La Comunidad Autentica

Several weeks ago, my boss hired a new employee named Diana to help out with the increasing workload. She is from Mexico, and has been a legal resident of the United States most of her life. Fortunately, she's happy to answer our questions about her home country, and her first language.

A week or two after she came on board, Andy (my boss) asked her if there were any truly authentic Mexican restaurants in Springfield. At first she said no. But then she changed her mind and said there's a place called Tamale King that's pretty close.

Christina and I actually ate at the Tamale King once. It's remarkably bare-bones, with linoleum floors, fluorescent lighting, and cafeteria-style tables and chairs. Two clues as to its authenticity were its wall of Latino grocery items, and the TV suspended over the counter playing Univision non-stop.

I'm not sure how many Mexican restaurants there are in Springfield, but there's at least several dozen. Of course the majority of them aren't even trying to be authentic: Taco Bell, Taco Bueno, Chipotle, Qdoba, Carlos O'Kelly's, etc. These are the franchise eateries that have stuck to the formula for success... put a lot of fattening American food in a tortilla, dip it in cheese, and give it a Spanglish name.

After that you've got your independently-owned places that are shooting for authentic... Tex-Mex, that is. It's still pretty Americanized, but closer. These are the joints that are always trying to convince you they're authentic. It's a great PR word. They play canned Mariachi music over the speakers, they hang ponchos and sombreros on the wall, and they may even sell funky sodas you've never heard of.

According to Diana, we've now described every "Mexican" restaurant in Springfield but one. And that one, Tamale King, doesn't seem to care if anybody thinks they're authentic. No wacky red-green-and-yellow decor, no trumpets and giant guitars, not even a fully Spanish name. Nevertheless, the proof is in the Mexican Bread Pudding.

It's obvious by the sincere attempts at authenticity in the restaurant industry that customers care about getting "the real thing". But why? It seems like a perfect world for an epicurean white guy like myself. Dozens and dozens of restaurants, all lined up to give me something spicy and exotic, but catered specifically to my caucasian sensibilities. What could be better?

So I think the restaurants in the Tex-Mex category have discovered something significant. White people don't really want authentic Mexican food. They just want to think they're getting authentic Mexican food. Why else would they go to all the trouble to dress it up, instead of just calling it what it is? You know... Spicy Burger Chopped Up Inside Taco Shell. (Not that there's anything wrong with that...)

Where am I going with this, you ask? Authentic is not just a buzzword in the culinary arts, it's practically a movement within the Church. Indeed, it's become a veritable silver bullet. "Let's all be seeker-sensitive, I mean let's have a revival, I mean let's be postmodern, I mean let's be missional, I mean let's be authentic! That's all we really need!"

Check me out, I'm guilty too. What's the unofficial slogan of the Front Porch? "Arts, Culture and Authentic Community." Not even a complete sentence, is it?

I am not writing this post to say that we are the Tamale King of churches (there's a slogan for you.) We are not a lone reed of integrity in a sea of spiritual pretenders. But if I can blow the horn in my sleep, perhaps I can give the whole Church a wake-up call.

Whether people really want authenticity, or they just think they do, the fact is that they need it. We need it. The temptation, as a church leader, and especially as a church planter, is to get a focus group, figure out everybody's preferences, and then create an experience especially for them. Just like the Taco Bells and Qdobas, it's a proven success strategy, and everybody wants to be a winner.

But what does it cost? Yes, the Chalupas are cheap, but the identity crisis is out of everyone's price range. Because the most fundamental human need is to know who you are... whose you are. And what you're worth. And every step we take toward a plastic spiritual utopia is a step away from that ultimate goal. It's a concealing, not a revealing, and down the road I get to find out just how many layers I've managed to wrap around the real ME... the person God created me to be.

So the question is out there... Do you really want Authentic Community? Because you have to take the sides that come with it, namely Repentance, Transparency, Intimacy, Forgiveness, even Awkwardness... ew. All concepts which can be pretty hard to swallow.

So... no room for dessert? Check please!



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Starbucks: A Follow-up

This post is a continuation of Starbucks: Keeping a Tight Lid on Freedom of Speech.

Following is the overly tactful and judicious e-mail I received from Starbucks Customer Relations:

Ryan,

Starbucks is committed to contributing to our communities and to the environment. We provide our support through monetary contributions, product donations and through The Starbucks Foundation.

Starbucks provides donations and sponsorships to nonprofit organizations in the following areas: the work of young social entrepreneurs, literacy, the environment, local communities, and programs in coffee-growing communities.

We believe our partners (employees) are the best resource we can offer, therefore we also support organizations in which they are active volunteers. This ensures that our investments touch the neighborhoods where Starbucks partners live and work.

Please note that as a rule, Starbucks does not donate to individuals, programs that promote or endorse a specific religious affiliation, political candidates, or for-profit organizations. This includes the donation of space inside of our store locations (ie: community boards).Sincerely,

Julie S.
Customer Relations
Starbucks Coffee Company

And here is my response:

Julie,

It is obvious that Starbucks is trying to make a positive impact in the communities it occupies. However, I am very sad to hear that you consider the usage of your community board as a "donation of space" and therefore something that cannot be extended to religious or political entities.

Although this type of policy is certainly within your right as a private corporation, it is nevertheless an attempt, in my opinion, to homogenize the atmosphere of dialogue within your restaurants, and avoid anything which might run counter to the beliefs or loyalties of your customers. The only possible result is a bland environment which insults people's intelligence by assuming that they cannot co-exist with ideas which are not complementary to their own.

I say this not for my own benefit. (There are plenty of other places to put up my harmless and extremely unoffensive posters. In fact, not only have I lost interest in promoting our worship gathering at Starbucks, I've lost interest in your company at every level.) I say this because I believe the public deserves better, and that Starbucks has failed to live up to the culture of insightful and challenging dialogue that has characterized the coffeehouse environment for centuries.

Sincerely,
Ryan Wiksell.

Center-City Springfield: West Commercial St.

The first place our photographic tour of Center-City Springfield will take us is West Commercial Street. If you have not read the introduction to this tour, now would be the time for that.

Here is a street shot from the west end of what you might call "Historic Commercial Street", looking east:

Commercial Street is a funny character. The occupancy rate is still quite low, and there are miserable-looking vacant or neglected historic buildings everywhere. And yet... there are tons of first-class residential lofts, and numerous photography studios, design & marketing firms, art galleries, top-notch office spaces, beautiful streetscaping, and several classy entertainment establishments. Really, the best word to describe it is "weird".

