“Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”
Matthew 13:32
Have you heard of pseudo-community? Psychiatrist M. Scott Peck popularized this term in the 80s when he laid out the Four Stages of True Community. It is when members are extremely pleasant with one another and avoid all disagreement. People tend to withhold some truth about themselves and their feelings in order to avoid conflict. Individual differences are minimized, unacknowledged, or ignored. The group may appear to be functioning smoothly but individuality, intimacy, and honesty are neglected. Unfortunately, most communities people experience fall into this category. Yes, even most churches.
As we gather together this Sunday at Honeybird in La Cañada, we will explore this concept of four stages of true community together and why we felt strongly to create Perch as a hospitable community for spiritual wanderers.
