It seemed a strange time to hear the thought that caused us to stop, be still, listen, and think. A group of pilgrim disciples, including two from Stepping Stone, were working to build and furnish a new home for a family who lost all their material goods on April 27, 2011. The thought spoken seemed a bit odd on a rather balmy October 7; but moments later, workers smiled, paused, commented.
You see, the thought may have seemed unusual wearing short sleeves and work gloves, but it was also full of promise when you're standing in a front yard swept bare by a massive tornado. Suddenly, hope made an appearance and floated across, through and around the gathering. Filled with the fragrance and appeal of new construction, hope captured us as a willing and active audience, blessing us with the promise of all that is yet to come.
"I wonder where they'll put the Christmas tree--probably there, in the front window." The thought spoke hope into life again and suddenly, the eyes of our hearts looked forward to Christmas morning future. The Wednesday after Easter brought devastation. But on the Christmas after, thirteen family members will gather in the space beyond the front window praising God for life together, celebrating life together, with the emphasis on God's grace and protection during a storm of unbelievable proportions.
I'm grateful for our shared experience of labor with hope. But it's now October 8 and I'm focused on construction and furnishings for a different house, a new space for a new church. And the thought comes once more: "I wonder where we'll put the Christmas tree--probably there, near the hearth." I don't know where the thought came from or where the first tree will go. But I know where Stepping Stone is going: filled with hope, we're going toward Christmas morning future when people of faith will gather for celebration of the Christ child's birth, with celebration of life together.
This year, in the year of terrific storms, the first Sunday of Advent is November 27, 2011. Advent is that time when we anticipate and prepare for Jesus' birth. Depending on your tradition, hope or prophecy provide the theme for that Lord's day. For Stepping Stone, it's both: a prophetic fulfillment of a hopeful journey that begins God's 'new thing'--a church as vibrant, as fresh, as alive...as our first tree!
At Advent and Christmas and every day after, let Stepping Stone praise God and think once again of windows and trees. Let us remember and be thankful for the time when...
Filled with the fragrance and appeal of new construction, hope captured us as a willing and active audience, blessing us with the promise of all that is yet to come.
In my morning devotion time, I never know what to expect from the Lord. :) This week, Psalm 92 brought a wonderful surprise, a promise to be trusted and treasured at this point in the journey.
Those who have been replanted in the Lord's house will spring up in the courtyards of our God. They will bear fruit even when old and gray; they will remain lush and fresh in order to proclaim: The Lord is righteous. He's my rock. There's nothing unrighteous in him.
(Psalm 92:13-15, CEB)
First, we recognize that the promise is true, fruit will appear, not because we are good, but because the Lord is righteous.
Then and only then, the replanted proclaim with confidence born of faith in the true and living God: 'He's my [our!] rock!'
Thank you, Jesus. Now the way seems much easier!
At a Sunday gathering two weeks ago, Jesus showed up in a little girl with her mom and dad who arrived carrying kites to fly. Silently, I thought the kites looked strange--not because they were Strawberry Shortcake, Batman and a coloful kaleidescope. The kites looked weird to me because it is September, not March!
Talk about being stuck in mindset and patterns of behavior--help me, Lord. And He did! A disciple spoke and insisted that I go fly a kite. Silently grumbling and feeling anxious of looking the fool--I've never been able to get a kite up in the air--I picked up the Batman kite and started walking. Walking, reluctantly, then a bit faster, a lite jog, when to my total surprise, there was a pull on the string and the kite was flying--not for a moment or two, but long and high and free. People on the sidelines began to shout instructions: let out the string...the string, let the strrriiinnng out moooorre...so it'll fly hiii--gher--eerr!
Later, at home, the kite experience stayed with me until my spiritual sight soared higher. Every church should go fly a kite! I'm not talking about the usual meaning of that phrase--heaven knows there are enough churches who walk and talk a message of 'go away and leave me alone'. If you don't believe me, consider this fact: "A new decade-long survey of American congregations shows religious health and vitality are weaker than they were 10 years ago" (CNN link below). Do I need to say more? If I weren't a pastor, I'm not sure I would attend church and I LOVE the Church!
When I say churches should go fly a kite, I mean that we should listen to the Spirit who shows up and speaks through people like the three-year-old who loaned me a kite with Batman on it. And when someone young or old invites us to play, we should get out of our pews and run. If the young are going to prophesy and see visions and the old men and women dream dreams (Acts 2:17, Joel 2:28), we the church should pay attention and moooovvve!
If we want the church to be new and vibrant...if we want the church to be what Jesus intended...if we want the church to be fresh, open, flying high like its early decades...we need to listen to the children and literally go fly a kite!
For the love of God, it's not about the pew-sitting and the standing--each done at the exact time and precise way. It's not about the perfectly maintained carpet or even the cross on the wall. It's about free and full expression of our love for God and our love for all others. It's about a Christ-centered relationship we share with all (ALL) people, the world over. It's also about the cross in our hearts, the one that bends us low to serve and carries us high with joy in the Jesus who claims and perfects us as His own.
