Scripture as Dialogue follow-up

In reference to my earlier post on scripture as dialogue, I once again invite you to read the BSM blog, "scribblings in the sand."

We used the Message translation of Isaiah 35 interspersed with prayers from our community.  It's a beautiful method that I invite you to try with your prayer life.  I also invite you to continue to read our BSM blog as often as possible.  Let it be a reminder of the voices God speaks through that are not often heard.

up in the air

Up in the air....

our futures, our present, how we interpret our past, our relationships, our jobs, our life callings...

I just came back from seeing this fantastic new movie and want to take a moment to reflect on it.

This movie follows the life of Ryan Bingham, a guy who is paid to fly all over the nation in order to fire people and provide severance packages in place of the boss.  From the very beginning, you see how this role plays out, as disgruntled employees react to the camera after hearing that they have been laid off.  Ryan remains stoic through this because he has seen it all.  He also asserts how this travel has become his home.  He has become accustomed to the grueling hours spent waiting for planes and going through security.  He takes great pleasure in the people he meets along the way, all the while remaining free from attachments to anyone of significance, even family.  Along his travels, he also speaks at conferences about "baggage" we carry around.  Among this baggage, he mentions, is family and friends.  He says that while some species are created to live symbiotically, humans are not.  Ryan has become accustomed to being the loner who flies around to tell them their jobs have been terminated.

Pretty soon, his business picks up a new young female employee who is hired to advance the company into the technology world through video conferencing.  However, she is given the role to travel along with Ryan in order to get a sense for how these conferences with soon to be fired employees plays itself out.  She is very naive to this world he lives in. She soon begins to see him as a mentor in dealing with these conversations.  Before too long, she discovers Ryan's disdain for human connection and becomes disgusted.

Meanwhile, Ryan meets a new woman with a very similar lifestyle who he begins to fall for.  They acknowledge a fleeting relationship built on keeping each other company on the road.  However, as Ryan's sister's wedding approaches, he feels the need to invite her along.  At this wedding, he begins to see how his distance from family and friends has hurt him.  He begins to long for intimacy.

Without spoiling the climactic ending, I will just say that he soon learns that the world he has created is one that he cannot escape.  However, he begins to see this in a new light.  He begins to see that humans are indeed symbiotic creatures, that need to live and love with one another and for one another.  He gains a new perspective on his role on the road and as one who delivers bad news.

The movie ends with moving testimonials of people who have been "laid off."  Once again, speaking to the camera, these people give moving affirmations of the need for family and friends to love and support through such life transitions.

These situations and messages are very timely to us here and now.  I think of my life here at BSM - constantly in conversation with people who have been laid-off, or without jobs for a long period of time. I have no doubt that all would affirm the need for friends and family to live with them during their struggles.  This is what has drawn many into the fold of BSM - the need for community, for love and support.

This is also why I find myself writing on this blog - knowing that YOU out there reading are family and friends who are supporting me.  So, thanks!

We all need places we call "home" that truly are so.  Of course you may consider your current location home.  You may consider hanging out with friends home.  You may consider the town you grew up in as home...

However, is your home a place that you are willing to carry on your back, knowing that it is also carrying you at the same time?

Scripture as Dialogue

Isaiah 35
1The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus 2it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of theLord, the majesty of our God. 3Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. 4Say to those who are of a fearful heart, “Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you.”
5Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 6then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; 7the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes. 8A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God’s people; no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray. 9No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there.10And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Scripture is meant for dialogue. When we engage a text, we should have a conversation with it, letting it seep over us, within us, and speak through us.

At Bible Study tonight, we read our week's worth of prayer cards aloud as usual. However, we interspersed the readings this week with segments of this scripture from Isaiah 35. The result was a dialogue that embodied the hopes and fears of the BSM community. Many of those present this evening were themselves homeless, in a wilderness. They were easily able to place themselves within this text as the prayers were read. They noticed the struggles AND the hope within this text.

Scripture should speak to us in every time and place. We can never relegate a text to being out of touch, out of date, or irrelevant. Isaiah was speaking to the Israelites in exile to give them promise and hope for better. Within this is the call to be attentive to prophecy, to seek the glory of the Lord and the good for all people. Thus, this text speaks to us with similar messages of hope and promise. It reminds us that God carries us through the times of difficulty, when we find ourselves in the wilderness, and sets us back on our feet. We should be joyful as we seek this out and help others seek this out.

As one of our friends said tonight:

There's a way back.

making space in advent

My good seminary friend Mark visited me in Philly a couple of Sundays ago.  He came to worship at BSM Sunday evening.  When I told him that we are now setting up dinner tables in the sanctuary immediately following worship, he responded with a look of realization "Of COURSE you do!  Of course you eat in the same place that you worship." 

