Much of what I will share in this blogpost comes from Dr. Kent Smith's paper entitled "Ecosystems of Grace: An Old Vision for the New Church". Dr. Smith is a professor at Abilene Christian University and has been involved in the development of missional communities for many years. I will begin with the somewhat shocking statement: "We are simply too busy and distracted to be available for the attention and discernment that love requires." While we are well aware that the two greatest commandments are to love God with all of our heart and to love each other as we love ourselves, the practical implementation of these commandments is all too rare. "Our attention has been stolen and the cultur
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