Bizarre Living or Living Bizarrely?

Hi friends! So one of the things some of us mentioned when brainstorming about a class blog was how it would be nice to have a place to continue deeper discussions from our Sundays together. So, this is my attempt to initiate just such a conversation. 

Awhile back (I seem to have lost all sense of time... a month ago? 6 weeks? 2 week? I have no idea), Brad Elgen spoke about living "bizarrely" for God. His message was taken from the story about Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well.  ( you can find and listen to the message HERE ) It was an amazing message. And I find myself thinking about some of his questions, comments, observations and application points every couple of days even now. Honestly, that rarely happens to me. But I feel the need to really unpack this topic and I don't want to fall into the typical "oh-my-gosh-that-was-so-convicting-i-need-to-change-my-life" Sunday and then "back-to-the-ole-routine-cause-i-just-don't-know-where-to-go-from-here" Monday ritual. 

So I find myself telling people about this message over and over.... in hopes of unpacking it even more, brainstorming with others about HOW we can live differently within our culture. Sure, I could pack up and fly to Calcutta, India tomorrow and live in the slums and love on the desperate children and that would be quite different (well, theoretically I could.... if it wasn't for the husband and two children thing :). But what I struggle with is how to live intentionally differently WITHIN my own culture, socioeconomic class, neighborhood, and community. 

I suspect many of you feel the same way, so lets talk about it! Lets brainstorm and "spur one another on to love and good deeds," like God desires us to do. Disclaimer: This isn't about comparing ourselves to others, judging, or feeling judged.... please, this is about challenging each other to move closer to the heart of God and His passion for people... each of us have ideas that could trigger other ideas and thoughts and that is how we can spur each other on! 

So here is the question: 

What are some PRACTICAL ways you can live differently or bizzarely (aka NOT the "norm", living so that people actually have to stop and ask why? what? how? you are doing/living like you are):

~ in your neighborhood or apartment complex?

~ in your work place?

~ in your relationships with non-believers? 

~ in your family? 

John and I came up with just a couple of ideas so far (but have yet to implement them): 

~ We want to look for some elderly couples, widows, single moms in our neighborhood and offer to do their lawn for them. 

~ John has talked to an older man who lives alone in the condos across the street from us and wants to have him over for dinner sometime and just be a friend. 

Thanks for reading and please do share!!!! ~ Chelsea

PS: If you are an author on this blog, you can log in and edit this post and add your own thoughts/answers/suggestions/ideas below mine. If you don't want to do that, you can just leave your thoughts and answers in the "comments" section below this post. But regardless please do post! I know we can learn so much from each other!