BSM and ASPC (the places I'm working) were recently featured in Presbyterians Today. You can view the article HERE. I share some reflections:
The root of the word "evangelism" is "good news." The breakdown of this world in our culture is centered around what exactly this "news" is. For some, this news is an afterlife of paradise upon acceptance of Christ. For others, this news is more centered on the present life, a hope for "better times." I don't believe Christians will ever come to consensus on what it means to "evangelize." The word will continue to feed megachurches who use it solely to build numbers. The word will also continue to scare away many people because of how it has been used coercively.
I believe the breakdown with "evangelism" occurs when we turn it into a mathematical formula, when we view it simply as methods to get people in the doors of church. If we view the gospel as the good news, we must begin to view evangelism as relational. By this, I mean good news becomes self-evident once we get to know each other authentically and once we make room for those on the margins of society to be known. Christ is made evident in our relationships.
This view of evangelism has been the blessing and challenge of working at BSM and ASPC this year. I have really enjoyed witnessing the opportunities given for people to know God and know one another more deeply. People from every walk of life are given room to explore faith together creatively and authentically. All are empowered to love and serve one another as Christ calls us.
However, the nature of this work is the challenge. The first author in this article says "it isn't that hard." I would take issue to say that if it isn't hard, you aren't trying hard enough. The work of "making visible the kingdom" requires a lot of sacrifice. Creating room for relationship building means we must be willing to deal with those who are different from us. Creating room for relationship calls us to make opportunities for people to have a sense of belonging in the work of God.
Both venues have been exploring this throughout the year. They recognize the importance of breaking down barriers and drawing people in, yet constantly face the challenge of how to draw people into community.
It's not easy...but who ever said the work of God was?
This coming Sunday is the 25th year anniversary of the Philadelphia Area Disc Alliance (i'm playing in their summer league this year). Given that ultimate frisbee was invented in 1969, this is kind of a big deal (i'm sure only about 2 people reading this blog will even care about this). However, my point is...
Landmarks are significant.
This past Sunday, the 16th, Broad Street Ministry celebrated its 5th year of existence. Now this doesn't seem like much. However, in the nonprofit world, this is a LONG time. In the "experimental church" world, even longer.
Sunday was a wonderful celebration. Even though I was loaded down with grunt work of making sure it ran smoothly, I was still able to experience the joyfulness of the day. The BSM atmosphere was in full effect among the 400 gathered in that place (3x more than usual). We had a smattering of every type of person possible, many who have been through the doors of BSM at some point in the past. The worship service had the usual level of unruliness, fun, and joy, yet multiplied by the high energy in the room. We had one guest, convinced he is Christ incarnite, who was jumping up and down, dancing to every song, making loud comments during service, and trying for another dose of the Communion. We had more kids than usual, who found a spot near the back of the room to draw. We had youth groups who have done mission trips at BSM in the past. We had elders from churches who have given large sums of money in the past. We had artist friends, homeless friends, dancer friends, social advocacy friends. If you don't believe in a thing such as the "Holy Spirit," you may have been convinced otherwise on this day.
Oh yeah, and we had cake.
Capturing this event and the nature of BSM was a photobooth project by artist JJ Tiziou. It was mostly as you imagine - a giant box where you make faces as the camera fires rapidly. What emerged throughout the night was a HUGE smattering of people, faces. The faces that showed up on the screen were ALL beautiful. The magic was seeing everyone in their true light, whether they be a well-dressed businessman, or a worn down homeless person, they all looked beautiful. This is the landmark we leave as a church: faces of those who the church encounters. Faces that may not be captured by society. Faces that Christ sees and loves.
Landmarks are significant.
Well, more like "watermarks," another significant moment this past week was a goal achieved by TheChurchisAlive blog. We went with a pretty crazy idea: run an online fundraising drive for charity:water that would basically fund the building of a well in an impoverished area of the world. We had been running this blog site as a home for those wishing to express a new energy and enthusiasm about the church and its ability to change the world around. With the momentum we've been gaining, why not build a $5,000 well?