Mark helped me realize that I had been taking these amazing moments for granted.  Over the past few weeks, we've been able to move all our meals upstairs to the sanctuary (thanks to removing of pews and re-finishing of a gorgeous floor).  The mood of the meals and the hospitality of the place has been AMAZING.  Beyond this is the deep theological significance my friend Mark helped me realize.  Table fellowship with people who are hungry and tired from being seen as less than human is a powerful experience.  Sharing food and conversation with people in need of both is truly a worshipful moment, and rightfully belongs in a SPACE such as a sanctuary.

Space is a funny thing.  We often dismiss its importance, placing emphasis on people instead.  Whereas the latter should always have priority, perhaps we should not always be so dismissive of the importance of space.  The environment we create gives a message.  What is our message?

We've been using our newly designed space a LOT over the past week.  Here's a recap:

TUESDAY, we hosted World AIDS Day at BSM.  The space was used for a meal, performances, and speakers, all recognizing the travesty of AIDS in our communities and the importance in taking action to promote awareness and support.  

WEDNESDAY, we worked all morning to set up an interactive timeline throughout the sanctuary for the Congregational Action Partnership meeting.  We took groups of supporting church members through our timeline, giving a full vision of where BSM has been and where it hopes to go.  

WEDNESDAY EVENING, we rushed to clear out the displays in order to set up our usual Wednesday evening meal.

THURSDAY, we took away the displays in order to prepare the space for our weekly Breaking Bread lunch and service provisions.

THURSDAY EVENING, we set up the space for a very moving memorial service for the son of a wonderful couple at one of our church communities.  

(Are you wondering why I didn't get around to posting last week?  Whew!)

So what is the message we draw from this space this week?  I've never experienced one place serve so many purposes over such a short period of time.  They were all very unique, yet seemed to still say the same thing: When we gather as community, we worship.  The week began in a solemn reminder of the plagues of this world, along with a great feeling of solidarity and comfort for the afflicted.  We moved into a celebration of God's movement through our time.  The meals we have together remind us of the physical nature of being in relationship, and the ability to provide for those in need.  At the end of the day, however, we are once again reminded of our own mortality, and the need for solidarity and comfort for the afflicted.  

Finding the message out of a hectic week can be difficult, yet it is what the advent season calls us to do: seek out the message of hope in the midst of despair and clutter.  

Because at the end of a hectic week, we can always remember (as Tony Campolo likes to remind us...): Sssssssunday's coming!  At the end of such a wild week, we always know that we will soon gather in worship to lead us on through another week.

Recognize the space you are in and find the message it is telling you!

Advent waiting

So this post is from a week ago...

Just a brief update:  I went to Augusta and NC for thanksgiving week, got to see some good friends and family.  Up to that point and into this week, we've been working hard on preparing the many advent offerings at BSM and Arch St. Presbyterian.  These offerings include: a Sunday morning lectionary Bible study at Arch St (first one in 30 something years!), a mid-week advent service, particularly aimed at the business community in the vicinity during the afternoon, and a Bible study experience at BSM with a project that carries over into the worship service.  Needless to say, this has given us seminary interns plenty to busy ourselves with amidst the usual craziness!

It is in the midst of this craziness that we must ALL take time to put ourselves in advent mode.  This means an active waiting and participation in God's ability to bring peace and comfort. We must continuously be aware of how God can move and surprise us in every situation.  Advent must be spent in eager anticipation of new life and opportunities.

It's easy to lose this in the midst of all that happens in our lives and the madness of this time of year.

Happy Advent everyone!

imagining worship

As we continue to develop the vision for Arch Street Presbyterian Church, we've been spending some time in theological exploration!  In this exploration, we've been conversing on what we imagine worship should and shouldn't be.  I will share my thoughts and invite your comments!  Please share your own list!

Worship Should:
-Present and experience the good news of the gospel (giving people hope and encouragement)
-Express how God has spoken to humanity in history and continues to speak in our current time
-Bring people together in a way that breaks down physical barriers of division
-Lead a vision of community that treats all people as children of God
-Motivate and teach the community to go forth into the world as promoters of peace and justice.
-Send people forth into the world

Worship Shouldn't:
-Avoid difficult concepts or stories in Scripture
-Water down prophetic messages
-Be too focused on individual experience
-Serve as an emotional high or be a place to show off piety
-Exclude the curious, doubters, and ‘enemies’ of the church
-Promote social or societal norms that are divisive (family models, wealth, and appearance)
-Serve as a practical ‘how-to experience’
-Always leave people feeling “comfortable”
-Promote wealth or prosperity
-Ignore sacred traditions or new models
-Worry about pleasing everyone
-Fear silence

money!

Ok, no one seems to talk on my blogs!  I know I'm somewhat of a hypocrite here...I'm pretty bad about commenting on other people's blogs!  Why are we this way?  Is it just one more thing to have to do?  Regardless, I will continue to try to promote discussion!