At Stepping Stone, we've decided to fly more kites. We're eager to see how it evolves, but at least three Sundays per month, there will be an intentional time of physical and spiritual interaction--children, youth, adults. We believe that's one gift we need in American culture--more time together, listening to one another and playing together in the Spirit that breathes life into our space and experience. The article quoted above includes some good news: "In the measured decade, churches, temples and synagogues told surveyors that congregations that were innovative and contemporary showed the highest amount of "high spiritual vitality."
Regardless of our age--people or churches--we can all aim high. Go fly a kite!
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/09/20/a-rough-decade-for-american-congregations/
The church member who lives with me--Roger, the guy I'm married to!--walked in this morning and handed over his key to the church (former) saying something like: 'this key won't unlock anything now'. I know this may not be his finest word of wisdom, but his message bears a simple truth!
That key sits on the table reminding me Jesus is busy unlocking the door called Stepping Stone. Although two years on the journey feels a little long to some of us, it's really early and we're only beginning to see the way opened wide (hear that word wiiiide with a southern drawl)! Like songwriter/musician Richard Marx said to new fans, we say to all people: "Welcome to our party. It's just starting to get going." Let me revise that: "Welcome to Jesus' party. It's just starting to get going at Stepping Stone." And let's pay a compliment to all local churches that no matter how many years they've stayed open, they still say in word and action and attitude: 'Welcome! There's a party going on here...come on in'!
Richard Marx made another statement that connects with churches: "...once you have some success in one style, the [music]business wants to lock you in that vein forever." I suppose that's a human tendency because the church 'business' or church people like to lock the church in 'one vein' forever. We're in good shape as long as we're talking 'one vein' as in the nourishing, invigorating, life-giving blood of Christ. But we're unhealthy when 'one vein' means we're locked into a particular way of sitting, standing, speaking, and being the church. In other words, the sign on the building may say 'church' in its name, but the door appears locked!
Style is one of the doors Jesus is unlocking at Stepping Stone. I want to say the door swings open all at once; but with Stepping Stone, the opening up has been more gradual with steps shown here and there along the way. And the latest step fell into place this past Sunday through one of our children.
I believe Jesus came to a manger, a cross, and a empty tomb not only to unlock sin's power over humanity, but also to open up and set free those who assemble to worship God and practice the faith. Like his Spirit, we the church are meant to be open wide and free. In all times and places, we the body of Christ experience and live within a fresh wind of an ever present grace.
Let Stepping Stone decide now that what Jesus opens today is not cast in stone for tomorrow. Let's take each step forward with the commitment to staying wide open and continually set free by the Christ who is the only key!
It's time or past time for the former business office to be cleaned out. I offered earlier in the summer; but it's now time--past time--and I quickly discovered I am not cut out to be a 'martyr'! After a half-day of working through interruptions and mail and other tasks (but very little cleaning out!), I quickly jumped online to send a group email inviting help. As always, several good and faithful disciples stepped forward.
Now, cabinets and shelves and desktop empty and clean, only a small truck load remains for delivery to a local thrift shop. From this point forward, we're moving on, a new path, an open way.
Tertullian said, "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church." No doubt he was talking about the early martyrs. They stood calm and strong in the face of persecution, even death. And in their dying, they planted seeds of the Christian Church so that it sprouted, grew and spread thick and wide, bearing fruit like a vineyard only the Lord could plant.
Perhaps I and the disciples of Stepping Stone are more like martyrs than I thought. We may not be shedding our own blood, but we're willing to give up our stuff: habits and mindsets, perceptions of church now and church past so we can reach for and help bring in church future. We stand ready to sacrifice the church we grew up in, the church we're familiar with, or 'church should be...' for the church becoming new with a future--fresh, vibrant, growing now and for the next few hundred years.
The tough part of the journey is throwing away, cleaning out, being still while the Holy Spirit digs and plows and configures the new way of being church. Thankfully, I know a few disciples who like to help; they don't mind a little dirt under their nails and they're ready to plant! Praise be to God (and thanks to faithful disciples)!
This morning, the Sunday before Labor Day, I confess: I slept in. Then, I had a cup of coffee followed by a conversation with God. After a second cup sitting in a back porch 'sanctuary', I enjoyed worship at a new (two year old) United Methodist church near Marietta, Georgia. Inspired by that experience, I decided to do some creative work and updated Stepping Stone's web site. All this happened without searching for the keys to my car!
Where am I on the way to? John Wesley would say and I echo his statement: Christian perfection. That involves being in and on the way, present and active in Christ, through the Church, within/for the world via an array of amazing choices...like worship by live streaming video! I enjoyed and learned and felt inspired by the worship experience, and that's great! I'm grateful for that opportunity! But I could only participate from a distance in the holy meal that makes us one in a community of faith. When one disciple made their way back to their seat, they touched another disciple and another disicple on the shoulder. I could only wish that I had tasted the bread with the wine, that my shoulder had been touched in Christian love.
Thankfully, we live in a time of amazing choices--and I choose to enjoy life in all its variety. This includes the presence and experiences of a gathered faith community: sometimes online, but regularly, often: in the flesh, with the Spirit.
So today, I give thanks that I'm on my way to being part of a new kind of church--church in a new old way--like the church right after Pentecost. It's a new path, an open way. And I'm loving it! I'm also loving the people called to share the journey--present and future! And I'm loving Jesus who calls us to share the way, the way of life!