We did it. In about 80 days we raised $5,250, enough to serve 262 families in a community.
It's amazing to me how people dedicated to giving of themselves can come together like this for such an amazing purpose. Whether or not they did it for the "church" doesn't matter. Hearts joined to meet a passion for the world in need. We, as a churchisalive team, believe this to be the work of the gospel, work that doesn't quite translate these days in church. Work that is often muffled by the bad media and pessimism about "church."
Our campaign started near the beginning of lent, hit a midpoint at East, and concluded right before Pentecost. Our goal was met and we continue pressing onward. I think that speaks for itself.
"I'm so sorry," the young girl kept saying after hearing the words "this church just closed down."
This past Friday I took a road trip with our "hospitality enforcer," aka "big Mike," to pick up some chairs for BSM. I had no idea it would be from such a beautiful old church. I had also been unaware that this church recently closed, and with the Presbytery's approval, we could basically claim whatever we wanted from there for BSM.
As we we hauling chairs and tables out the back door to the rented Penske truck, a couple of young girls who lived down the road decided to say hello. They were both between 4-6 years old I'd assume. They were very curious as to what we were doing. When I told them the story, she kept saying "i'm so sorry." She also explained that she used to go there to eat meals here and they hosted girl scouts among many other things for this impoverished area. She kept apologizing to me as if this was my church, as if this closing was affecting me personally.
a prophet...
All year, I've been plugging away with church revitalization. I've been working in two environments where church had basically "closed down." I've had the unique opportunity of helping to create a new church environment for the 21st century without having to fight through the existing church cultures that exist in most places. Being so caught up in this has left me unappreciative of the past, of the great history of churches, of the pain that comes with closing down.
The thought is that the more you look back, the more you'll be held back from charging forward with new ministry. This is true to some extent. However, where is the grace in this? Where do we sympathize with our brothers and sisters whose ministry has failed? Do we blame them? Did they get what they deserved for not running an effective ministry?
I should be sorry...
Walking through a place that carried hopes and dreams of many many people is a sobering reality that reminds us how difficult it is to live faithfully as a church community. Amidst all the work a church does, being in relationship with one another is at the core. When a church closes, the opportunity for this closes. We should seek ways to reach out to those who are losing their place of hope, whether it be a church community, a family, friends, etc...
In the meantime, I look forward greatly to the final couple months I have here at BSM, moving forward, hopefully in the direction of new ministry that serves the kingdom of God. May the knowledge of the saints, the great cloud of witnesses, who have gone before guide us in this direction. May we continue to be grateful.
BSM celebrates its 5th birthday today which is a HUGE deal. They have survived this long as a radical new ministry and deserve to celebrate with those who have been there along the way. Despite all the new things this place has brought, the sanctuary walls continue to peel, the ceiling continues to crumble, the building continues to deteriorate. However, the walls still stand. Those who have gone before us continue to support ministry in this place, even though they are long gone now. May the ministry carry onward as the Spirit leads!
I've had my follow-up reflections to Sara Miles' "take this bread" on my backburner for weeks now. Finally getting around to finishing it up! (I kind of cheated - used a lot of text I had already written for a school report - apologies for it reading that way, just figured I'd share...)
----- Drawing In (Chapter 8 – Histories)
Mainline Protestant churches often get so preoccupied with programs and liturgy that they don’t often notice the new people that can walk through the doors searching for something that speaks anew. Even current church members can get locked into the "same way" of doing things, where the prophetic imagination is lost.
Sara was drawn into the church because of a vibrant and expressive liturgy. She explains that the pastors of the church she started attending saw themselves as “messengers and prophets, with a call to save the church from its mindlessly rote worship, its autopilot traditions, and deadening clericalism” (77-78). The liturgy was led by a mixture of laypeople, giving a great visible symbol of the priesthood of all believers. Detailed explanations preceded all elements of liturgy, so that newcomers and outsiders would not be lost. Above all of these elements in liturgy is intentionality with the Eucharist focusing on radical inclusivity and focus on feeding strangers. This weekly practice is what drew Sara in and what she sees as a focal point for the church.