We interns have been discussing quite the interesting article!  It's about money, that wonderful topic we like to avoid in church discussions!

Read it HERE.

I offer you all the questions I submitted for my intern supervision group:

1. Money is rarely talked about enough in our church. We face some
radical statements such as: "sell all you have to the poor." We also
realize the importance of making a living. How do we navigate this
tension between having enough and giving away? How does toleration of
inequality fit into this model at all?! Where is the servanthood in
this if you are the rich one completely void from suffering?

2. The role of the state versus the church in addressing economic
inequality is an interesting issue. Many are of the mindset that the state, not
the church, should not focus on ensuring economic welfare. However,
this is confusing charity with justice. Scripture is quite clear, in
both testaments, that the latter is what is to be strived for. In
Israelite society and religious law, ALL people were to ensure welfare
and practice radical hospitality. I don't need to go down the road of expressing how this is present in the NT either!  How can we reconcile these ideas of justice with our
current culture?

3. To this earlier point, the church is very convinced that it must be
about "charity," which is fine in and of itself. However, the church
is rarely found pursuing justice or being prophetic about inequality.
Especially if they have guys like this speaking in their church! How
can the church maintain a posture of justice-seeking and being
prophetic without crossing sacred bounds of the delicate church-state
relationship?

If you are at all confused about why a Christian should be passionate about such things, I urge you to see what the wise Walter Bruggemann has to say about it!

That would be FANTASTIC if you could talk about this in the comment section!  Otherwise, I hope it's something to think about.

lots of exciting happenings!

This is another one of those boring diary/journal type posts...one with more substance is upcoming, I promise!

So anyway, I had one of those weekends where you're up and about the whole time.  Saw several wonderful friends from college and seminary, including: Gabe Ford, Chris Burton, the UPS flag football team, and the Harrold sisters.

Friday, Gabe drove into town from Delaware and we walked to see The Walkmen at UPenn, who put on a HECK of a show.  It was in Irvine Auditorium, a gorgeous chapel with a huge organ.  Strangely, there was hardly anyone there!  We talked a lot of music, which I will post on later.

Saturday, Chris took a train to Philly and we drove out to Gettysburg, PA to watch Union Presbyterian Seminary dominate in the Luther Bowl, a flag football tournament held by Gettysburg Seminary.  It was great seeing seminary friends again and long for the days of playing sports on the quad!  We drove back that evening to catch "Rhythms of Transformation," an event at BSM, put on by Project Home.  There was an art show, mostly of art done by homeless people.  As Chris said, the pain of the artists really shone through in their art.  Music at this event was awesome, and culminated with Philly Blaco, a Brazillian drum troupe band that brought the house down!  After this, we trekked over to get my official first Philly steak since I've been here at PAT's steaks.

Sunday afternoon, downtown Philadelphia was graced by the presence of Glen Hansard (ONCE, The Frames), in town with his band "the Swell Season" to perform that evening!
 I apparently missed him at first when he was in Starbucks, however, caught a glance of him later that evening.  Apparently, he gave 2 free tickets to a member of the broad street community who was doing what he usually does - play his keyboard right outside the starbucks on the street.  I thought this was an awesome move by Glen, who had told our friend that he is always out looking to invite fellow musicians.  Our youth initiative minister, erika, was invited to join our friend for the concert, which featured backstage passes!  Go Glen!

Worship at Broad street was highlighted by the song "cathedrals" by Jump Little Children, performed by some of our amazing musicians.  The song was chillingly beautiful and filled the space and the moment beautifully!


Sunday evening, I joined my good friend from PC, Brittany, and her sister Adrian, for the EAGLES/COWBOYS game!  Even though they lost, I had a great time witnessing the ridiculousness of Eagles fans!  We made a good friend out of a very drunk man who was starting all of our cheers.  Unfortunately, he didn't make it to the 4th quarter thanks to faithfully defending our honor against an irate Cowboys fan.

Still on a high from the weekend.  It's always great to catch up with good friends and to keep doing things you love.  I've missed that lately!  Much love to my friends out there and I eagerly look for opportunities to share experiences with you all!

peace,
Mike

What's the point of church anyway?

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!

peace,
mike

waiting

6 On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines, of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear. 7And he will destroy on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all peoples, the sheet that is spread over all nations; he will swallow up death forever. 8Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces, and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.
9It will be said on that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us. This is the Lord for whom we have waited; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation. 10For the hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain.
-Isaiah 25:6-10

"I'm waiting for dinner," one of our guests said at Bible study tonight when prompted with the question "what are we waiting for." There is both humor and deep truth in this answer.  The question meant to be answered on a deeper level, yet dinner was happening in about 30 minutes.  This reflects a deep truth about waiting...it's hard!

The upcoming lectionary text for this Sunday contains a passage from Isaiah that speaks of a feast that is to be waited on (Incidentally enough, I preached a sermon on this for class last spring). This feast is greater than what we can possibly imagine. It is a celebration of the final victory of the Lord after a long period of anxious waiting.

