This is why

Just as God, out of his great love for the world, gave his son for the good of the world, so God, out of his great love for the world, gave you for the good of the world.

If you know a better way to bring hope, healing, and life to the victims of Katrina do it. If you don't know a better way, than donate to Episcopal Relief and Development.

(Note: My bishop tells me that all the administrative costs for Episcopal Relief and Development are funded from the denominational budget. This means that 100% of your giving for victim relief will go to victim relief.)

Or, you could do both! Either way, you can give through ERD by clicking here.

The Lord be with you.

This week's NEWSWEEK

Even as we look south, praying for those devastated or threatened by Katrina, there is the larger view: God's Divine Conspiracy continues its inexorible penetration into a humanity so deeply in need of healing: both justice and peace, both redemption and reconciliation (have you read this book yet?).

This week's NEWSWEEK gets at it very nicely. If you don't subscribe, just run down to the local market, bypass all the current magazine covers celebrating consumerism, celebrities, and cleavage, and buy the current issue.

Not convinced? Take a peek by clicking here.

The Lord be with you.

WWJD

Click for larger image:


by D.C. Simpson, www.idrewthis.org.

A lesson from Celtic Christianity

The ancient Christian Celts paid attention to the way in which God came to live among us, was culturally indistinguishable from us, was one of us.

Adopting that same strategy, Celts brought the light of God into the Europe of the Dark Ages by creating influential communities of Christians living in the midst of the pagan communities. These were not withdrawn ghettos, cutoff from interaction in the manner of contemporary "gated communities," but places of hospitality, interaction, and trade.

Christians are employing that same strategy today on the campuses of two Colorado universities, by creating communities in the same houses were campus horror and tragedy happened last year.

Read today's news article from the Denver Post by clicking here.



Sarah Laribee being interviewed by the Denver Post in the room where Samantha Spady died last year.

Sabbatical visits:The Gathering, Walkersville, MD

What was your first impression as you entered?

The Gathering presently meets in the multipurpose gym/cafeteria at an elementary school. (I noticed a large, colorful “the future home of” sign in a field nearer to Frederick.) On the sidewalk outside the entrance was the standard “the Episcopal Church welcomes you” sign.

Entering the multipurpose room, the first thing I saw was a large cage on the floor surrounded by children. Inside the cage was a large bunny. (This is the second Episcopal congregation I’ve visited this summer that was using furry animals to help make connections with people.) The worship space wrapped half-around the altar, with a small praise band to the side, and a rear-projection screen up and behind. The focus of the space was clearly on the altar and the lectern.

How long was the service?

The worship lasted an hour and 15 minutes, plus about 5-10 minutes of announcements and introductions following. They gave just under 10 minutes to the priest’s informal conversation with the children (literally a conversation, not a children’s sermon) and 35 minutes to the sermon.

How was the service structured?

Holy Eucharist – but neither Rite I nor Rite II. The liturgy was translated into contemporary prose, including short versions of a Creed, Prayers of the People, and Eucharistic prayer.

What did you like best?

The prayer!!!! At the end of the informal conversation with the children, the priest prayed for them in a wonderfully real, intimate way. At the beginning of the Prayers of the People, members of the congregation shared very short, one-sentence statements for prayer: “I want to give thanks for the safe return of my son from Afghanistan.” “I’d like to ask for the healing and recovery of a family member from emphysema.” People seemed to listen attentively and carefully to each of these. The spoken prayer that followed was more of an informal collect than a litany, and again seemed wonderfully real, intimate, faithful and caring.

What did you dislike?

Although I favor ongoing liturgical renewal, I prefer the punch of a more poetic style than a simple prose style.

What were its greatest strengths that you’d like to import?

There was a very powerful sense of a gathered community rather than a gathering of individuals. It definitely felt more like an open community than a closed community. This would not be a congregation that one would choose if one expected to remain disengaged or anonymous.

If you were looking for a church, would this be it?

Yes, definitely.

What did you learn from this visit?

The experience of corporate prayer in this worship gathering contrasted sharply to what I’ve experienced in any other gathering: Protestant (of any sort), Anglican, Roman, or Orthodox. I am thinking hard about how much more attention we all need to pay to corporate prayer.

The sense of community was so strong that children literally wandering around seemed no more odd than it would at a community picnic or family reunion. This did not impede worship in the least, for anyone. When one small child began crying for some reason, one woman (Mom? Grandma? Aunt? A friend?) simply got up from her seat and led the child out of the room for a while, just as she likely would at the picnic or reunion. It all seemed totally natural, relaxed, and appropriate – and the worship was never interrupted.