The first thing we'll come to, starting from the west end, is the Belmonte, which is run by Springfield's Vineyard Church. The Belmonte started out right downtown, where it had a slightly larger space, and was known for fairly regular weekly concerts. It was, and still is, a pretty hip place... some say too hip. But they're good people, and they really want to reach out to their generation of skeptics and agnostics through the use of a common, comfortable, creative space. As it is now, I'm still trying to figure out what their goal is for the current facility. But still, I feel like I have more in common with this group than most Christians in Springfield. Here's two shots of the Belmonte:

Next is a dual shot of Lindberg's (left), the oldest continually operating pub in Springfield (over 100 years) and a future photography studio. Although it's had some straggly years along the way, Lindberg's is now beautifully restored, with wads of gorgeous hardwood. It's truly a classic pub. The only drawback is all the smoke, and the too-loud blues jam stuff they like to play live.

On the right is the up-and-coming Freedom Photography, the studio of my cousins, Matt & Heidi Giles. The upstairs is nearly finished, and ready for them to move into with their adopted son, Isaiah. If you go to the website, you'll see some stunning pictures of the work they've done. Downstairs has a little ways to go yet, but you can already tell it'll be a first-class studio space.


Here is an example of what Commercial Street is known for: Flea Markets and Second-Hand Stores... although this is definitely the classiest example: The Style.


One excellent addition to the Commercial Street scene recently, was that of a cozy coffee house. This one is called Big Momma's, and it's got great food and coffee, and is extremely cozy up front, where the coffee bar is. Fortunately, they have a big room in back where there's plenty of space for concerts, dramas, and other events. The Core has even put some thought into establishing a second Worship Gathering here.


To end our tour of West Commercial Street, I'll take you to the Firehouse Courtyard, where our friend Kelly Stevens will be marrying her German fiance, Julius, this September. Apart from all the other things I mentioned, C-Street has several funky open spaces, some elegant like this one, and others



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The Zero and the One

I wrote this little allegory in 2001. Enjoy!

Once, there was a Zero. And this particular Zero had a lot of things going for him; a perfectly smooth, round shape, nice clean center, and a long life ahead of him. But unlike the other Zeros he met, he was not at all happy. Certainly he was thankful for his blessings, but he knew for sure that there was something more to life than this. He wanted, more than anything else, to be worth something.

So one day he’d had enough sulking and worthlessness, and he determined to find a way to make his life worthwhile. First he tried rolling around till he was upside down. No one even noticed. He turned around backwards. Same result. Then he thought, “Perhaps if I get enough others like me together, and we work hard and arrange ourselves just right, we can be worth something together! So he sent out an invitation calling all the Zeros he knew together in one place. To his delight, several dozen came, and they stood beside each other, on top of each other, and every which way. But alas, they found that it all came to: Nothing.

Not to be deterred, our hero the Zero decided that what was needed were some tools; some outside implements to give him value. After talking around a bit, he was able to procure a plus, a minus, a multiplier, and a divider. Then he found one of his better friends who wasn’t too turned off by the last attempt, and they went to work with his new tools. They tried Zero plus Zero. Zero. They tried Zero minus Zero. Zero. They tried Zero times Zero. You guessed it. His friend remarked, “What do you even need me for? Get all these new Zeros to help you.” But our Zero pleaded with him to at least try the last tool. He agreed, so they performed Zero divided by Zero. “Undefined?” His friend exclaimed. I’m outta here!

Disappointed, but not dejected, the Zero tried some more tricks over the next few weeks. Powers, Logorithms, Matrices… he even dabbled in some Calculus, but always with the same worthless result.

Just about to throw in the towel, the Zero took a long walk. He walked past a dumpster chock full of all his previous experiments, and it only depressed him more. “Is there no way for a Zero to be worth something?” he cried to the air. He continued walking, out of his little community and into the country, where he’d never been before. He was so sullen, he stared at the ground when he walked, and scarcely looked up. Suddenly, he bumped into something. It looked like a tree, but without branches. Just then, he felt a tremendous sense of value and purpose flow into his empty soul. It was the tree! Or whatever it was. “What are you?” the Zero asked. “I am The One,” it proclaimed with a booming voice. Follow me.

Without hesitation, The One started moving to the left, and the Zero was right behind. As they came back into town, the Zero started shouting out to his friends. “Come here, everybody! I’ve found The One! Follow Him with me!” So many of his friends came behind him. And every zero that joined multiplied the total value by ten. Before long they felt more worth than any of them had ever dreamed of. Sadly, some Zeros were too skeptical of it all to come out and join them. Others tried to walk in front of The One, but added no worth to themselves or anyone else. But those who followed were glad they did.

And so, the Zero, and his friends, found that there was value and purpose to life after all.

THE END

I Would Have No Problems If There Were No People

Sorry if the blog posts have been a little sparse. Unfortunately, that is likely to be a trend for the time-being. My advice is to write something yourself, and then read that. ;-)

But I will share with you a few thoughts I had yesterday.

Imagine you're a photographer going out to shoot long, gorgeous vistas of the mountains. The weather is perfect, the sunlight is perfect, and you're already pumped about the finished result.

But everywhere you try to point your camera, trees get in the way. Every kind of tree imaginable seems to be looking for opportunities to ruin your sight line. You take the pictures anyway, and come home disappointed.

But when you pull up the images, you're astonished to see frame after frame of stunning photographs of trees. Every variety, all mingling harmoniously together, lapping up the sunrays. It's not even fall, but the colors are ravishing. At once you realize that you had gone out looking for one thing, but found something much better.

Those trees are the people in your life. We all set out looking for something for ourselves. We know what we want, and hell if we're not going to get it.

Ambition is fine in and of itself, but what do you do when people get in the way? If we are wise, we will see them as God's objective from the beginning, and that we should see them as the subject, not the obstacle.

May your heart (and mine) be molded to the purpose of God today.

Deuce: Leadership vs. Community

There is a post-modern tension in the church when people look at community on the one hand and leadership on the other. It's like watching people watch a tennis match. They look back and forth, and begin to be troubled by the seeming necessity to pick one and abandon the other.

Community is fluid. It is mutual submission and love. It is not controlling or power hungry. It is spontaneous and organic and beautiful.

Leadership is structured. It is wisdom and responsibility. It is not fearful or timid. It is intentional and heirarchical and beautiful.

Quite a quandary, indeed... so long as we're trying to line up organic community with hierarchical leadership onto the same plane--that of relationships.

But Community and Leadership do not belong on the same plane. Community is indeed a function of relationships. God has called us all to submit to one another in love. Husbands to wives, wives to husbands, pastors to parishioners and parishioners to pastors. They will know we are Christians by our love for one another. And this commandment of love does not shift and change with positions, promotions and power. It is an interconnected web of equality.

So what about Leadership? The fact is that leadership does not belong on the plane of Relationships, it belongs on the plane of Objectives. Tasks. Roles.

Becoming a leader should not change the nature of your relationship to others. It should change the nature of your relationship to the task at hand. Naturally, that will affect the context of your relationships to others, but not the nature of them, which is love and mutual submission.

There is no leadership position which mandates, or permits, controlling others. And there is certainly no rationale for abuse or power-mongering.