Andrew Bird, one of the greatest and most creative singer/songwriter/whistler/violinists of our time, has a song about a celebratory feast at the end of times called "tables and chairs."



Hope is the operative word here. Hope for a bountiful feast. Hope for your first meal of the day. Hope for peace. Hope for equality. Hope for truth and justice to prevail for those who are oppressed.  The results of this wait for hope is a celebratory feast for all to enjoy.

Our meals at Broad Street Ministry (particularly the No Barriers Dinner) are seen to many as a bountiful feast.  The makeup of race and socio-economic class in the room give a taste of what a feast in the kingdom of God looks like.  However, peace, equality, truth, and justice have not prevailed yet.  There is always a level of anxiousness in our meals at BSM.  We all recognize how rough our world is.  Are we simply to just sit back and wait for things to get better before we can celebrate?

No.  This wait is one of action.  The hebrew origin of the word for "wait" here is "qava," which in its verb form here stands as an intensive, repeated action.  Thus, a more accurate translation is "to look eagerly for." This hardly sounds like sitting and waiting to me!  It's a reminder that we are in the "Kingdom Between the Times." The kingdom is here, yet not completely.  Christ has come to liberate us from sin, yet problems still exist in our world.  We have responsibility in this world to work towards peace, equality, truth, and justice.  Then, when we just can't wait any more, the kingdom of God we have hoped for all our lives comes to free us from oppression and sin for good.

What does this kingdom look like?  Who knows!  That's where hope comes into play.  Yet a bountiful feast is a wonderful way to imagine the joy found in this time.  May we continue to work for the kingdom!

I know we're gonna meet someday in the crumbled financial institutions of this land
There will be tables and chairs
Pony rides and dancing bears
There'll even be a band
'cause listen after the fall there'll be no more countries
No currencies at all
We're gonna live on our wits
Throw away survival kits
Trade butterfly knives for adderal
And that's not all
Woah!
There will be snacks, there will
There will be snacks, there will
There will be snacks!
-Andrew Bird

ordy shmords

Just want to give a brief THANK YOU to all my friends and family who have kept me in thoughts and prayers over the ordination exams.  It's a long and tedious process.

I just found out today that I PASSED all of them!  This is exciting news and I know this would not be possible without the help of all of you who read this blog who have helped me grow into who I am today.

So once again, THANKS!  I love you all.

blind

46They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. 47When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.” 50So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. 51Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.” 52Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.
Mark 10:46-52

Who are we not seeing?

I had a lot of exposure to this text over the past week.  First, I led our staff devotions by doing a lectio divina with the text, to explore what we hear this text call us to be and do.  Next, I was in the weekly Bible Study where we studied the text.  Finally, this was the text used for the sermons today.

The Bible studies are what always tend to stick out the most to me out of all others.  This fact is quite a clear interpretation of this particular text!  The interpretations you hear during the "no holds barred" Bible studies come from Bartimaeuses in our community.  These are the people that are told to be silent, not to sleep in parks, not to ask people for money or help.  Sometimes they are told, directly or indirectly, not to come to church (coats and ties are hard to come by!).

Have you seen a Bartimaeus?  Possibly.  Have you told him or her to be quiet?  Probably.  We all have at some point.  Little do we know that this only means we are the actual blind ones.  In this text, it is the one silenced by others that is praised for his faith.

A dear member of the BSM community (who will go by "Joe" to protect his identity) spoke up during our Bible study to point out the situation of this beggar.  The beggar was on the side of the street, in the middle of everything.  Joe mentioned how even though the beggar couldn't see, he could still hear the commotion going on all around him.  Joe told us that he has hearing problems and would struggle with even that.  Joe had been silenced his entire life and was having trouble relating to a beggar who had enough faith to petition Jesus for healing.  This was a sad re-affirmation of what our culture has done to the Bartimaeuses among us.

This scripture reminds us that there is deep faith and an example to be learned in the Bartimaeuses in our communities.  Perhaps it is time we stop silencing them and give them a chance to speak up!

Are we the real blind ones in this story?

Breaking bread, loving baseball

In case you missed it, the Phillies just won the National League and on Wednesday, will play either the Yankees or Angels in the World Series.  I've never been in the midst of a city where a sports team has had a major win.  I had the exciting opportunity to watch the game last night at BSM, right in center city.  Upon their win, the city came alive as everyone rushed center city and preceded to cause mass chaos.  Although the World Series win is still around the corner and last year's playoff drought busting win was much greater, the experience was still pretty exciting!

Now don't get me wrong, I'm a born and bred Braves fan, which means I will cheer for them till the day I die.  However, I think any true national league fan would agree that come playoff season, whichever team can beat the Yankees is the team to cheer for (save perhaps the mets or marlins)!  Beyond this, there's just something about baseball to cheer for the home team (when they're not playing your team of course).

