Rick Warren’s 40 Days of Community and “Rent” have a lot in common. . .

Rick Warren’s 40 days of community, a bible study for the body of Christ has some things in common with “Rent” the broadway hit by Jonathan Larson.

This year’s 40 day spiritual adventure is set in I Corinthians 13 – in what is commonly known as the “love chapter.” It is a six week study on love and community.

It is true that “Rent” is on one level a musical about friends who are having trouble coming up with their rent. But the title also explores issues of community, friendship and the rent in society that hiv, drug abuse, and poverty have only made more painfully obvious. On many levels “Rent” is uplifting and depressing at the same time whilst credibly earning its PG-13 rating. It is a human film about humans struggling to find meaning and purpose in mortality’s shadow.

Mr. Larson wrote “Seasons of Love” – the show’s powerful anthem that could/should be used on Sunday mornings. . .

Five Hundred Twenty-five Thousand, Six Hundred minutes. . .
Five Hundred Twenty-five Thousand moments so dear.
Five Hundred Twenty-five Thousand, Six Hundred minutes. . .
How do you measure, measure a year?

In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.

Five Hundred Twenty-five Thousand, Six Hundred minutes. . .
How do you measure a year in the life?

How about love? How about love? How about love? Measure in love.

How do we measure?

Well, if “they’ll know we are Christians by our love” is more than a church campfire song from the 70’s - I think we all need the 40 days of community.