I can sense some of your misgivings, and I'll address them here:

Guidance - Since Jesus is the true shepherd, and we are his sheep, we are called to follow him alone. Paul says that no one should identify themselves as followers of this person or that person... only Christ. So be a guide to others is, once again, a responsibility to represent the guidance of Christ, and not to be controllers of others.

Discipline - Similar to guidance. When someone in a church requires discipline, the leader's responsibility is on the plane of infraction and correction. When the leader and the wayward member can come together on that plane to each exercise their own roles (the leader to administer discipline, and the member to receive it graciously) then they have behaved as equals in Christ.

Can you see how this frees us up to accept our God-given roles without becoming arrogant, or resentful, toward one another? We can rejoice in the fluidity of community and the structure of leadership without constantly being pulled back and forth.

Now the trick is... doing it.

The Bizarro Front Porch

I've been aware for some time of a coffeehouse church called The Freeway, in downtown Hamilton, Ontario, which opened in October of 2005. As you'll see in this thorough piece of journalism, it's a great place for building community and "hangin' oot".



I hope there are no hard feelings from our neighbors to the north about the "bizarro" bit... a title's gotta zing, don't it?

Some Thoughts on Merge

I'm gonna tack on another post about Merge to share with everybody some of my thoughts about it so far, and thoughts from a few others who have come multiple times. Two days ago was our fourth Sunday to do Merge in the morning. Turns out my neighbor Andrew is a great jazz guitarist, and he paired up with me to lead the music. He also plans to do it next week. After the Thankgiving holiday, I plan to add some hand percussion, and hopefully some female vocals.

The discussion was about the 10 plagues in Egypt, and how Jesus shows up in the baking of unleavened bread, and the slaughtering of the spotless lamb to save the Hebrews from the Angel of Death. And we had a comfortably large group, not the biggest so far, but probably a tie if you don't count out-of-towners or one-time visitors from other churches.

My thoughts about counting:

I'm finding it harder to stick to my commitment to not count people. I've done well not to count them during the gathering, but afterwards I tend to rehearse my memory of all those who came, and count them up then. In a way, that's not so bad, because it forces me to try to remember each individual who came, and remember their names if I can. As long as I can do it that way, I don't see a problem with counting. But if it gets too large for me to do that anymore, I think we should just guesstimate. I don't want us to do any actual counting, or to entertain questions like "So what are you runnin' these days?" My desire is to share our estimates with those who would honestly like to understand the atmosphere of our gatherings, and what they're like, but not to share them with those who want to gauge our "success" by numbers.

My thoughts about the name "Merge"

I'm thinking very strongly about getting rid of it. As it is, people know they're coming to the "Front Porch" and many of them also know they're coming to "Merge". But I think very few people have any idea what "The Core" is. I believe we're causing confusion. Chances are, within a few weeks, we'll just start calling our Sunday morning thing "The Core Worship Gathering" to simplify things for everyone. Maybe "Merge" will "re-emerge" at a later time, who knows.

Now I want to share some other people's thoughts. Jessica is one of my favorites, because she has come all four times since we began it, and next week will be watching the kids. She's a student at Missouri State. Nate is awesome as well... I met him at the Drury University Student Fair, and he's hung around pretty consistently. We've also jammed on guitars, and I'm determined to get him in on the music part of our worship gatherings soon.

From Jessica:

Yeah, I definitely love Merge. It has been cool to be there from the beginning of the Sunday morning gatherings. I really feel like it is genuine community, and I am all about that. I think the atmosphere is really great, and the people that I invite always really like it.

My friend that I had with me this week was Larry. He was one of my first friends when I came to college. He is a really great guy. He plans on going to seminary after he graduates and serving as a missionary in Japan. He is so passionate about Japanese culture.

But, yeah, I really like Merge. I think it is really inviting for everyone...believers, non-believers, people who aren't sure what they are. I am learning a lot from the discussions. I love the series that we are doing right now. Isn't it great to...you know...actually talk about JESUS, not Paul or Moses or Jessica. I just like it a lot. I also really like the fact that different musicians come in every week to help. I think it is great to see different people, and it may help from some people getting burnt out by doing it every week.

Ryan's response: I agree that it's great to talk about Jesus. But at the same time, I like to talk about Jesus in relation to everything else. I like to talk about Jesus AND Paul, about Jesus AND Moses, or about Jesus AND Jessica, if you know what I mean. As far as the music goes, I do hope it stabilizes at least somewhat. But the variety is definitely good, and I hope we always have some of that.

From Nate:

I really like it. It seems to be a lot more personal than other places that I've gone to. I also like how open ended it is: the different "modes" of seating and involvement, the fact that we can add our own comments, and just the atmosphere itself create a truly personal and worshipful experience. One thing that I've been thinking about are the discussions. I know we're covering the foundations and history of Jesus, but that's not really what is important. And, when one focus of such a worship gathering is to draw non-Christians to a deep and meaningful relationship with Christ, and when just the Old Testament and such are presented to them, all they would see was a history lesson and not the salvation that was established later. I know you talk about Jesus in them, but not really specifically about what he did. Not to say that these messages are not uplifting and purposeful, but they tend to seem more like a bible study and not like a outreach tool. I don't know, just sending some thoughts.

Ryan's response: Thanks also for the critique about the discussions. The Old Testament is a tough nut to crack, and I want to help people a little bit by showing them how Jesus shows up in it. But I definitely won't claim that I'm knocking it out of the park. We'll just be in the OT for one more week, and then we'll be in the gospels for three or four months.

Snippets from QAF

Last night's QAF Session was truly amazing. We had between 7 and 12 people there, as there was always some coming-and-going.

The quotes that follow are not guaranteed for accuracy. That, and privacy, are two reasons I don't credit the source of each quote. Some quotes are actually mash-ups of the comments of two or three different people. At one point, I name the speakers A,B,C, etc. to help explain the flow of conversation.

The central question was "Who is God?", but as you'll see, the discussion ranged pretty widely.

"I don't think you can prove God doesn't exist. I don't think you can prove anything doesn't exist. I could say 'There's no such thing as unicorns' but unless I could scour every inch of the earth at once, I couldn't prove it."

"I'm an atheist. I don't think God would let things get this bad."

"Maybe it's our fault things are so bad. We Americans could just give up ice cream and use the money we saved to completely eliminate poverty in the world."

"If life somehow spontaneously evolved from non-life, it would also have to immediately develop a complex system of reproduction in order to continue life."

"God wanted to create creatures that would love him. But love doesn't mean anything unless there is the free will to not love."

"Gender is a physical designation. God is not physical, he is spirit. God chose to spend 33 years as a male person, and be confined to that for awhile, but if God were confined in his essence to a gender designation, then he could not be the creator of gender. If that's the case then someone else created gender... and that creator would be the real God.

A: "I don't know who my dad is... I don't believe in God."

B: "Maybe those things are connected."

C: "I think my dad is perfect, but I think God is an asshole."

B: "That blows my theory."

D: "My life was perfect, but then I woke up and some doctor was telling me that I was paranoid schizophrenic. I have excruciating headaches every night, but I don't think God is an asshole."