Now why have I been talking about Baseball for 2 paragraphs?  Because I have witnessed the effects of sports on the homeless community.  Not only is it a source of common conversation, it is also a source of hope for many.  There has been a lot of joy in Philadelphia lately due to the run of the Phillies.  Many of our homeless friends can't stop talking about it.  I had wondered where they have been able to experience these games, only to learn it is by crowding around a stereo or looking into store windows from the street!  This is dedication!

Breaking Bread is a weekly service provided at BSM.  Lunch is served, along with several services not often provided elsewhere.  Today, I assisted guests in our clothing closet, picking out donated items.  Then, I assisted in the therapeutic arts program for the day - decorating pumpkins.  Positive energy carried the day, as our guests helped each other pick out outfits and resort to the days of childhood arts class during the pumpkin decorating (picture below not from the actual event).

So many food and service social programs seem to not give much attention to the mood of their guests.  Today, I witnessed what it means to do so.  People living on the margins carry a LOT with them, literally and figuratively.  Giving the opportunity for conversation and creative expression can go a LONG way to help them feel more human once again and give the positive energy needed to carry the day.  Let us never forget that Jesus was homeless and called us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.  Cliche, yes, yet so vital and significant each time we hear it.  People deserve more that just a meal.  They deserve a chance to be human for a few hours.

Talking baseball with some homeless guys is very human indeed.  We can all unite around the joy of America's greatest pastime and the pride for a city that has loved its team (at least recently!).  I know this joy of sports is not always a given thing.  It's rare to be in a city that can celebrate sports.  Beyond this, we should always be wary of a theology of competition.  However, for our purposes at Broad Street, the ability to unite around a subject that gives us unity is a chance to be human together, as God created us.

Never thought I'd say this...but Go Phillies!  For this year at least...

Psalms of the Street

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:

Measuring Success

"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 Plant speaks 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:

Coming in to land

Greetings family and friends!

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:


Peace,
Mike

eye of the needle

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

Motley Order

I just returned from our staff retreat at a Quaker retreat center!  I had a wonderful time getting to know the staff better.  We all returned with a new energy that will hopefully carry us well into this week!

I also played guitar and sang with the "Motley Order" choir, which was a great experience!  My visions and understanding of worship music has already been greatly altered from participation in this group.  Like many things at Broad Street, there is a great emphasis on the fact that everyone is a child of God and has gifts to share.  Beyond this, the choir music attempts to serve the great diversity of Broad Street with many different types of music.  Included in this are secular songs that help to interpret the meaning of the message for that particular week.  I've always been somewhat lukewarm about this, but seeing it done effectively and in a meaningful way is pretty convincing!  This is a song we did this week:

I'll reflect on more of this later.  I do what to direct you all to another project known as "the church is alive." We've been working hard on this website, with a goal to create deeper connectivity and communication within the church.  I did a posting today, taking from several of my posts on this blog.  Check it out and join the conversation!  There will be a chance soon for all people to participate in writing blog posts on this site as well.  Check it out and join the conversation!

are you trying to sell me something?

16-17Jesus followed up. "Yes. For there was once a man who threw a great dinner party and invited many. When it was time for dinner, he sent out his servant to the invited guests, saying, 'Come on in; the food's on the table.'
18"Then they all began to beg off, one after another making excuses. The first said, 'I bought a piece of property and need to look it over. Send my regrets.'
19"Another said, 'I just bought five teams of oxen, and I really need to check them out. Send my regrets.'
20"And yet another said, 'I just got married and need to get home to my wife.'
21"The servant went back and told the master what had happened. He was outraged and told the servant, 'Quickly, get out into the city streets and alleys. Collect all who look like they need a square meal, all the misfits and homeless and wretched you can lay your hands on, and bring them here.'
22"The servant reported back, 'Master, I did what you commanded— and there's still room.'
23-24"The master said, 'Then go to the country roads. Whoever you find, drag them in. I want my house full! Let me tell you, not one of those originally invited is going to get so much as a bite at my dinner party.'"
Luke 14:16-24 (The Message)

This parable came to life tonight! Tonight at BSM we hosted the monthly "No Barriers Dinner," which is basically a FREE dinner party for the city!  We had live music, GREAT food cooked by our resident chef, and full service from volunteers and staff.  The point is to experience a meal shared by people from ALL walks of life.

So how did we work this out?  Like the end of this parable, about 5 of us literally walked the streets of center city during rush hour today to invite people to our feast, our banquet!  What we hoped was for everyone to be like Elf in the clip above (at 0:14).  However, as we all know how humanity operates, it was not that easy.