Discovering Prophetic Imagination (Chapter 11 – Good Works)
Prophetic imagination means seeking out the need in the community and the proper response of the congregation. Seeing the poverty and hunger in her community, Sara felt a call to create a food pantry out of the church. She believed this was an extension of the centrality of the Eucharist. With this vision, the next step was communication with the congregation. Sara found it frustrating that a church so open to unique liturgy was so resistant to actually living out such a project at first (109). She found support in another church member who became frustrated that the church was terrified of people who were not like them, opting to only do church meals for those currently in the church (110). They crafted a vision for the program, explaining it as “another way of being church—though one that didn’t demand belief or expect people to pray. It wasn’t a social service program but a service, modeled on the liturgy of the Eucharist,” (113).
The process became messy once Sara tried to draw the congregation into the idea. She met a lot of resistance from staff and church members after proposing the idea, largely centered around the dangers of homeless people in a sacred church building (117).
Navigating Prophetic Imagination (Chapter 14 – Gleaners)
Sara’s church became a vibrant place for ministry for the first months of its existence. Her prophetic imagination was becoming a reality. However, growing pains emerged soon as the pantry sought identity and its relationship to the congregation. Sara speaks of the constant struggle of offering a safe refuge versus maintaining a small community of the church (141).
Sara received several emails from congregants and church staff who were growing more and more uncomfortable with the effects of homeless people hanging around (150). There were also issues with the growing numbers at the pantry and thus growing frustrations and problems. They decided to press onward with the trust that God would provide. A defining moment comes at the anniversary of the food bank as volunteers and guests gather for a celebration of the Eucharist. They gather and sing in a moment that gave a lot of encouragement and hope for the food bank.
Radical visions of church can often get lost in conversation. We forget the calling to take risks for the sake of being prophets of Christ's love.
Prophetic Imagination in the Church (Chapter 18 – Manna, Chapter 19 – Misfits)
The food pantry began to grow as new days of the week were added to feed more people. Sara’s calling into this new ministry led her to work with congregational development to help churches look at creating food pantries. She explains frustrations with the constant unwillingness to take on new ministries: “It was as if the very habits of churchgoing had stripped away people’s capacity to take authority and do things on their own.” (204).
Sara had initially discovered church because of the willingness of the church to accept something new, her drive to create something new, and the growing community of volunteers and guests that were creating this new vision for church. A new community had been built alongside the church through the people Sara encountered. She describes their vision for church: “They wanted, in fact, church: not the kind where you sit obediently and listen to someone tell you how to behave but the kind where you discover responsibility, purpose, meaning…where they could find community.” (214).
All those involved with the food pantry found Sara’s church to be their church. Although many were not members, they still saw the initiative Sara’s prophetic imagination formed as their church. The ability to seek out new ways of expressing church to outsiders was the initial move that led to this exciting new ministry.
-----
The Holy Spirit breathes through the church constantly. When we fail to acknowledge the new opportunities God is putting in our path, we are failing to take risks for the working of the Holy Spirit. A church should remain open to transformation. A church should be radically hospitable in drawing in those with the power to lead the church in prophetic imagination. May we be willing to risk and hope for the new things God is calling us to in the church and beyond!
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!
I apologize for taking forever to do a new post! Quick update: things have been in fairly high gear over here as both campuses prepare for the end of the year sprint! At BSM, the Breaking Bread program has been going full force! This has been an incredible opportunity to witness what it means for 100 poor, often homeless, people to come in, get food, and be treated as humans for a couple hours out of their day. We offer lunch and social services such as haircuts, a clothing closet, benefits bank, and hygiene kits to name a few. I've enjoyed these meals as it gives me a chance to really develop my relationship with the regulars that come in our doors. They have incredible stories to share. At Arch Street Pres, we have been gearing up for the Advent season! We are looking at starting some mid-week afternoon services for the working population in downtown Philly. The congregation has been gaining momentum and life thanks to 2 great sundays where we had meal fellowship following the service! As far as my personal self is concerned, call or visit to see how I'm doing!
