take and eat (part 1)

I'll start this one out with a joke!

A church bus of Presbyterians drove off a cliff one day (greatest opener ever).  When they all walked up to St. Pete in heaven, he welcomed them and brought them inside the gates.  "Heaven is divided into floors based on denomination.  Presbyterians are on the 4th floor, so please file in the elevator and I'll take you up!" The crowd followed St. Pete inside the elevator and it began to move (use your imagination for what the elevator music would have been). "Oh I almost forgot," exclaimed St. Pete, "When we're passing the 3rd floor, DON'T MAKE A NOISE." With confused faces, the Presbyterians followed suit until the doors finally opened on the 4th floor and the filed out.  One of them asked St. Pete what that was all about and he said, "well you see, the Baptists are on the 3rd floor, and they think they're the only ones here!"

Apologies to my Baptist friends!  Know I love you all dearly!  I use this joke not to rip on them, but rather to encourage the notion that ALL Christians tend to think in this manner from time to time.  We tend to think we are the epitome of Christendom.  Those of us who have grown up in the church tend to forget that there are people out there who haven't.  Understandings of salvation aside, there is a distinct church culture among us that acts more like an insider club than radical followers of Christ's message.  We tend to forget those among us that are seeking and wishing for a place to exercise their questions of faith.

Now, I point out these "unchurched" NOT in the sense it is often used: "save them so they don't go to hell," but rather, to encourage my fellow church folk that by NOT acknowledging such people, you are NOT practicing hospitality and more importantly, you are NOT allowing them to come in and transform the church as the spirit leads them.

Enter "Take This Bread" by Sara Miles

Sara Miles, a lesbian left-wing journalist who grew up atheist, wrote this "spiritual memoir of a twenty-first-century Christian" to speak of her experience with God.  Growing up, she speaks of an education based in physical experience and questioning, which led her to distrust dogma (14).  Out of this, it's not hard to understand why someone like her would have grown up with a bad taste in her mouth for "the church" that told her exactly what she should believe instead of encouraging her questions and doubts.

This is the story of so many in our culture: questions and doubts.  By avoiding these questions and doubts, are we not avoiding encouraging a deeper understanding of the gospel?  Have we forgotten the glory of the mysteries of God?

One day, Sara walked into a church in time for Communion, the Eucharist.  It was in this moment she experienced Christianity in a way she couldn't explain.  She writes: "There was the immediacy of communion at St. Gregory's, unmediated by altar rails, the raw physicality of that mystical meal.  There was an invitation to jump in rather than official entrance requirements.  There was the suggestion that God could be located in experienced, sensed through bodies, tasted in food; that my body was connected literally and mysteriously to other bodies and loved without reason" (64).  The physical components and mystical nature of Communion are what drew her into the Christian faith.  There was a recognition that Christianity was about humans, in flesh in blood, on earth to feed one another.  There is also a recognition of mystery in this moment, a desire to pursue and dwell within the great mysteries of God's love.  

The Breaking of bread as a lens to experience God's mysteries is nothing new.  Even in Scripture, the risen Christ was not recognized by his disciples until after the breaking of bread:

"When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?’" -Luke 24:30-32

The disciples do not gain an immediate understanding of all things Christianity at this moment.  They simply recognize it is Christ.  This causes them to question their state, "could that have been Christ that caused us to desire more?" We encounter a recognition of physicality and mystery in this moment.  It's a dichotomy that only urges our continued questioning guided by faith, not our dogma and assertions of absolute truth.  Sara explains her state following that first Eucharist: "I went to church, heart pounding, and tried to figure out why"(64).  Deep down, are us "churched" folk not the exact same way?  Every day, a quest to understand the deeper mysteries of faith?

The Eucharist is central to worship at BSM.  When those gathered come to receive the bread and juice, they are told that they ARE welcome to this table and that there IS enough grace (bread) to go around.  They are encouraged to take big chunks of bread.  They do so because they desire this physicality of the body of Christ and wish to seek the deeper mysteries of God.