You all know the drill: you see someone handing something out so you plot your course to avoid them at all costs.  It was interesting to be on the other end of things this time.  So who was the hardest sell?  Can you guess?  The people who avoided us the most was none other than the white, older, business suit, men.  I imagine you could have guessed that.  It was a little more surprising in the moment...how many of them wouldn't even make eye contact with us when we spoke up to invite them to a FREE dinner party.  Beyond this, it was actually a lot of fun inviting everyone else to our party.  For the most part: young and old, male and female, homeless and not homeless were very receptive and grateful to the idea.  I'm not sure how many actually came, but at the end of our flyering trip, it felt like the experience itself made enough of an impact on us and hopefully them.

The dinner party itself was great, mostly a larger version of our usual sunday and wednesday night meals.  There was a very rich diversity of people, all mixed up where they were sitting.  People that usually avoided one another on the street were actually talking!  What a beautiful parable moment this was!

I strongly urge this idea be tried by churches, particularly ones where homeless and hungry can easily walk to.  Try to have fellowship with a group that is less homogenous.  It's a beautiful foretaste and realization of the kingdom!

Emerging?

There is a LOT of talk going around about what is known as the Emerging Church.  I have read some on it and have had some interest in the area.  Broad Street is considered by many to be an "emerging church."  However, I have noticed that many at Broad Street cringe when that word is even mentioned!

Interestingly enough, today a very nice religion professor came in to speak to Bill, the founding pastor, about his thoughts on this movement.  What ensued was a very enlightening conversation that helped set a lot of my thoughts on this movement in line.  I now share some of my thoughts post-that conversation.

I have taken a keen interest in "the emerging church" strictly on the basis of the grounds for conversation, which is: a conversation based on how the Spirit is calling the church to respond to the postmodern culture.  A common belief that I tend to resonate with is that the modern institutional church has grown stagnant in many areas, including, losing its prophetic voice to the world, losing the rich creativity and diversity once found in traditional worship, and its openness to be constantly transformed by the Spirit...to name a few.  I have heard it described as a means to balance the aims of the "contemporary church" movement with the roots of the "traditional church" founding.  So this is where the conversation starts.

If you haven't clicked the link to the wikipedia article above, please do so.  Understand it?  I can't either!  Just notice how many references there are!

Therein lies the problem and beauty with this conversation.  The problem is that many many pastors, authors, seminary students, and others have used this conversation as a chance to become experts on the "new thing." There are a lot of egos out there writing on this subject and telling people how they can create an "emerging church." Wait...wasn't this just a de-constructing conversation?  Since when did we start constructing again?  These writers have taken this in all different directions.  Don't get me wrong - there is beauty in this, as I mention.  The beauty is that people are openly talking about where they think the Spirit is calling the church.  Why aren't we doing this more often?  As we carry on with old traditions, we lose sight of new opportunities that arise.  We also turn away the people who are looking for a new prophetic word from God or a new way to connect to the needs of the community.

Another issue with this movement is something Bill has often mentioned.  The emergent church conversation is an ecclesiological movement (about how we do church) and not a theological movement (what we believe).  Now these two are very much related.  Of course there is theology to how we do church.  However, the point is that we should aim to keep our theological grounding in the reformed tradition.  The emergent church conversation aims to re-evaluate these deeply held beliefs to explore new ways of expression that better serve as a response to our postmodern culture.

So back to this whole cringing at the thought of Broad Street being an "emerging church."  I'm with them there.  There's no need to label ourselves here, especially as something that is meant to be deconstructive of such labels!  However, I do believe that Broad Street is faithfully attempting to answer the issues faced by the struggles and stagnancies of the greater church.  Please note that I'm not singling out one church, nor am I rejecting my upbringing in the traditional church.  But rather, I'm bringing up notions, as mentioned earlier of:  losing a prophetic voice to the world, losing a rich creativity and diversity once found in traditional worship, and an openness to be constantly transformed by the Spirit.  I recognize Broad Street is in a VERY unique situation, as a young church community with a very high ceiling for experiencing revolutionary experiments in being church.  However, this doesn't mean that we can't at least TALK about these things more in the institutional church!

I raise a few questions not to lead any sort of agenda or answer any questions, but rather to encourage dialogue.  These are questions that I wrestle with myself.
WHAT defines church?  WHAT is the point of having "members"?   WHAT defines a successful church?  HOW can a church be prophetic?  WHO is the church excluding?  WHY do we worship the way we do?  WHAT could be different?

These kind of questions could dumbfound a session..."WHY would you even ask these things!  We've been doing just fine.  We're growing in numbers and having very meaningful worship services, what else needs to be done?" Even talking about change is a difficult thing to do sometimes when it calls us to ask questions that aren't always so 'decent' or 'in order'.

Just remember, Jesus asked the hard questions too!  It's all about the conversation.


P.S. one final critique about the most popular expressions of the "emergent church" movement that I have often heard and it has really rung true since I've been at Broad Street...have you ever noticed the demographic makeup of who these people are?  Hint: I fit the mold perfectly (minus a goatee):

Dialogue With God

Numbers 11 was our lectionary text for the week.  What a thrilling read that is!

