a radical proposal
There hasn’t been a lot of commentary on the blog. I can’t tell if that is because no one is reading it or because you are reading it and you are shy. So, I thought I would shake things up a bit, see if anyone is paying attention.
Pastor John is going to be giving a sermon on "What Makes the Church the Church?" How do I know, can I read his mind? I know because I’m supposed to come up with images to complement the message for this weekend. As I was at the gym today, I started thinking about images. Is a great church the building, the facilities, the technology, the landscaping? No, of course, it is the people. So that’s easy, I can contrast images of beautiful church buildings with images of people. Then I started thinking about the other question Pastor John alludes to, what is God calling our church to become? My mind was blank. I know there are plans for redesigning the sanctuary, upgrading the sound system, enhancing technology, but is that what God is calling us to do? While riding the cycle, I prayed to God for guidance and this surprising idea filled my head. What if we shouldn’t be spending more money on our current location? What if we need to expand, but not here? While there are rational reasons for upgrading the facilities, what if doing so will only increase our desire to stay put, to stay in our comfort zone? Then we would not be fulfilling the Go in Christ mission. How do we move beyond these walls to help those in need, spiritually and financially? Instead of trying to retrofit the current facility, maybe we could rent a storefront in town? Wouldn’t that get us closer to those we should serve? Couldn’t this get us out of our comfort zone and be a light that shines before others?
posted by SonHarvest Kids @ 1:06 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
What makes the Church the Church?
I recall living in Oak Park Illinois and attending Grace Lutheran Church, a remarkable hand carved stone edifice with stained glass windows, intricately carved interior woodwork, an enormous organ and choir loft. Talk about ambiance for worship!
Yet, what stands out most strongly about my memories of Grace is not the building, but the mission, the work of the Holy Spirit through Pastor Lueking and Grace parishoners to share and reach out to the greater community, to disciple.
And, yes, at that time, back in the late '70's, that included setting up a "storefront" ministry in the inner city of Chicago.
I recently joined a small group here at Peace, often referred to as a "triad", although there are four of us, which involves a personal exploration of that word, disciple. What are we called to do, each and every one of us? How do we do it?
From the outset, it is clear (by example) that being a disciple of Christ has nothing to do with being in a comfort zone.
A lot of things have changed for me personally as I've embarked on my faith journey -- nothing earth shaking, mostly "baby steps" (Bob Wiley [Bill Murray] in "What About Bob?") -- as I and the other three in our triad try to discern what discipleship is. One of the seedlings being nourished is a sense of mission, and figuring out where that call leads.
Is it a storefront for Peace? Seeding a new congreagation in Crozet, or Ruckersville? Planning a career (and life) change to do field mission work somewhere (out there)?
Why not be radical?
I assume, Kim, that you have read the Williamson Brothers' piece titled "My Next Church".
"Imagine if Christ had compartmentalized his life and ministry in the way the church of today does." -- Kent Williamson
In discussion of Worship this past week, our disciplship group hit on the issue of compartmentalization, and the boundaries of worship when viewed in the context of what we do within the church building.
I feel that we worship God through what we do with our lives, much as Kent expresses:
"It will not negate the power and beauty of corporate worship, but it will focus on an individual’s life as worship. It will enable believers to more fully understand that using our gifts and living our lives is just as much worship as singing can be. Our vocations will become instruments on which we play the hymns of my next church. Whether we are filling prescriptions, fixing mufflers, home-schooling five children, preparing tax forms, or making motion pictures, the attitudes of our hearts will be worshipful, not a worship of ourselves and our talents, but a worship of God for the talents He has given us and the work he performed through his Son on the cross."
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