A: "I do!"

E: "I thought you didn't believe in God."

A: "I guess I do. But I don't like him. I don't like him for making you schizophrenic."

"People pre-judge me because I'm a double minority. I'm black, and I'm a woman. Everywhere I go I try to present myself in a way so people don't judge me by their stereotypes."

"I'll never understand why God went through that kind of pain for my sake. I'll never understand how he could take the most powerful bond in the world... the love between God the Father and God the Son, and rip it in half to save me."

"It's like that Petra song... 'Would I die for a person like me?'"

Death of a Salesman

"The only thing you got in this world is what you can sell."

I've been known to say it before, and more and more Christians are beginning to realize it. The concept of Evangelism has been deteriorating into pure salesmanship. The greatest news, the most perfect message humankind has ever heard, and it is relegated to little more than Girl Scout Cookies. And it doesn't even seem to be concerned about the here-and-now... only the afterlife. Do you know if you'll go to heaven when you die? Let's say a prayer and secure your place there right now, ok?

"After all the highways, and the trains, and the appointments, and the years, you end up worth more dead than alive."

Is a man or a woman merely a soul wrapped up in flesh? Are these bodies and brains simply tools to make sure the soul ends up in the right place? No... God created all of it to glorify him... to express, innovate, create, love, communicate, challenge, dance, rest, laugh. Can you 'love your neighbor' and only care about his or her soul?

"You can't eat the orange and throw the peel away--a man is not a piece of fruit!"

But the modern state of Evangelism is dangerously close to this kind of dichotomy. Ask them if they go to church anywhere. Tell them your testimony... they can't argue with that. Make sure they realize they're a sinner. Then ask them if there's any reason why they shouldn't pray for salvation right now. If that doesn't work, try just being their friend, and keep praying.

Is friendship a stratagem now? Is it the secret weapon in our evangelistic arsenal? To reduce relationship to a step in the three-step plan is to cheapen people... to deny their holistic value.

"I am not a dime a dozen! I am Willy Loman, and you are Biff Loman!"

If we don't come to our senses... if we don't change our course quickly, many of us are in danger of waking up and realizing that all the conversions under our belts have amounted to nothing.

"Nothing's planted. I don't have a thing in the ground."

Because we haven't loved. We have set our minds upon a task... a commission, but we have made the very mistake Paul warned us about in I Corinthians 13:

"If I speak in the tongues of men and angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."

Jesus commanded us to love everyone... and simply that. It is the highest form of human interaction, and the most complete way to be Christ-like. Everything we do, including (or especially) sharing the gospel, has to be governed by authentic love for people, not by strategies or sales pitches.

I am so passionate about this, I want everyone to have an opportunity to come together and help each other rid themselves of the proselytizing instinct... to let the salesman in each of us die a sudden death. I want us each to devote our lives to true relationship, to caring about people no matter what they believe, and ridding ourselves of the hidden agendas. The times we spend with people in this capacity will communicate the truth far better than any four spiritual laws.

"There's more of Willy in that front stoop than in all the sales he ever made."

In the fall, we're going to start getting together on a regular basis to work through the evangelistic misconceptions that have built up in each of us over time. We'll call these gatherings "Death of a Salesman", and we'll have them as often as necessary. If you have any interest in helping The Core build authentic community, or in providing hospitality at the Front Porch on a regular basis... I can't stress enough the importance of this gathering. Go ahead and e-mail me if you would like to take part.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind... and love your neighbor as yourself."

Third Place

I've always wanted to be a "regular".

I want to walk into a place and say, "Hey Don... gimme the usual."

Do you know what I mean? Am I all alone here? Surely someone else out there is looking for a place to go where there are no looming responsibilities, no performance evaluations. Not just that, but you want to see a usual crowd of friendly faces, and meet some new people, too. You want to be accepted for who you are, and expose yourself to new ideas, artistic expression and a sense of community.

You don't have to peer very far into the tomes of history to realize that this is a fundamental human need--to have a home away from home, and a work away from work. In his book "The Great Good Place", Ray Oldenburg calls these venues "third places" and laments their decline in contemporary American society. (Read a great article about this concept by someone who runs a Third Place in Ontario.)

The Village Square

If you want to reach all the way back into history, you will find that the Village Square is the perennial Third Place. When people have "circled the wagons" so to speak, there has always been a space in the center, perfect for interacting and building community. This space was a recognition that no man is an island to himself, and neither is a family. We needed somewhere to escape the mandates of work and family, to play games, to meet our spouses for the first time. There is something in our souls that compels us to relate to one another, and expand our lives beyond ourselves. Although we have largely lost the sense of community we began with as a species, many towns still recognize the importance of the central square.

The Market

It soon became apparent that that open space in the center of town was a natural place to set up shop. People interacted with one another around the table of commerce, and they have been doing so ever since. Although the village square still exists in many of our lives, the vast majority of Third Places now revolve around buying and selling.

The Pub & Coffeehouse

It was the late Middle Ages when our public spaces moved largely indoors, and began to focus heavily on drinking. Coffeehouses sprouted first in Arabia, then Istanbul, and on into Europe to become a cultural force in Vienna, Rome, London and Boston. Pubs, formally called "Public Houses" had in mind from the very beginning to be a place of common gathering and hospitality, oftentimes even renting rooms for the night. There is not space enough to mention here all the organizations, inventions and revolutions that resulted from gatherings in coffeehouses and pubs. Although this list is meant to be chronological, bars and coffeehouses continue to thrive as Third Places (and have seen a resurgence in places like Starbucks and Barnes & Noble) alongside the next several examples.

The Church

For much of America's history, the church was considered a focal point of the community. Especially as Americans brought religion down from the European high church mentality, it became a place where people could meet to interact, to learn and to socialize, not just to attend a fancy service and confess one's sins. The introduction of youth groups, concerts, bingo, bake sales, picnics and so on helped people to see the church as an extension of their lives, rather than a monument in the center of town.

The Mall

Modern society has seen the outdoor market almost completely replaced by the mall. The latter does indeed serve many of the same commercial and social functions, but in a completely privatized, sanitized setting. Adults are largely uninterested in the mall as a social phenomenon--it is rather young people who, needing a place to bump into each other outside the confines of school, tend to flock there.

The Internet

In the 1990's, Third Places went global. Although Third Places have always been meant to serve as level ground, the internet was hailed as a place where that was actually true. Race, age, gender and location have no bearing, unless one wants it to. First with e-mail and IMs, and later with MySpace, YouTube, and Second Life, people have jumped at the opportunity to be part of a digital community.

The Call to Radical Hospitality

Despite my utopian tone, none of these Third Places really serve as God's ideal for a focal point of human community. The Village Square is too passive. The Market is too hectic and money-driven. The Pub is too alcoholic. The Coffeehouse is too expensive. The Church is too culturally exclusive. The Mall is too frenzied, too homogenized and too big. And the Internet is two-dimensional... too flat and too digital to give us real social fulfillment.