I've also been lacking inspiration for posts, which may be a case of some fatigue - it can be hard to keep up with all the posting! I hope you all have enjoyed my post-bible study reflections on Wed., I'll try to keep those up!
For tonight, I am posing a VERY SIMPLE question and I would like COMMENTS! Pretend that you have not grown up in the church. For those that haven't, this may be easy and I encourage your comments as well! Try to take all your pre-conceived notions of the church away for this...
WHY would you choose to start going to a church?
Both BSM and Arch Street are at a point where they are examining what Christian fellowship means and how it can be enacted. There is some hesitancy to this because both are founded on the deep theological assertion that the faith community is not built for church members in themselves, but for purposes of living out the radical gospel in the world to serve others. How do these two relate? I'm not going to say any more because I am curious to here thoughts from those of you who read this blog. We are created for conversation, not lectures!
So think of that question and answer in the comment section...NOW!
Also, as I have mentioned earlier, I encourage you to join an online conversation at The Church Is Alive. This week, Carol Howard Merritt wrote an excellent post on this very subject I bring up this evening. I encourage you to check it out! That is, after you answer my question!
ATTENTION: BLOG NAME HAS CHANGED TO "www.communitytrailblazer.blogspot.com"
IT IS NO LONGER: "www.psalmsofthestreet..."
I know this may be confusing, so PLEASE spread the word. I will explain the reasoning in this post.
What does Psalms of the Street mean anyway?
I had a GREAT visit to Richmond this weekend, visiting my friends at Union Presbyterian Seminary (formerly Union-PSCE). I was very excited to share of my experience thus far, perhaps because I knew my peers could relate to and find some hope in my experience of such a vibrant urban church community.
As I explained my internship over and over again, I began to notice threads in the way I described it. The most common thread was my description of a church full of people from ALL walks of life. The more I described the demographic makeup of the Broad Street Ministry community the more I realized the significance of having rich, poor, young, and old in one building worshipping and fellowshipping together. As has been often mentioned, this demographic makeup is truly a glimpse of the kingdom of God.
I have been writing about Broad Street Ministry in my blog for over a month now, and only today did I realize I had been doing a great disservice by calling my blog "psalms of the street." See, I originally took the name from the bulletin on my first day of worshipping at Broad Street. I realized later that "psalms of the street" is the prayer card ministry that seeks to represent the voice of the community. These cards, written by people from every walk of life, are collected, prayed over, and put into a blog in order to express the voices of those who are voiceless. This blog is called Scribblings in the Sand. I invite you to view this blog, with the understanding that these prayers come DIRECTLY from the community at worship, represent people from every walk of life, and are meant to be treated with great discretion (personal information has been removed) and utmost respect. Christ came to give a voice to the voiceless, love to the unloved. Broad Street Ministry hopes to carry this desire out as the body of Christ, and prayer cards serve as an opportunity for those without a voice to be represented.
My role at Broad Street Ministry is NOT to represent the community myself. The community must be able to speak for themselves, since most of them NEVER have this opportunity. Therefore, my blog name is changing to:
communitytrailblazer.blogspot.com
My role at Broad Street Ministry is to be the pastoral welcoming presence to those who wish to become a part of the community. I meet with people who contact us wishing to volunteer or at least get to know the community better. I learn their stories, discern their gifts, and help plug them into the community. My role is the pastoral associate for community trailblazing.
When you read my blog, I hope you realize that I am only a piece of a larger community that greatly desires to be heard. So I urge you to also read Scribblings in the Sand, and be shaped by the prayers of this community!
By the way, this picture game up in google when I image searched "community trailblazing." This lady is pretty awesome:
"The church is a business" people say. This is often said with some hesitancy. Why is this? Perhaps because they know this is not the way it is meant to be.
What does a business do? They are built upon economic models: Money comes in - services are offered. This is built on supply and demand. The more the people demand services, the more the price of supply increases, forming economic equilibrium.