Is there anything else you want to say?

They got the “sequence hymn” exactly right. That sang the familiar “Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord,” but shortened it, so that it effectively introduced the reading of the Gospel rather than taking on a life of its own. Nicely done!

This is my opinion; I could be wrong.

The Lord be with you.

Sad news

"Brother Roger died as he lived, praying at the center of his community."

Click here to read about Brother Roger, his great contribution to the world through the Taize community, and his tragic death.

Click here for the Obituary in the Washington Post.

Click here for the Washington Post news article.

The Fellowship Committee Strikes Again

Sometime this past year, our newly organized Fellowship Committee decided to plan something fun every month. For example, last month, several dozen of us went to a baseball game together -- and had a great time. This month, several dozen went to a crabhouse together. It was low-carb-diet Heaven.

Click on a photo below for a larger version (yes... you might see some people at more than one table. We didn't actually play musical chairs, but perhaps that's an idea for another fun fellowship event!)

Next month is the party for the Celebration of New Ministry, and in October comes Oktoberfest.

Who said church can't be fun?

Sabbatical visits:Clear River Community Church, Centerville, VA

What was your first impression as you entered?

Clear River Community Church meets in a middle school. After all the “theater church” venues I’ve seen recently, I was looking forward to not meeting in a theater. And remembering how Church of the Beloved (Charlotte, NC) had so wonderfully adapted the cafeteria space in an elementary school, I was eager to see how Clear River Community Church would creatively use whatever space they had.

Parking was easy, the entrance clearly marked, and a visitors’ information table was immediately available in the lobby. Several people greeted us and gave us information. The way to the Sunday School was marked with a happy, colorful banner, but the way to the worship gathering was not apparent. We took a guess, and ended up in the right place.

Unfortunately, the middle school is equipped with a theater – and there we were again. It's not the church's fault -- they have to use the space they get. This middle school theater exhibits most of the same strengths as the professional theaters -– no set up required for seating, and a large screen for projection. But it had the same weaknesses as all the other theaters: it is clearly designed for the show rather than for building community (a weakness shared by most church buildings.) The darkness impedes interaction with others, the theater is designed to augment the electronic sound system while diminishing ambient sound. This is a good thing for theaters, but a terrible thing for churches: congregational singing is absorbed into the walls, so one feels like one is singing all alone.

On the other hand, it was nice to see some older people and a lot of little children. Clear River obviously intends for their worship to be ingenerational: the children were present for the singing, the prayers, the scriptures and the communion. The sermon followed the communion time. Children were dismissed for their own classes while the sermon was the adult offering for Christian education.

How long was the service?

Because the school’s air conditioning system was not functioning – on a particularly hot, humid day in August – the worship leaders announced several times that the service would be short and sweet today. It was an hour and 20 minutes. This did not seem too long to me, at all, but it made me wonder. Was the service actually shorter than usual, or did they forget to cut out whatever they intended? I didn’t ask, but I was amused. In any case, it seemed the right length to me: they gave good attention to all the needed parts, at a nice leisurely pace.

How was the service structured?

Singing: 15 minutes
Prayer: 10 minutes
2 Scripture readings: 4 minutes
Communion meditation: 10 minutes
Communion / Singing: 15 minutes
-- Dismissal of children / regroup – 5 minutes
Sermon: 20 minutes
Closing prayer: 1 minute

What did you like best?

The creed, communion, the sermon.

The sermon was very conversational, very real, very personal. It was an honest, theological reflection on the meaning of genuine faith, given the difficulties of contemporary life and an invisible God.

The communion was informal, but well focused and thoughtful. They obviously had studied the historic Eucharistic western rites. Later, when we asked, they said they had adapted much of their worship from the Book of Common Prayer.

What did you dislike?

The prayer time would benefit greatly either by creating a structure for participation, that is, some liturgical structure, or by shortening it. (I would have preferred the former.) As it was, with but one person saying prayers aloud, extemporaneously, we found it very difficult to remain engaged. We failed, and were frankly relieved when it was over.

Although they had adapted freely from the Prayerbook, they did not seem to understand the organic flow – the why of the shape of the Western rites. It made a lot of sense, given their approach to Christian education, for the sermon to follow the communion. But it seemed very odd to say the creed (the congregation’s response to the Word of God) before the Word of God was proclaimed (through scripture and sermon). So for me, the order of worship seemed disordered.

What were its greatest strengths that you’d like to import?