Except for the relatively passive spaces of the Village Square and Internet, every one of these examples is fraught with agenda. Get his money! Get his attention! Get her phone number! (Nightclubs... Third Place or Third Base?) Isn't God calling us to something better? Maybe he wants his children to be creators of Third Places that honor him, that welcome everyone, that shun hidden agendas and just love people like Jesus. The institutional church may have yet to serve as a real God-intended Third Place, but who better than a community of Christ-followers to make it happen?

By no means is this an advertisement for the Front Porch. But it is a call to everyone who believes in radical hospitality to come and help us make it happen.

Even with God's help, we have no utopian aspirations short of heaven. But we know we can do better than this. Isn't it tragically obvious how much our society suffers from a lack of community and public life? Third Places have been the scene of revolution in the past... why not create a space to start a new revolution of unconditional love and relational faith?

Right! So who's with me?

100% Human

Whether or not you believe it, you've probably heard about Jesus being fully man, and fully God. Also that he was perfect and sinless.

When we imagine a man like this, I think a lot of us tend to see him as a little bit dull. Sure, he healed people, and drew huge crowds and walked on water and shocked the establishment and drove the crooks out of the temple with a home-made whip. But perfect??? How drab.

I imagine we think this way because we tend to see our foibles, our idiosyncrasies, and, yes, our sins, as the source of our colorfulness. We laugh at each other's stumbles, and in our better moments, we laugh at our own. So how could there be anything funny or interesting about the perfect man?

It's definitely a good thing to celebrate our differences, and come to terms with our faults. But if we take one glance at the word "holiness" and fall asleep, we've probably got some re-orientating to do. Yes! I'll re-orientate myself to holiness! But then I look at all the people who seem obsessed with the H word, and decide I'm not interested in becoming a fellow borg... a mindless conformist, stripped of my individuality and color.

I believe Jesus, in addition to being fully God, was the most human human who ever lived. He was, truly, 100% human. By comparison, I'd say I've never topped 40%, if that. All the things that people are supposed to be, he was (and is.)

So ok, we've established that we're supposed to be "Christ-like". So what? So now we have to break out of that mind-prison that tells us that the result of a whole kingdom of people who are very much like their king, is monotony.

Did Jesus have a personality? Yes. Did he have a unique individuality and creativity? Yes. Otherwise he would have been less than human. Is he calling us to adopt those traits of his, consequently surrendering our own individualities? NO.

To follow Christ, to be found in him, and to become like him, is to simultaneously become your best self--the self that God made you to be. Rather than a church full of a combination of conformists and rebels, I think God envisions a stunningly vibrant and diverse body of fascinating individuals, all bound together for a common purpose.

Because it is not our faults that make us who we are, it is our gifts.

Church of the Open Mic

It was our fourth time doing it, and we were starting to feel comfortable.

But our monthly Open Mic Night is engineered to be unpredictable, not comfortable. And you'd have to a zen master to not wonder each month if anybody would even come... if the food would go bad before you could eat all the left-overs yourself... if the posters you put up all over downtown would mock you until they got replaced by "Battel of the Bands" or "Have you seen this dog??!?" several days later... if you would have to wonder what you did wrong... and if the whole vision is even worth the effort anyway.

Those were the premonitions at about 7:15 that Saturday night, May 5, 2007... when we were 15 minutes into it, and two people had shown up. We did our best to cheer ourselves up. "It's Cinco de Mayo... everybody's pub-crawling and wasted by now. It's ArtsFest weekend... everybody's watching 10 year old cloggers and buying knick-knacks on Walnut Street. It's Springfield Symphony's free-concert-in-the-park night... everybody's groovin' to the oboes."

"We just have too much competition tonight, that's all," we told ourselves. But all that food... and all that work. I noticed a stack of Open Mic Night leaflets on the table, and asked Phillip if he wanted to join me in passing them out around downtown. He said sure... couldn't hurt.

The first people we came to were college preps sitting out in front of a loft building at College & Market. They were, shall we say, not interested. At least not in anything non-alcoholic. Not even dark yet, and they were all plastered. If you need proof, one of them said I look like James Blunt. 'Nuff said.

After that it was a mixed bag. Some sounded excited, some threw our leaflets directly on the ground, some said nothing. On South Ave, right across from the Front Porch, Phillip got to talking with a couple of guys who had a serious interest in The Core. And I met a guy nearby named BroJo who wanted to come to Open Mic right away. So Phillip stayed to chat a bit, and BroJo and I walked on back to the gallery.

We found that not much had changed there... we were now up by one guest, and down by one leader. I started to talk seriously about taking all the food and heading down to the Square, where all the people were. But just a moment later, Vernon showed up... sweet Vernon. Last time he brought his guitar and did some retro music. This time he brought his violin to do some really retro music... meaning, classical. Then Phillip got back, so we went ahead and kicked it off.

First I played an original song... screwed it up a bit. Then a comedian got up and gave us a few yuks. Then a guy named Patrick, who's been showing some interest in the things of The Core lately, shared his "slam" poetry, which, apparently, is a lot like hip hop without the "music". Very ghetto-swagger kinda stuff coming from a very (by his own admission) white guy. But to be honest, he had some pretty quality rhymes... poignant and heartfelt, to boot.

In the middle of that, two guys came in with a guitar. Andy and Tad. Andy said he'd like to have some mic time.

Vernon got up with his violin and played beautifully. Such elegant music in such a humble environment reminded me of a story I read in the Washington Post about world-renowned violinist Joshua Bell, and his experiment to play his $3.5 million Stradivarius violin for 45 minutes at the busiest subway stop in Washington, D.C., to see if people would recognize genius out of context (although Bell rejects the word "genius" for himself.) I felt inspired by Vernon's performance to get up and tell the story. I asked if anyone knew who Joshua Bell was, and Andy, who I just mentioned, raised his hand and informed the group. I told everyone that, as it turned out, almost no one gave any notice to Bell or his violin playing... as 1,000 people quickly passed him on their way to somewhere. I encouraged everyone to recognize genius and beauty even in the blandest circumstances, or the most mundane schedules.

Four more young people walked in.

Phillip got up and welcomed Andy Zipf to the mic. Andy Zipf??? Is that who this guy was?

I started to adjust the microphone for him, and he said he would be fine without it. That was an understatement. He told us he had seen our flyer at the MudHouse, and, since he was going to be in Springfield for one more evening in the middle of his tour, he wanted to play a venue that was low-key and intimate.

Wait... He's on tour??? "Where are you from?" We asked.

"Washington, D.C. That's how I knew Joshua Bell... I've seen him play there."

So Andy started to strum his old Martin Guitar and opened his mouth to release his crystalline tenor voice. I don't want to say he "sang" because singing involves lung power and diaphragm and larynx. But none of that seemed to be involved here. His music was the sound of his soul rising... just waiting for his mouth to open.