Putting the church into this model: The people demand a faith community that can give them what they want. In return they pay money for these "services." These services must be good quality so people can get what they think they paid for. In order to increase income, a business-model church must grow its base. Thus the number of members becomes important. For better quality service to be provided, more members must be brought in to increase income, and thus, production. Pastors are placed in the epicenter of this model. They are paid by the congregation to provide services (preaching, worship leadership, pastoral care, etc.). If these services are inadequate, the pastor can be fired.
It's disturbing and probably not completely accurate to describe the church in this way, but when you get down to the core of it, it's not that far from the truth. American churches are an American economic business model.
Is this faithful? Is this right? Can it ever be different?
Our American culture is defined by numbers. When I was youth director at Second Presbyterian Church in Richmond, I couldn't tell you how many times someone would say "how many youth do you have?" This question frustrates me to no end. Firstly, how do you "have" youth? It's not like we capture them and put them in a box so we can show off to people. Secondly, what does it matter? So what if I have 5 or 50 youth in my program. Since when did bringing in a lot of youth for your program prove that you are effectively influencing the lives of young people and empowering them to do God's work?
Eugene Peterson in Under the Unpredictable Plantspeaks of how we often measure success in churches by growth. Growth, he says, "is biological, not an arithmetical metaphor. Growth in biology has something to do with timing, passivity, waiting, proportion, maturity. There is a proper size to each thing." Peterson reminds us that there must be an understanding that more is not always better. Success, growth, in churches can never be judged by size.
I have been learning a lot from a church context that has no "members." Sure there are problems. It's hard to keep up with people, hard to track giving, hard to appoint leadership. However, the payoff is a system that is no longer focused on being successful. They can look instead, to be more faithful to the gospel. It's not a perfect system at Broad Street, there are some definite benefits to having "members," particularly for reasons of leadership and pastoral care. However, it's refreshing to realize that, as my boss and pastor here, Bill, said, "We don't get to keep people. We just get to hold them for a while." The church is not meant to be a country club. The church is community.
Bill has also picked up on this notion of numbers-success in an article he wrote for Insights from the Underside." Not to be confused with The Bible from the Underside, a popular Frances Taylor Gench class. Bill refers to this notion of success as the "Cultural Success Index." He reminds us that we must always be cautious of falling into this worldly model as a way of running churches. If this can happen, Bill visions a church where, "Preoccupation with membership roles may be replaced with a passionate pursuit of understanding about why certain demographics are mission from the communion's gathering...imagination would trump implementation. Depth would trounce growth. Disciplined discernment would be valued over efficiency and 'effectiveness'." (46)
A church needs to operate as a business in some sense. Money. We can't ignore that HUGE elephant in the room. A church needs to be able to have some lights to turn on and some heat to run in the winter. This issue is what makes things difficult. Money always makes things difficult. Yet, since when did we let money guide our decisions? Didn't Christ tell us to give it all to the poor anyway?
It's a messy situation that no one has figured out yet. However, it's a situation that calls us to be faithful to the gospel. We MUST constantly be aware of how we view ourselves as the community of God and avoid defining ourselves according to our American economic consumerist model.
How can we break down this horrible myth that a church is a business? How can we look at success differently?
Is our church only about supply and demand?
I leave you with a song from Amos Lee, a Philly native:
I can hardly believe I've been here for a month already! Time has really flown by here in the city. Even though I've been working at Broad Street for 4 weeks, my role is finally taking shape now. This makes some sense in that I've moved my whole life to a completely new setting and was thrown into a completely unique situation to explore my pastoral vocation. I'm getting to the point in the job where things are starting to click. To use a metaphor I thought of the other day, I am an airplane that has finally hit the runway after hovering with its wheels down for a little while. So what's this runway look like?
My new title at Broad Street Ministry will be the "Pastoral Associate for Community Trailblazing." Like that title? Came up with it myself. Using "pastoral associate"is a term applied to seminary interns affirming their role within the communities of Broad Street and Arch Street Pres. "Community trailblazing" is a title that emerged out of much thought. A large part of my role at BSM will be meeting with new volunteers, welcoming them into the community, learning about them, discovering their gifts and interests, and then helping them find where they can be best involved at Broad Street. There is an intentionality at BSM of welcoming and encouraging ideas, and helping them become realities if possible. The Spirit works through whoever the Spirit chooses.