When we get in "churchy" mode and forget to allow the working of questioning and doubt...when we don't allow the broken bread to work it's mysteries within us and others...when we tell people we have God figured out and forget to allow others in our midst...when we forget that the physical notion of bread is an invitation to feed others in our midst...we do a great disservice to the kingdom of God!

During this season of lent, may we be intentional about the meaning of the Eucharist.

*I will be posting more thoughts on this book later!

shackled: Ash Wednesday

Know those moments when you are hit by the immensity of an experience that is much deeper than you realize?

I had one tonight in our BSM Ash Wednesday Service.  It happened in the freakin' PRELUDE even!



I was assisting in leading music tonight in this special Ash Wednesday service.  Joining me was a regular BSM musician, Michael, who you see playing the keyboard.  I had told him to play something as people were coming in.  The man playing percussion (confidentiality being kept - will be referred to as "T" for tambourine), is also a regular BSM musician.  He loves the church and loves playing percussion.  Whenever a service is taking place, he is ready to jump in and assist, even when it's not specifically asked for or needed.  Sometimes it fits very nicely, other times it's pretty awkward.  This time it blew me away for some reason.

Part of this reaction was the messyness.  T was having a hard time following Michael's rhythm.  This sounded a little messy.  The sound of the tambourine was also very significant.  It sounded like someone walking with chains around their ankles.  The Ash Wednesday theme is on "captivity," so I found that realization to also be very eerie and moving.  A third reason for my reaction was based in my knowledge of T, someone in captivity to obvious suffering in life, yet set FREE by playing music.

This is Ash Wednesday.

We are held captive by the frailty of life and brokenness of living.  We suffer, we struggle, we die.  Life is ugly and messy.

However, we are MARKED by God.  This is represented in the ashes in the form of a cross.  God holds us and frees us to live faithful lives marked by gifts we have been given.  Recognition of this fact in the face of our captivity is how we can prepare ourselves for Lent.

The traditional practice of giving something up for Lent seems to ignore God's claim on our frail lives.  Lent is not about what we can do to make ourselves more "penitent," but rather, how we can recognize our brokenness in light of God's grace.  Lent should transform our lives and give us purpose.

Our lives are messy, like the sound of the tambourine.  Yet using these gifts that make us alive in Christ are how we can live out the message of Lent.  It doesn't matter how good the sound is, even if it's messy.  All that matters is that we PLAY.

"sing with your head upwith your eyes closed;
not because you love the song,
because you love to sing
because you love to sing"



Let the song of T and Michael be our soundtrack for this season

Shelter within the SNOWPOCALYPSE

I grew up in Georgia.  When magical white powder appeared from the sky every 2-3 years in a given summer, the city would SHUT DOWN.  We didn't even bother watching the news about school closings because we knew it was a given.  We would gather the next day at whatever hills we could find (In Augusta this usually equated to golf courses), bringing whatever pans and trash lids we had lying around the house (the kneeboard was often the best choice), and careen headfirst down the steepest looking snow covered hill we could find!

During my freshman year of college in South Carolina, we were graced with a very unusual blizzard-turned ice storm that basically froze the entire campus.  Carrying on the good southern tradition of reckless sledding, I joined several guys from my dorm that night for some improv bobsledding.  This equated to a coffee table face down in the middle of the road and a rope tied to a truck.  We would sit 4 deep on the table and get pulled across the road.  All was well until careening towards a road sign threw us off the road and into a ditch, the table busting in half upon impact.

Needless to say, I have always equated snow days with reckless fun, taking advantage of any inclines and slopes around.

Little did I realize that my ONE year spent in the northeast would be the year I would encounter a RECORD snowfall!

Of course, my first instinct is always to go out and make the most of the situation.  Luckily, we had just the slope!