Phillip later admitted that when he returned from passing out flyers that he was "in a piss-poor mood." I could relate. At the beginning I felt like I might be OK emotionally if Open Mic Night was a failure, but it was hard. I knew that God had every right to set us back a bit and teach us a lesson about perseverance and trust. But listening to Andy Zipf, I felt God speak to my heart and say, "No lessons, Ryan. Not tonight." I think Phillip was starting to come around, too... not to mention everyone else in the room.

After a few of Andy's songs, we took a little break, and I talked to the four young-uns who had just come in. One of them was named Danielle, and she said she was thinking about getting up and sharing something... not a song, not a poem... just some thoughts that had been on her heart. So I put her on the list to come up shortly, before she changed her mind.

After ten minutes or so, I broke the ice again by reading an original poem called "Life Sensory", and a past post from this blog, "I Am a Hypocrite", to set the tone for our theme, "AuthentiCity." Then Danielle came up.

I wish I could remember every word she spoke. I wish I had recorded it. But I remember her heart... her sadness at all the people who get up, go to work, come home, watch TV, go to bed... all the people who never really live their lives... who never discover what it means to be human. Throughout several confessions of "I don't know where I'm going with this," she asserted her commitment and passion to rise above the common error of missing life. I did remember one line she spoke, "I am glad that I'm able to have my heart broken." Here is a non-Christian, by her own admission, who has spun extemporaneous poetry to the words of James, "rejoice in many trials." To be human is to smile and to laugh, but also to cry and scream. No one should wish away these things... the essence of joy is to embrace them all.

Phillip took the microphone when she was done, his face red. "That is what tonight is about. That is what we've wanted all along... for people to share from the depths of their heart. That is authenticity." He was crying, and I think all of us were moved. As I said, this was our fourth time to have Open Mic, and we had always tried to set the tone for people to feel free to get up and just share... not to entertain, but just to share from their hearts. We love all those who have participated, and have learned and grown from each one. But Danielle was the first person to really, really get it. Praise God.

Among all this were a few beautiful and unlikely partnerships. Andy asked Vernon to improvise on the violin during one of his songs. Patrick asked Andy to provide background music for his rhymes. The spontaneity and community of it all was just breath-taking. Andy Zipf said it himself, "You guys should be thankful to have a community like this."

Tad, who had come with Andy not planning to share--"I haven't played the guitar for three years," he said--eventually decided to do it anyway. For some reason he picked up my guitar instead of using Andy's. He was welcome to it, and it sang beautifully in his lightly trembling fingers. Although his delivery was humble, even bashful, his worship was not. It was a very quiet expression of a very bold heart, fervently seeking the presence of God.

Vernon and his solo violin returned to the mic, with a disclaimer. "I haven't really worked this one out, yet... so bear with me. I can't believe I'm playing this in public." But he did.

And it was great. Most of it.

He stumbled even farther into the piece than he expected to. But when he was done, he was done. And we applauded him heartily, as he deserved.

I had to get up and say something. "I have to wonder," I said, "what our communities... what our families, our lives, would look like if we were always this... generous with each other. Danielle says, 'I don't know where I'm going with this, but...' Tad says, 'I haven't played in three years, but...' Vernon says, 'I haven't worked this all out yet, but...' It's that word 'but' that makes such a difference in people's lives. What if the people who approached us could know that we accept them in advance? How different could things be? We all know by now how talented Vernon is. But we've shown him that he doesn't have anything to prove. We love Vernon's talent. But not nearly as much as we love Vernon... and Danielle... and Tad."

That was the gist of it anyway. Like I said, I didn't record this event, and chances are that I was not quite that eloquent. But I felt eloquent. I think everyone did that evening. I guess that's what true community does to you.

I called Andy back up to the microphone to finish off the evening. He played three more songs, bringing us into the singing on one of them--"Add some harmony, if you like," he said. And all of us... Christians, Buddhists, Atheists, Agnostics... I believe we were all in a state of worship.

You may wonder about that, but I'm convinced that everyone has the ability to worship God in one form or another. It may be either vague or specific, mysterious or practical... but even those who don't know his name can find themselves in a moment of otherness... a moment of certainty that it's not about them; that there is a higher good, and a greater purpose. My prayer is that those experiences will build up in all of us, and lead us closer to a real knowledge of who God is, and what he's done for us. But in the meantime... don't miss those stunning moments that tie us together as spiritual beings.

I looked around, and there were more people present than ever before.

Andy finished his singing, and Phillip wrapped it up for us. After talking to a few people, I noticed that Danielle and her friend Katie had left. So I stepped out the door to see if they had gotten far... they hadn't.

"Hey you guys," I shouted. "Thought you could get by me, huh?"

"No, sorry... you were talking, so we just..."

"Well, I had to say thank you because, well... I don't want to be one of those pastors always throwing scripture at people, but you know in James where it says 'Rejoice in many trials', well, you've finally put a face on that for me."

Danielle said she was grateful to have been able to share, and that she never does that sort of thing. That she was just feeling it out to see what the spirit in the place was, and then, just... went for it.

"I'm not religious or anything, I mean... I believe in God," she said.

"This may sound strange..." I muttered, "but I think you've helped me understand Jesus better."

Danielle was almost beside herself. But I was telling the truth. "Thank you," she gushed, "That... that means so much to me."

Christina had caught up to us by now. "I think that was the most spiritual experience of my life," she said. She had been thinking about her friend Melanie, whose birthday was that day. She was one of those people who lived life exuberantly, and gave of herself extravagantly. Melanie died in a car accident at the age of 19, three years ago. "I just... I knew she was there with us."

____________

On the evening of May 5, we had an experience that is likely to make us anticipate our Open Mic events more eagerly in the coming months. We'll be tempted to tell everyone how Andy Zipf came, and so you can never know what minor celebrity you might see at Open Mic Night. We may be tempted to start arranging for them to be there when they don't seem to arrive on their own. I could see us screening the participants to make sure they can provide us with a certain quality experience. After all, if people start to come expecting something... we need to give it to them, right?

Wrong. I will make no guarantees for June's Open Mic Night. There might be a hundred people show up, and then Sufjan Stevens pops in. There might be zero except for a first-year accordion student. I can accept that, because as soon as we start programming it, we lose on two counts... the result becomes fake, and the premise--that magnificent premise of spontaneity, of foregone acceptance, of community--is lost.

So whatever God has in store for us, all I can say is, well... bring it on.

Half-People

"...the children are so hungry for attention that a clutch of 5-year-olds begins to chant in Spanish: "A visit! A visit!" In a nearby bungalow for girls 4 to 6 years old the kids jump into the arms of their visitors, total strangers. Five minutes later, when we attempt to leave, they hold on even tighter, until they are pried off." - Writer Kerry A. Dolan, for Forbes Magazine on February 12.

