By Roanna Day
A strange name, a series of shapes and a room full of new faces.
We didn’t know what to expect with Oikos. The course promised to introduce us to the dialogue of The Well, it was a warm, open invitation to speak up; join in and take part.
As with most great things, Oikos began with good food and even better conversation. Phil and Julie opened their doors to us, revealing the very heart of who they are and what they stand for, it was a challenge most of us found impossible to resist.
Committing to 11 Wednesday-less weeks is no easy feat for busy Londoners. For those of us with intense jobs and friends and family we already don’t see enough, the time was a real sacrifice. Looking back, thank God it was. Our tiny sacrifice of time was richly rewarded with Julie’s baked potatoes and her and Phil’s earnest desire to be in conversation and community with us.
Have you noticed how God has a knack of breaking through to us, right where it hurts? Right where he needs to be? To a group of young; overcommitted, over-stimulated Millennials 11 weeks of dedicating ourselves to being discipled was just the call we needed.
Oikos came at the close of a season, starting on dark January nights and finishing on lighter March evenings. The move, from Winter to Spring echoed in our conversations as week after week things got clearer, moments more illuminated and the atmosphere lighter.
While the shapes, be it circle, triangle or square are tools we will all use: to better integrate with The Well and to sculpt our own personal devotions, the most impacting thing Oikos has done for some of us is raise a banner for all to stand under. The shared weeks, food and prayers has given us a common purpose, a harmony which we can all sing.
Our weekends are now filled with dinners with “that couple from Oikos”, our Whatsapp’s littered with encouragements and prayers from new friends and the season ahead filled with plans shared with others from Oikos.
The Well, while always friendly, has now become home. Our Oikos brothers and sisters are there and we all speak the same language.
The model of family we have signed up for is an open one. Oikos is just another example of family being something you build, as well as something you’re born into. We Oikers have been happily adopted into The Well, into a community that welcomes and loves and now we’re ready to do the same.
See you at the dinner table.