(I didn't make this btw.  Props to whoever did)
Twice I was able to sled down the infamous Rocky Steps.  It wasn't the steepest slope, but it was certainly iconic.  I experienced some wonderful Philadelphians who were partying and sliding down the steps on whatever they could find (sleds, lids, cardboard, air mattresses, skateboards, etc).  I even witnessed a defiant stand against some punks on ATVs who dangerously scaled the steps AS PEOPLE WERE SLEDDING.  Near the top, the drunken masses stood in their way and threw whatever they could at them, forcing them to drive around back towards the bottom in defeat.  Rocky would have been proud.

Here are a few iphone quality pics of our adventure teams:

Several days after the blizzard, the love affair with snow begins to fade.  Having to walk to work over sidewalks that have become solid ice starts to get old.  Being unable to park in many places gets frustrating.  What we get as "days off" in the south are merely "days" in places that expect the snow.

Reality sunk in even deeper when I walked through the midst of the blizzard to get to Broad Street Ministry on Wednesday night.  Although much of the city had shut down, the overnight cafe had remained open for the entirety of that day.  This means that many of the 50-75 homeless guests who stayed over Tuesday night were given a place to stay all day Wednesday and into that following overnight.  The snow I was beginning to see as a nuisance would be a massive issue for those who are stuck out in it all day.  

The cafe system at BSM is part of a larger system all over the city dedicated to providing shelter during the coldest months of the year to the "shelter-resistant" members of society.  This refers to those who are either unable or unwilling to sleep in a homeless shelter (they aren't the safest places and don't always have space for everyone!).  In response to the massive numbers of homeless who were ending up on the streets in the cold weather, a system evolved.  BSM is one of the many hosts of these government funded "cafes" which are set up to basically save lives.

http://www.broadstreetministry.org/programs/shelter315.php

I helped serve dinner and lead Bible study that Wednesday night to people who had for the most part, been in that building all day.  I began to think of the alternative they would be facing if it wasn't for the resolve and creativity of people in the city unwilling to let people suffer.  

We are approaching Lent, the time when many practice "giving something up" for a period of time.  Basically, they are submitting to mild suffering in order to get closer to God.  How about those already suffering?  Is it possible to take on some of their suffering instead of mildly inflicting pain on ourselves? (thanks for the concept DVH)

Where is our resolve and creativity this lenten season?  Are we wasting it all on reckless downhill slopes?

funeral for justice

First off, congrats to the New Orleans Saints for winning the Super Bowl!  I totally called it.  I find tonight's post relevant in honor of NO, a place with deep poverty, injustice, and damage.  I had the opportunity to travel down there a few months after Katrina with some college friends.  It was very disheartening to see a vacated city and to have to gut people's houses.  Even more disheartening is the poverty that led to the hurricane being so much more disastrous.  There are parallels with Haiti, a place that has suffered from poverty and oppression.

In this light, I offer you guys to check out THIS article.

This article speaks of a budget cut to PA's state budget that was only recently realized.  In an effort to balance a state budget, they decided to cut SSI, the income reserved for the poorest of the poor.  People that only make $500-600 a month were made to suffer even more from budget cuts.

I know this has happened in many states across the US in this economy.  Many would argue that in dire circumstances, ALL must face the negative effects of the economy.  This is a difficult situation and often calls to examine everything relatively.  However, the premise of balancing the budget at expense of the poor is simply unacceptable.  Being in relationship with MANY people on SSI this year has made this decision very real to me.

They sell the righteous for silver,
and the needy for a pair of sandals.
They trample on the heads of the poor
as upon the dust of the ground
and deny justice to the oppressed. (Amos 2:6-7)

Despite the complexity of budget issues, we MUST believe in a better way.



We are called to examine these situations theologically, and as a community of faith, BSM came to realize that this injustice against the poor is NOT what God intends for humanity.

In response, BSM and many friends throughout the city showed up for a demonstration.  As Amos spoke up to the ruling authorities of his time, so did BSM speak up for the poor of the city.  I invite you to CHECK out the pictures.