"The most important thing in the life of a child is a person. Not a toy. Not a building... We can give the children that." - Karen Gordon, founder of Whole Child International

"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." - Proverbs 20:11

Most people use this verse to encourage parents to raise their children well, and so they should. But I believe there is more to it, and it is brought to my mind whenever I hear about child-rearing studies. They're all over the place anymore... putting your kid in daycare hurts his future academic performance... allowing your kid too much tv watching damages cognitive abilities... giving your kid too much sugar ensures obesity.

And the most pertinent one to my point in this blog... the studies that show how kids are programmed early on to determine what kind of adults they'll be. It's as if destiny is in the balance in the first two years. (No pressure though, right parents?)

One earth-shattering conclusion that can be drawn from this (and from Proverbs 20:11), is that a baby's needs are really no different from those of an adult... they are programmed from infancy to learn what to expect out of life.

I know what you're saying... "duh." But stay with me, here. When you have a baby, you naturally want to give it a lot of attention. You hold it, kiss it, cuddle it, talk to it, feed it and change it lovingly. You know that a baby needs to feel loved, and your touches and vocalizations go a long way to meeting that need.

But then we "grow out of it". We don't want to be touched... or bothered. We withdraw and become independent... self-sufficient. We don't need people anymore!

Recently I learned about the ground-breaking work of Whole Child International, which was founded by Karen Gordon in 2003 (watch Good Morning America's story.) The problem she saw was this: millions of children around the world are living in orphanages set up to care for their physical needs... period. And even if they are successful at that (which often they are not,) they have only done half the job. They have, quite literally, raised half-people.

Gordon told an interviewer, "If we can shift this one piece, of relationship, for these particular children, the change in their development and the change in their long-term outcomes could be staggering." So Whole Child is working with orphanages all over the world to provide the emotional necessities for these children.

For anyone with a heart, it is devastating to think of children living in child-rearing factories... being fed and changed in assembly-line fashion. No community. No communication. No connection. No love.

So open your eyes just a little bit wider now. Look at the society you live in yourself. Is it engineered to bring people closer together, or simply to help us meet our material needs?

Whole Child is teaching care-workers to talk to the children as they feed them. Do you take advantage of your meal-times to converse with people?

Whole Child is making sure that care-workers can stay with the same children for as long as possible. Do you have permanent friends? Or just temporary ones?

It is no mystery that our desires for autonomy and material success have, by definition, separated us from the most important thing about being human... relationships. We were created to connect with God, and with each other. To use things and love people, not to use people and love things.

I often dream about a return to the types of cultural and architectural norms that made authentic community as natural as water to a fish. This may be realistic, or it may be a pipe dream. Either way, I know that each one of us can take a step in that direction in our own lives, right now. Just decide that you will not be afraid of people anymore. Trust more easily, listen more closely, hug more readily.

In other words, be a whole person.

Oh, the Humanity!

Last night, my wife and I re-watched the movie "You've Got Mail". Between us, I'm sure we've seen this movie a dozen times, but it doesn't really matter. It's one of those "comfort films" that often star Tom Hanks ("Big" is an even better example.)

In case you haven't seen it, the movie takes place in Manhattan. I personally would like to know what percentage of all movies set in urban America this is true of. I wouldn't be surprised if it's over 1/3. I couldn't help but wonder why.

First, there's a few obvious reasons. 1) New York is the largest metropolitan area, and the commercial capital of the United States. Thus, it is our "defining" city, even though it really bears no resemblance to the rest of the country. 2) It's vibrant and active and beautiful and gritty and adventurous and scary and charming... a ready-made backdrop for almost any emotive setting. But I also think there's a very important third reason.

Most stories are about relationships, for good or for ill. Consequently, the best setting for a good story is a place where relationships are always imminent, where people are always bouncing off each other, surrounded by an influx of culture and heritage. Stories thrive off of ironic juxtaposition and strange bedfellows. How many movies can you name in fifteen seconds that feature an unlikely pair or group of people forced to work together?

This the fabric of community... the building blocks of a city. I think so many stories take place in New York because we as humans innately recognize the humanness of such a place.

Yeah, I said it. New York (or at least the historic portion of it) is a supremely human place. Although many of its buildings far surpass human height, and no one can really fathom the immensity of its population, it does allow its people the opportunity to live their lives on a human scale. You could live in a town of 15,000 people and not experience this... rambling around in a 3,000 square foot house, pulling your SUV out of your 3-car garage, onto a six-lane highway and up to a grocery store with its own zip code. Whereas the average person living in Manhattan has a small apartment, no car, travels on a sidewalk or a track, and shops in quaint, independently-owned stores. And the most human thing about it is that there are humans everywhere.

Contrary to what Hollywood might suggest, these traits are not completely unique to the Big Apple. A few other American cities have exhibited them all along, and many, many more are just starting to understand the appeal of urbanity.

Please don't conclude that I am judgmental of those who live in the country or the suburbs, or who own a big house or an SUV. I don't know you well enough to judge you. But I would love the opportunity to challenge you into re-thinking the importance of the physical context of community.

Most people think of community as a metaphysical thing... it's something that "just happens" between people... you know, we'll "bump into" each other. I think this is the attitude that brought about the cul-de-sac, the strip mall, and the subdivision. The developers expected community to continue, because they thought it was indestructible, and not at all tied to the design of one's environment. But because these suburban anomalies were invented for the convenience of the motorist, not the pedestrian, the "bumping into" all of a sudden became much more dangerous, and much more likely to create enemies than friends.

I guess this is just a long way of saying that I love the city. I love how the inconveniences of it force people to relate, to work together, to get along or else. I love how the historic neighborhoods give us perspective, and help us to think about how the decisions we make today will affect people 100 years from now.

Obviously, cities have more than their share of problems. That's what happens when good people (like you?) leave them behind. So let me issue a challenge to all the creative, hard-working, clear-thinking people out there to find a city near you, and do your part to turn a mere neighborhood into a vibrant community.

Part 4: House Church

Have I got the trend for you!

You know what everybody’s used to doing? So easy, comfy, predicable? No muss, no fuss? Well you can forget about that, because the latest fad is tough as nails! It’s messy and frustrating! It’ll invade your privacy and give you a lot of extra work to do! It’ll make sure you never have more than you need and take away any chance you have of coasting through life! It’s fussy kids and dirty dishes and late nights sitting on folding chairs! Let me tell you, this is a fad that’s here to stay!

Ready to sign up? Sure you are. By the title you already knew I was talking about House Church, or as we at The Core call it, Home Church.

People such as George Barna (in his book, Revolution) are calling House Church a trend. Naturally, this is a loaded word, since the 20th century church has been through dozens of trends, none of which seemed to result in much serious change. The word “trendy” even presumes a short life upon that which it describes.

The Anatomy of a Trend

So what is a trend, really? I didn’t study this because I think you can all agree with me here: A trend is a shift towards a new, more desirable product, style or method. Many times it is only more desirable because it is new and fresh, and not because the product, style or method carries any extra empirical value.

