air, water, and a habitable earth. These are the resources held in common for our collective benefit. This was the idea behind the decision to name our church. We chose Commons to indicate our commitment to the shared life of the neighbourhood.
There are so many ways we can live that out; from our partnerships with local agencies, like Louise Dean School across the street, to our new Community Cupboard that provides accessible food to those in need, to our large scale neighbourhood events like the Stampede Breakfast. All of these are part of how we live and work and play in the neighbourhood for the good of those near us.
In the sermon on the mount, Jesus has this famous line: “You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:13–14). I’ve always loved that line. But sometimes what we miss is the scope of what Jesus is saying.
In English, earth and world are pretty synonymous for us. But in the Greek, there is a meaningful distinction here. Earth here is the word gē. It’s literally the stuff that you walk on, the dirt and asphalt beneath you. World, on the other hand, is the word kosmos, and it refers to the sum total of our lives. All of our experiences, you might say.
So, when Jesus says that we are the salt of the ground and the light of the cosmos, he is saying that our commitment to the story of God runs the gamut from the dirt we till to grow our food, to the systems and structures that define our relationships, to everything and everyone around us. This encompasses sustainable food production, equitable economic systems, healthy concepts of neighbour, and the ways we participate in the creation of better, more peaceful neighbourhoods in which we can all flourish.
All of these exist on a continuum for Jesus. They are not either/or; they are both/and. We are the salt of the ground beneath us, we are the light of the cosmos above us, and everything in between is spiritual.
This is exactly why we chose the name Commons Church. We want to invite people to encounter the story of spirituality, but we also want to live and work and play well with those near us. This is why we invest in events like our annual Stampede Breakfast. It’s an opportunity for us serve our neighbours, create some fun, and contribute to the flourishing of our neighbourhood. You can find out more about how we will be serving our neighbours below.
Jeremy
Stampede Breakfast
If you are interested in being part of our annual Stampede Breakfast on July 10th, you can find out more about the event and sign up for a volunteer team at commons.church/stampede or click the button below to access the volunteer sign-up form directly.
