Please visit Lee Yowell‘s blog for his post about the “Dark Side of Black Friday.” He redeems his sarcastic “Top 5″ list with a well stated post on the brokenness of humanity.
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Some conversation in the blogosphere is centering around a lecture given by Mark Driscoll for the Convergence Conference at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. I recommend that one listens to the PODCAST if he/she has 1.5 hours of free time and doesn’t mind heretical accusations being placed on followers of Jesus. Though I am typically opposed to pain medications, the length of Driscoll’s lecture prompted me to take (1) ibuprofen tablets. The content caused me to take another. (2) pills later I am very disappointed.
IN RESPONSE: part 3 (iii).
3. Waiting in line and making new friends. When waiting in line for so long with other people you just end up chatting and sharing stories. One of the ladies in front of me, while waiting in line at Target, made a Starbucks run at 5am and surprised me with a cup of delicious hot chocolate. I was very appreciative and was able to return the favor around 5:30am, when they held my place in line and I ran to a nearby McDonalds to use the restroom. I returned with a bag of hash browns and we all enjoyed an early breakfast snack.
OK, waiting in line to make friends on Black Friday is as good as putting a coffee shop in every church gathering place’s lobby, vestibule, narthex, atrium, foyer, etc. Must we make such excuses to form relationship? I am all for relationship and even while standing in line, however, I do not find successful justification for consumption here. Now the rest of the story is wonderful except for the fact that I throw up in my mouth at the thought of McDonalds. And who buys hot chocolate from Starbucks?
A Gathering of Worship.
For the first Sunday of Advent, Sarah, Kyla, and I attended a service at The Church of the Holy Spirit on the campus of Kenyon College. The order of service was conducted as a drama described by the metaphor of “act” and “scene.” It was a beautiful display to engage heart, mind, and body in the whole narrative of God with his people.
It has been some time since I have heard the amount of Scripture read during a religious service as was read today. I felt deeply and thoughtfully engaged even when providing intermittent attention and care for Kyla. Have other gatherings lost the appreciation and use of the holy Scripture?
During the recessional, a small child walked/climbed/crawled up in the front of the nave and into the arms of the rector. She held him in her arms with a smile as the music continued to finalize the service. Immediately following the service refreshments were served in the center of the cruciform nave. Again, children were everywhere. Ultimately the ended up crawling under the alter and the pulpit, two liturgical elements highly regarded for their symbolism. There is great beauty in the presence and activity of the children. They are allowed to be children and they are allowed to engage in worship. They are not frowned upon. They are accepted. They are loved. The community of Harcourt Parish is a wonderful place of intergenerational community. While there are children everywhere, there are those in their 20s, 30s, and on into 80s or 90s. Many worship gatherings that I have attended recenctly have been constrained to college students with 30-40 year old pastors. Have those gatherings lost the value of interacting with multiple generations and accepting all that each generation has to offer in service? The older their wisdom and experience? The younger their energy and untaintedness?
Many Catholic churches deny the service of the Eucharist to those who are not “catholic.” Statements were clear in this Episcopal gathering that all who have been baptized are welcome to receive the elements of the bread and wine. Sarah and I (carrying Kyla) went forward to be offered the body and blood of Christ. As we knelt and prayed and partook of the bread and wine, the rector placed her hand on Kyla’s head and gave her a blessing of grace and mercy and a filling with the presence of God. In addition to the blessing, during the time of Peace, as congregants specifically approached Sarah and I, they looked at Kyla and smiled and offered her peace as well.
It was beautiful.
I am extremely thankful for our experience today.
Driscoll vs. Emergent
Some conversation in the blogosphere is centering around a lecture given by Mark Driscoll for the Convergence Conference at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. I recommend that one listens to the PODCAST if he/she has 1.5 hours of free time and doesn’t mind heretical accusations being placed on followers of Jesus. Though I am typically opposed to pain medications, the length of Driscoll’s lecture prompted me to take (1) ibuprofen tablets. The content caused me to take another. (2) pills later I am very disappointed.The presentation has initiated the aforementioned blog dialogue that appears to be quite hateful and intolerant. Driscoll initiates the bantering by referencing Emergent and/or theologically non-conservative-evangelicals, specifically Doug Pagitt, Brian McLaren, and Rob Bell. I have read and/or listened to each of the three and my intent here is not to defend each’s theology or to speak negatively about of any. My deepest concern is that the focus of many teachers, public voices, and bloggers has been to harpoon each other at the expense of learning the way of Jesus. That which is called “theology” has become quite the opposite. What should be expressions about and of God have become psuedo-academic/scholastic rants to defend one’s stance on any given issue or doctrine while sacrificing the worth of others in the community.
I may unpack the previous line of thought later as I must fully process and think through the proper language to use. For now, my question in response to this podcast is, “What good did this do for the Kingdom of God?”
Journey.
Sarah, Kyla, and I attended a gathering this morning with those who call themselves Journey Church. Journey is good people. They are kind and welcoming. We saw several good friends and shared a meal following the teaching. We will begin to integrate ourselves into that community.
My concern with the Journey gathering is that everyone with whom we interacted or met is of nearly the same demographic. We are all young (by which I mean college students to young parents with children ages 3 months – 11 years old [Kyla is the one who is 3 months]). We are nearly all white. We all appeared to be monetarily “fine.” Sarah and I hope to discover or initiate a genuine yearning and purpose toward decompartmentalizing and finding value in diversification and intentional relationship beyond that which currently exists.
Alternative Consciousness
The post entitled “Narrative.” contains a vague statement about “alternative consciouness.” Walter Brueggemann deals with this idea in “Prophetic Imagination“. There exists a movement and thought pattern that thrives on criticizing institutions, traditions, theologies, and “church.” I would include myself in the collective community of criticizers who know there is a method(s) and picture of church that must be more in keeping with what Jesus intended compared to that which currently and popularly exists in America. Brueggemann makes an important assertion that criticism of the current consciousness is not in and of itself evil, bad, or wrong, but must be complimented by an energizing toward an alternative consciousness. Our gathering is a progressive movement alternative to that of three songs, an “offering,” and a 30-minute lecture. It is by no means new or creative unless one is ignorant to the meetings of 1st century Israel, avoidant of extending grace, hope ,and peace when there exists an atmosphere of openness, vunlerability, and authentic mystery, or insistant on adhering to modern, popular methods of American evangelical “church.”
Narrative.
About 15 (fifteen) of us gathered tonight in the living room of the apt. connected to Oakwood Hall to discuss our lives as covenant community. The gathering is called “narrative: grace. table. story. breathe.” Our time together was rich. I am thankful to have heard the stories that were shared tonight. It seems as if the walls built by “the church” (walls which guard intimacy, relationship, authenticity, vulnerability, and transparency) are beginning to crumble. The alternative conciousness of church may not be so alternative anymore.