But I believe you would be hard-pressed to find a short-lived trend occurring toward that which is inconvenient, invasive and messy.

Nevertheless, Home Church is finding itself on the bleeding edge of Christianity. So is it a new paradigm, or just a flash in the pan?

Paradigm Shift

As King Solomon is famous for saying, “There is nothing new under the sun.” Those who are serious about Home Church know that as well as anyone. They take a hard look at all the shadows of “newness” taking place in the Church and realize that we can’t win that game. The Church will never have the money or the manpower to compete with MTV, Hollywood and Madison Avenue. And consequently it seems that every attempt to be edgy just ends up in a desperate attempt to be no more than two steps behind popular culture. But even if it were possible, would it be good?

The Apostle Paul says, “Don’t conform yourself to the styles and fashions of the world. Rather, let God transform you and renew your mind.” That doesn’t mean that we should ignore what the world is doing. But it should cause us to ask ourselves who is our model (see my post on the First-Century Church.) We have to shift our eyes from watching the world’s every move, to focusing on the guiding of the Holy Spirit and the teaching of His Word.

The Church Comes Home

Some people will read the book of Acts and conclude that God has set up a veritable constitution for Church form and function. Personally, I don’t think that position would hold up in court. But we can’t ignore the heavy emphasis on relationships. If the Church exists for no other reason, it exists to bring people closer to God and closer to each other. So we absolutely must ask ourselves if our church experience is accomplishing that. When you go to a large building and sit in a pew and watch a religious show, are you drawing closer to God and other people? Maybe you are. I know I have from time to time. But it always seemed like it happened more by accident than by design.

I will concede that there are probably many ways to accomplish the building of the kind of relationships championed by the book of Acts, and really, the whole Bible. But when it comes to vulnerability, intimacy, accountability and community, there is nothing like inviting others into your home to eat together, worship together, talk together, and learn together. It builds a binding strength that doesn’t lend itself to the flightiness and ambivalence of the typical local body. It allows everyone to play a crucial role in the corporate work of God. And it forces us to, slowly but surely, lay down our defenses and learn how to love others (even the unlovable) with the love of Christ.

Now I need to hear from you. What are the challenges you’ve anticipated, experienced and/or overcome in regards to Home Churching? What are other forms and methods besides HC that can build such powerful bonds as those seen in the First Century Church? Is there a case to be made for pew-and-pulpit ministry?

If I throw in the sales tax and extended warranty is there any reason why you wouldn’t want to buy this trend right now?

Part 2: First Century Church (The Super-Model)

OK, I lied. I said in a recent comment that my next post would be about the Ancient-Future Church. Let’s make that the next one after this one.

Here’s the reason: Post-Modern Church, as I stated, is a mindset. It is a way to BE the Church, not just a way to DO Church. The same goes for First Century Church.

I see a progression here. There’s GO, then DO, then BE. Godobe. Cool.

Most people’s first experience with Church is just to GO. Observe. Absorb. Maybe participate where it’s comfortable.

The next step for a maturing believer is to DO Church. Help with something. Lead something. Start something.

But the Church is not reaching its potential in anyone’s life until he or she learns to BE the Church. They must recognize that they carry the Church with them everywhere. They are Christ’s kingdom in microcosm. Notice, however, that once a believer begins to be the Church, they will not stop doing or going.

Although “Being” is the last step in the progression, I want to this series to begin with it. Learning how to be the Church involves investigating one’s mindset and lifestyle. That’s why so many people have so much unlearning to do when they start to be the Church. Their DOINGS have been so wrapped up in wrong mindsets and lifestyles. A good grasp of post-modernism is fundamental to understanding how to be the Church in this day and age. And on the opposite end of the historical spectrum is the First Century Church. While working to keep our head in the clouds of current culture, are we also making sure that our feet are planted on God’s own ecclesial foundation?

Let me introduce you to the First Century Church with a paraphrase of Acts 2:42-47:

The first Christians devoted themselves to the Apostle’s teaching, to prayer, to joy, to unity, to eating together, to selflessly providing for one anothers’ needs, to meeting in each others’ homes, and to simple, focused lives. God did miracles among them and drew many people in their communities to Himself and His salvation.

Granted, in a literal sense this talks more about DOING than about BEING. But it is painfully obvious what sort of being was going on here. And that is the mindset and lifestyle of total dedication to God and to each other. Notice that, although it says that they prayed, it doesn’t say how long, or in what language, or in how large a group. Although it says they learned, it doesn’t say who taught, or how many taught, or if there was preaching, or discussion, or quarterlies. Although it says they had joy, it doesn’t say if they expressed it with music, or dancing, or shouting (but they definitely expressed it through EATING.)

My point is… this is not a passage about form or style. It is the definition of Being the Church. God purposely left it up to us to figure out the rest. I believe He did that both to test our unity and showcase our diversity.

How fitting that our own God-inspired Model (Super-Model?) should be so vague. Let us talk and talk till the cows come home and leave again about how to DO Church. Let us pray and experiment and dabble. Let us rejoice in the myriad manifestations of Church. But Father, don’t let us stray from that which you’ve called us to BE.

As the drink says… SoBe.

Choose Your Own Adventure

"Hey girly-girl, what's wrong with you?"

"Nothing."

"Hm....."





"You're just gonna sit there until I spill my guts, aren't you?"

"Well, Jana! Why would I..."

"Because you love me."



"Guilty."



"Oh, Mom... I don't feel like I have any friends at school."

"What do you want friends for?"

"What? Are you serious?"

"Well, yes, the obvious reasons. But why else do you want them?"

"Gr. ok... you tell me all the time how I should try to influence the other kids at school, but I don't think anybody even listens to me, except Shayna, but she's already a good influence. What am I supposed to do?"

"You really wanna know? Or you just want your mommy to give you a big hug and a hot cocoa?"

"No... I really wanna know."

"Ok, then. I'll tell you exactly what you need..."

Turn to page 89 if you think mom should say:
What you really need is a brand-new wardrobe! Look at these outdated clothes... tsk, tsk. And your hair is soooo 2003. In fact, your father and I have been saving up for a nosejob for you, too. Also... here's a $5000 gift certificate to Best Buy. Don't be stupid with it though... Make sure you buy cd's for the absolute hippest bands, the latest I-pod, and the most powerful laptop. Then when you're done we'll work on your walk..."

Turn to page 126 if you think mom should say:
You need to get involved, you know, in clubs and activities where you can meet a lot of new people. Introduce yourself to everyone, and then remember their names. Don't be afraid to ask for help, but help other kids out twice as much. Find the good in people and tell them about it. When someone is talking to you, pretend like they're the only other person in the room, and wait till they're done to think of a response. Smile a lot, but don't force happiness on yourself or anyone. Take an interest in what people are doing, and try it yourself. Remember, when you like people for who they are, chances are they'll return the favor...

Now, dear blog reader... it's time to Choose Your Own Adventure. Pick a response, and you write the rest of the story. (Remember to read my initial b