I had the opportunity to lead the weekly Bible study, aka "no holds barred Bible study," on Wednesday.  The only rules are:
1. Be honest
2. Be humble
3. Be hospitable
4. Don't talk with your mouth full
After communal dinner, a group of 10-20 people gather to discern the lectionary text for the week.  What is unique about these Bible studies is the rich diversity.  The makeup of the group can't be explained as it is often a very equal mix of poor, rich, young, old, and different ethnicities.  What this leads to is a VERY rich discussion, as you hear interpretations that you often miss.  Having a poor person speak of what struggle means to them can rock your world.

Anyway, Numbers is a difficult text.  What we got out of chapter 11 was a story of God's spirit sending aid to complaining Israelites through chosen elders.  This spirit also falls upon 2 others in the camp who prophesy, at which Moses responds in disgust that people are offended that the spirit could fall on others less "qualified." I asked the people to relate themselves to people in the story and had a wide variety of responses of relating to the ones complaining, the ones feeling burdened, the ones feeling like leaders behind the scenes, etc.

This Sunday, Rev. Bill took a different angle to the text by focusing on the complaints of the Israelites and the tenacity of Moses to argue with God about it.  He spoke of the significance of this dialogue with God, being honest about struggles and complaints, all the while recognizing our place and our true needs vs. wants.

Beyond this, I had a busy week of meetings!  As I begin to discern what my specific role will be at this place, I am doing my best to learn how the wheels turn around here.  It is looking like a big chunk of my responsibilities will revolve around connecting with prospective volunteers to Broad Street programs.  Basically, I'll be doing a LOT of coffee dates and phone conversations to reach out to people pastorally, all the while discovering their gifts, needs, and how they will fit into the structure of things at Broad Street!  Easy right?

Exciting things coming up, I'll try to post as best as I can!  Things happen so fast around here it's hard to catch up with it all!

By the way, here's an image of the worship space at BSM, with the windmills and prayer cards turned into origami birds.  I'll leave the interpretation up to you!

peace,
Mike

Living in Babel

So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore it was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth. Genesis 11:8-9

This Bible story, about the Tower of Babel, has been used to describe how people were scattered across the earth with different languages. This passage was used Tuesday morning, as Broad Street led worship for the meeting of the Philadelphia presbytery. Jud Hendrix was our preacher. He is the founding pastor of Covenant Community Church, a new PC USA church development often labeled with the loaded term "emergent church." In his sermon, he reminded us that the story of Babel teaches us that God wanted diversity. God didn't want us to live comfortably within our own cities and towers. God came down and messed everything up for a reason! God wants us to live in "babble." When Jud reached this point, he said that he had planned to explain where to go from here. However, he realized in that moment that he would be giving specifics that may lead to "building a tower," so he stopped, mid sermon. I've never experienced a sermon done so purposely that way, leaving the congregation hanging in thought. He left us with the idea that God wants us to live in babble, and it is up to us through the work of the spirit to navigate through this.

The Pentecost story was our other text, which is often used in paradigm to the story of Babel. In this story, the church gathers, is filled with the Holy Spirit, and begins to understand one another, despite the fact that they speak other languages. Looking at these two stories, we realize that the Holy Spirit gives us what we need to be the church, it is not something we build ourselves. Like Bill and many others said that morning (quoting Brueggemann), we live in a myth of scarcity. We are so worried about our "cities" and "brick and mortar," that we miss what it means to be the prophetic church in the here and now.

Out of this sermon, we went into a practice that was unusual for Presbytery meetings. We met in small groups! In these groups, we talked about the "towers" in our churches - the things that we work on that end the end are worth nothing. My particular group discussed all the debates around money and building management. They were all united in the mindset that way too much time is spent on these areas, which distracts the church from its purpose of being more deeply engaged in the community around. From here, we moved on to assure one another of God's provision and bless one another in being more attuned and committed to the working of the Holy Spirit.

Worship that day was extremely moving. Besides these wonderful moments, we had a powerful liturgical dance, the choir that shook things up as usual, and an artistic confession of faith that included people attaching written confessions onto a poster board cross. Many of the 300 plus gathered for Presbytery that day were shaken and moved. I hope that others can find the time and ability to explore such possibility and freedom in worship.

Now...what have I been up to?

This past week has been very hectic! I'll give a brief run-down.

Last Wednesday, Tony Campolo and Shaun Casey led a conversation on the changing face of evangelical politics, which was very interesting.

Thursday, got to experience the season premiere of It's always sunny in Philadelphia in a bar! It was awesome.

Friday, I got to hang out with my good friends Gabe, Sarah Beth, and Lindsay around the city.

Saturday, we hosted the annual Block Party, an event for University of the Arts students in center city. We had food, games, and music!