I know there are many that read my blog who would be disgusted that a church would make such a statement to the state, or engage in something so "disorderly" or "unruly." However, OT prophets were known for speaking the truth of God to the state.  Christ made a few political statements himself ; )

I was unfortunately unable to attend this event due to the seminary roadtrip...however, we are talking about taking this demonstration on to the capital of PA to continue to speak the truth about the plight of the poor.  Do we expect something out of this?  We are not politicians.  We do not control policy.  However, we are people of faith who believe that children of God deserve justice and equality.  We are people of faith who believe that the poor and helpless deserve to be honored.  BSM is not afraid to speak these messages to those in power, much like the OT prophets and Christ himself did.

May we continue to be observant to injustice and become voices that speak on behalf of God's children around the world.

blogging, sorting, chatting

I've had several things to write about in the past couple of weeks and will just have to settle for a couple of brief recaps!

First off, THE CHURCH IS ALIVE is going for 2 posts a week, so keep checking it out and WRITE SOMETHING for it!

Jan. 30th, I worked the Youth Weekend at BSM.  I was stationed in the back Sunday School Room to lead a MASSIVE project of sorting and moving clothes donations that have built up over the past couple of weeks.  Over a 6 hour period we finished the task of moving clothes into labeled bags that will be picked up by Salvation Army.  Why don't we use all of them you ask?  Do you ever wonder what kind of things get donated to clothing closet operations?  Let's just say it was a very unfortunate reminder of what people of privilege think of those without.  People give us their TRASH.  Old soccer cleats caked with mud, women's tops with broken straps, tiny shorts/skirts that most parents wouldn't let their kids walk outside the house wearing, USED socks and underwear, unmatched socks, I could go on.  Beyond this, we had clothes that were nice, but unusable to our context (kids clothing), or just WAY too many clothes of a certain type that would merely build up as more donations came in.  

Point of the matter is that the way people look at charity is very upsetting for the most part.  I would speak more to this, but instead I guide you to read the last post I did about "clothing with greater honor." Hey, that metaphor works perfectly!

This week, I visited Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond (my seminary) and Columbia Theological Seminary in Atlanta to promote the internship I am in the midst of.  Erika and I had a wonderful time meeting with students, professors, and other community folks to talk about Broad Street Ministry.  We spoke from a place of deep excitement about how BSM is such a unique experience of being church.  We talked about how the place came to be, what the community is like now, and how pastoral vocation can be shaped through this internship.  We also had a unique opportunity to give brief plugs to preaching and worship classes at both campuses, speaking to the unique form of worship at BSM.  We spoke of the congregation and the practice of communion in that context.  

There was a little bit of tension with some that we talked to about the identity of BSM as not an actual "parish" of the Presbyterian Church.  Being a nonprofit and mission partner has brought a lot of unique opportunities to BSM.  Many of the people we talked to are looking to go into traditional parishes that for the most part, will not have as many unique opportunities.  However, there is a longing among the students we talk to of wishing to reform many practices of the church, to be open to new and creative ways the Spirit is working through the church.  At Columbia, when I was asked about how this could be navigated, I responded that a lot of it has to do with church culture.  The culture of BSM has always been a very affirming and open one, whereas traditional churches have LONG histories and cultures to contend with at times, which is a precarious and long path that must be dealt with delicately.  To begin this journey, I spoke of the 2-3 young adults I meet with every week who wish to be a part of the BSM community.  BSM wouldn't be ANYWHERE that it is now if it wasn't for the young people who have been asked to come and bring their gifts and passions to SHAPE BSM.  This empowerment has allowed BSM to be a unique expression of church.  

If I had to give one message from the halls of BSM to churches out there it would be to OPEN up, BE authentic, and LET new people come in and be empowered to form the church in new, exciting, and creative ways.

Young seminary students we encounter are a clear example of this, as they are looking to enter parishes as pastors, leaders of the congregation.  

Unfortunately, we didn't get any commits for the upcoming year.  However, we had a few at each campus interested the following year.  If YOU are interested or know a seminary student who would be interested in a full year immersion at BSM, LET US KNOW!