Beyond this specific role, I will be attending to pastoral needs of BSM and Arch Street Presbyterian. I will also have opportunities to participate in and lead worship. Both opportunities are very exciting and filled with the bright future the Lord has for both locations.
Oh yeah, and I'm working on a temporary website for arch street presbyterian. Check it!
Also, I apologize for neglecting to speak of a significant part of this internship - the seminary house. I am sharing an apartment with 2 very talented Princeton Seminary students. In the apartment above us is a married couple serving as our 'pastors in residence and their adorable baby. We are intentional about sharing a meal once a week to talk about our experiences together. They're a wonderful group and I'm sure we'll have some great adventures this year!
Regarding blogging, I am beginning to fall in to some sort of schedule. I will make a sincere attempt to post on Sunday and Wednesday nights, following activities. Beyond those days, it will most likely be random. PLEASE share thoughts and comments if possible. I desire dialogue on certain topics. We learn from one another and I am constantly curious to what you all think about certain topics that are raised.
Thanks again for the love and support you have sent me. Come visit sometime this year and see what it's all about!
I leave you on a lighter note...with some good ol' BBC religious humor:
17As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 18Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 19You know the commandments: 'You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.'" 20He said to him, "Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth." 21Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, "You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." 22When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.
23 Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!" 24And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." 26They were greatly astounded and said to one another, "Then who can be saved?" 27Jesus looked at them and said, "For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible."
Do we cringe when we read this passage?
I imagine there may be some cringing for those who believe in a literal interpretation of scripture. Have you sold everything you own yet? If you haven't, you won't enter the kingdom of God! This is what said interpretation may read...
Taking this verse contextually and metaphorically still may cause some cringing. How far do we take this statement? Can you have wealth and follow Christ?
Regardless, this was a VERY unique passage to study in our "no holds barred Bible study" at BSM. Remember, we've always got a few in this who are homeless! It's a very unique context that is beginning to rock my world.
As we gathered to discuss this difficult passage, we began to talk about what it means to "sell all you have to the poor." One key point was made by noticing Jesus "loved him" before answering, which points to the fact that Christ knew this man and what he needed to do. This command was specific to this person. His wealth had clouded his ability to love his neighbor, so he was thus instructed to give it to the poor - the people who need it most.
There is a popular idea about this metaphor of a camel going through the eye of a needle that refers to some busy gate in Jerusalem called "the eye of the needle," where camels would have to remove baggage and go on their knees to get through. True or not, there is still sacrifice involved. As it is for us. there must be things we must give up, sacrifice, in order to participate in the kingdom of God that is present and not yet.
A man in our Bible study group, who happened to be homeless, spoke up in the midst of this conversation. "What do I give up? I don't have anything?" There was a moment where all of us of privilege had nothing to say. The same man then broke the silence, "I guess I give up my previous ways of thoughts and doing things that hold me back" (paraphrased). What a RADICAL concept! This man showed us a radical faith, that commits when you truly have nothing - not by your own volition, but by the crappy reality of poverty that plagues us. He demonstrated a commitment to serve God out of nothing. In some ways, this appears as an ideal to live for. I believe in that moment, we all wished we could be more like him.
The end of this passage is a reminder to us that we should not be so concerned about the reality of our salvation. "For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible." We can only place our faith in God, and move beyond this speculation into dedicated service.
So if this should not be our focus, what should?
If this passage is any indication, it should be a willingness to serve the poor at the risk of being made uncomfortable, that we may truly understand what it is like to live as they do.
Still cringing? I hope so.
p.s. the first picture is me riding my camel through the streets of Philly. The second picture is from the always awesome Brick Testament
I had a very unique opportunity today to sit in on an administrative commission meeting set up to breathe new life into Arch Street Presbyterian Church. The commission spent a lot of time discussion “strategic imperatives,” or basically, what is it that this church should do to be what we hope it to be. In other words, they were discussing what the ideal situation for this church would be. (in case you missed the earlier post on what's going on, Arch Street Pres literally was dissolved after losing almost all its members amidst crumbling walls, a dissolved session, and a crumbling budget. This is a very sad situation, yet hopeful in that there are many who hope for a new life for this church. The administrative committee was set up by Presbytery to set up a new form for this church.)