Sunday, I worshipped at Arch Street Presbyterian, where Rev. John Galloway preached a powerful sermon about the power of the Holy Spirit. We worshipped that evening at Broad Street as usual.

Ok. Sorry for the long recap. I'll attempt to post more often as to not have to load up my blog with these details!

Peace.

fashioning a new church?

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?

Getting into the thick of it!

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?

New Beginnings

Our weeks of orientation have been a whirlwind!  We have been meeting new people constantly.  Wednesday night, we concluded our day of meetings by attending dinner and Bible study, which was attended by a wide demographic of people.  Studying Scripture and praying with people who are homeless or suffering in some form is a very insightful experience.  We were able to hear their needs and what is important to them.  Beyond this, their interpretation of scripture was very enlightening for those of us who have grown up in privilege.

Thursday morning was spent learning about the second place us seminary interns will be working: Arch Street Presbyterian.  Never before have I been in a place where you feel like you’re back in the 1700’s, then can step through a door and appear somewhere in the future.  Arch Street Pres is an OLD Presbyterian church in the heart of the city.  To be more specific, it shares a block with the TALLEST building in Philadelphia – the Comcast Center.  Basically, 2 years ago, Comcast started building this skyscraper and learned they were unable to touch the church as it was a historical landmark.  So, they’ve built AROUND it, adding a glad atrium and elevator to the church in order to separate it from the Comcast center.  It is really an odd sight!

So beyond the appearance of Arch Street Pres is a distinct example of what happens to a church that is too concerned for it’s own survival to risk anything (See earlier post).  The congregation had dwindled down to a worshipping congregation around 10 people.  The session had 7 people.  Now I know many churches that are about this size and I mean no disrespect to small churches by any means.  However, there is something quite unusual about a church in the middle of downtown, next to the largest skyscraper in the city, with a large sanctuary, that struggles to get more than 10 people in worship.  Anyway, Bill, the minister of Broad Street, was approached to help revive this church.  Eventually, the Presbytery had to come in to help shape the vision of the place.  So around a year later, this church is starting to get a glimpse of new life, with Broad Street eyeing possibilities of renewal, a visionary minister, and seminary interns willing to make something happen!  The sky is the limit and it couldn’t be more exciting!

A week into my internship, I am gaining a sense of how things run around here.  Bill, our supervisor, made a point to express to us the importance of building relationships with co-workers in order to get anything done.  There are about 30 people working/volunteering at Broad Street, most are in their 20-30’s, and all are very close-knit group.  These friendships are what allow Broad Street to work how it does.  If someone has an idea, they all come together to figure out how to make it happen.  If we are going to be effective in this place, we must work on nurturing relationships with co-workers and all others who come into the doors of Broad Street.

More details later.  Please share thoughts!

Called to risk and to trust

Book of Order

G 3.0400  Called to Risk and Trust

The Church is called to undertake its mission even at the risk 

of losing its life, trusting in God alone as the author and giver of 

life, sharing the gospel, and doing those deeds in the world that 

point beyond themselves to the new reality in Christ. 

Today was an orientation day, which meant a lot of information packed into a few conversations throughout the day!  This was both tiring and exciting, as I was beginning to gain a better sense of what this place is all about!

I learned the true extent of the above book of order quote while hearing from the leadership staff about their impressions of broad street.  When an idea emerges to address an immanent need in the community - people jump on it immediately!  There are no sessions that debate an issue into the ground and eventually crumble into fear.  When there is a need to host 100 homeless people overnight during the bitter cold winter and provide warm drinks and soup, they put it together!  I'm not saying there are no discussions or thought put into these decisions, because there definitely is.  However, there is an assertive attitude around this place that says "let's risk and trust as Christ calls us." 

Sure, Broad Street Ministry is not technically a "church." It is a non-profit mission agency.  They don't worship on Sundays, they don't have elders, they don't host potluck suppers.  However, they make you ask yourself "what is a church?" They have a committed group of people (from homeless to wealthy) who come to worship on Sunday evenings, they have a pastoral staff committed to leading the vision of the ministry and providing pastoral care for those who need it, they are dedicated to proclaiming Christ in all that they do and say, and they are continually guided and led by Christ's call for the church to commit to social justice.  It sure looks and feels like a church!  I'm hoping I find a lot to learn from out of this place!

I think there's always a precarious balance between tradition and newness.  A community of faith MUST remain grounded in the reformed tradition which calls us to continually be guided by God-inspired scripture that has led our church fathers (and mothers!) to establish what we have today.  However, a community of faith MUST also be continually committed to the NEW things the Holy Spirit is calling us to each and every day.  

It is these new things that often demand we "risk losing our life" and "point beyond ourselves."  How can the church better live out this calling in the book of order?  I'm sure i'll be exploring BSM's answer to this question as I continue my work.  

What do you think?