This opportunity is very unique because most churches never take time to have these conversations about their hopes and dreams for what they can be. Often times churches are understandably unable to due to existing structures and customs that work well. Although you can’t always just fashion a new church from the ground up, you can at least have conversations about your hopes and dreams for the sake of community development and church growth.
This administrative commission roughly discussed the following imperatives in their discussion:
I. Honor our legacy
II. Re-Imagine our identity
III. Call the community together in a spirit of inclusion and social justice
IV. Raising Christians up in the church to be disciples.
What's exciting is being able to think of how these areas will manifest themselves in the future. Well...exciting for us church nerds at least haha. Particularly for Arch Street: being in the MIDDLE of the business district, sharing a wall with the tallest skyscraper in Philly, brings millions of exciting possibilities for people during the work week from all walks of life and situations.
Thus I pose the question: If you could fashion a church from the ground up...what would you want it to look like?
It's been over a week since I've been here in Philly and I'm finally starting to get the hang of life around here.
Sunday evening was my second worship service at BSM. I had been asked to lead the passing of the peace. Apparently there is a distinct effort to get newcomers involved in participating in worship as soon as possible! There is always a wide variety of participation, of people of all races and socio-economic class...a cool thing to witness! Then there was the choir. wow. They ROCKED the house. Basically, this gospel choir sings every other week and sings a wide variety of songs (they closed this evening with "we are family"). My instruction with leading the passing of the peace was to encourage everyone that peace comes from Christ and not within ourselves, so when we do this act it is a reminder to one another of the peace Christ gives us. It's a very big deal at the end of the service to greet as many people as possible.
Monday was a long day of preparing for the upcoming Philadelphia Presbytery meeting that will be held at Broad Street. Amidst the usual docket is a small group session we are planning. The idea, brought up by Broad Street leadership and affirmed by Presbytery leadership, is for the elders and pastors to have conversation with one another regarding their vision of the church, what they need to work on, and ways they can support one another in said visions. This is something that is pretty rare with Presbytery meetings, so I'm pretty excited to see what happens. It's a reminder of what I keep mentioning about needing to "risk and trust." We are so afraid of talking and doing what really matters, and instead doing what is safe. The purpose of this discussion is not to say "we're doing it right, you're doing it wrong," but rather to get people to simply TALK to one another about their visions for the church, where the spirit is calling them, and to start to seek new ways to live out this call!
In closing, I'm posing lyrics to a recent song by Derek Webb that has brought up a LOT of controversy. When you read these lyrics you may wonder why. Perhaps it will help to know that Derek Webb has been on a Christian recording label. When they heard this song, they refused to release the album. Correct me if I'm wrong, but out of this he has had to release this album on his own. I find the lyrics to be convicting, timely, and very significant for an artist as himself. I'm often skeptical about a lot of Christian artists and I am quite proud of Derek for stepping out of the safe bubble many find themselves in. These lyrics once again remind us to "risk and trust" as a community of faith:
What Matters More, by Derek Webb
You say you always treat people like you like to be
I guess you love being hated for your sexuality
You love when people put words in your mouth
'Bout what you believe, make you sound like a freak
'Cause if you really believe what you say you believe
You wouldn't be so damn reckless with the words you speak
Wouldn't silently consent when the liars speak
Denyin' all the dyin' of the remedy
Tell me, brother, what matters more to you?
Tell me, sister, what matters more to you?
If I can tell what's in your heart by what comes out of your mouth
Then it sure looks to me like being straight is all it's about
It looks like being hated for all the wrong things
Like chasin' the wind while the pendulum swings
'Cause we can talk and debate until we're blue in the face
About the language and tradition that he's comin' to save
Meanwhile we sit just like we don't give a shit
About 50,000 people who are dyin' today
Tell me, brother, what matters more to you?
Tell me, sister, what matters more to you?