Good preaching, and a great website.

If you were looking for a church, would this be it?

Clear River Community has a lot going for it. Although I admit that it wouldn’t the church I were looking for, it might be yours. If you live in Centerville, you should definitely give it a look.

What did you learn from this visit?

There are so many new church plants meeting in conference rooms, gyms, cafeterias and theaters, that supplying their equipment needs has become a profitable business. Clear River Community used some very interesting equipment acquired from “Portable Church Industries” (Click here for their website.) From my point of view, that’s very, very good news. Not that there is source for equipment – but that there are that many new church starts!

Is there anything else you want to say?

Two things:
First, on most of my visits to other churches during this sabbatical study, I have been accompanied by others. My wife has been with me on most visits, daughters on several, college students and another adult on some. On nearly all of these visits, my impressions were identical to those who joined me. This was not the case on this visit. Our impressions were quite surprisingly different from one another. I have no idea what this means.

Second, I was surprised at how disappointed I was when we walked in and saw it was in the school’s theater rather than some other space. It has become more clear to me than ever, while visiting these churches this summer, that the relational aspect of congregational worship is everything to me: the experience of connecting with God and the experience of connecting with God’s people. The program, if you will, the show, is of no importance to me at all. Put me in a room with some open, honest people who are hungering for God in community, and I’m satisfied. Put me in room alone, even surrounded by others, even when the preaching and the music are great, and I’m not satisfied at all. I don’t think my inner demand for relational connection, for spiritual community, is a matter of personal preference. I think that spiritual community is what church is. This is not all that it is, but spiritual community is at the core.

This is my opinion; I could be wrong.

The Lord be with you.

It's Friday; But Sunday's Comin'

Last Sunday morning I was at worship in National Community Church, meeting in the lower level of Union Station in DC. We were singing “Blessed be Your Name,” a wonderful song by Matt Redman, with words from the book of Job. I was so moved I couldn’t continue singing, and just stood there, weeping. Later, reflecting about those strong emotions, I remembered Tony Campolo’s account of hearing a sermon he heard, preached by an African-American preacher. Campolo describes it like this:

For an hour and a half he preached one line over and over again..."It's Friday, but Sunday's comin'!" He started his sermon real softly by saying, "It was Friday; it was Friday and my Jesus was dead on the tree. But that was Friday, and Sunday's comin'!" One of the Deacons yelled, "Preach, brother, Preach!" It was all the encouragement he needed.

He came on louder as he said, "It was Friday and Mary was cryin' her eyes out. The disciples were runnin' in every direction, like sheep without a shepherd, but that was Friday, and Sunday's comin!"

The preacher kept going. He picked up the volume still more and shouted, "It was Friday. The cynics were lookin' at the world and sayin' `As things have been so shall they be. You can't change anything in this world; you can't change anything. But those cynics don't know that it was only Friday. Sunday's comin'! It was Friday, and on Friday those forces that oppress the poor and make the poor to suffer were in control. But that was Friday! Sunday's comin'!

It was Friday, and on Friday Pilate thought he had washed his hands of a lot of trouble. The Pharisees were struttin' around, laughin' and pokin' each other in the ribs. They thought they were back in charge of things. But they didn't know it was only Friday! Sunday's comin'!

Campolo continues, "He kept on working that one phrase for a half hour, then an hour, then an hour and a quarter, then an hour and a half. Over and over he came at us, "It's Friday, but Sunday's comin!" By the time he had come to the end of the message... he had me and everybody else so worked up that I don't think any of us could have stood it much longer. At the end of his message he just yelled at the top of his lungs, `It's FRIDAY!' and all 500 of us in that church yelled back with one accord, `SUNDAY'S COMIN'!

Weeping and shouting in worship? Isn’t that emotionalism? Manipulation?

Well, of course, it can be. There are times and places where a crowd is whipped into a frenzy for the sake of those who are doing the whipping. But if one never weeps or shouts about God, then obviously there is nothing to shout about. Or perhaps we haven’t been paying attention. Certainly, the Christian faith is far more than emotions. But just as certainly, it isn’t less!

May you sing and dance, laugh and shout, and weep ‘til your heart breaks with joy!

A tunnel of hope through the dark mountain of disappointment

A friend pointed this out to me today, and I was so very moved. As you read it, see if you can recognize the source (author and date):

----------------------------

Things are different now. So often the contemporary church is a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound. So often it is an archetype of the status quo. Far from being disturbed by the presence of the church, the power structure of the average community is consoled by the church's silent and often even vocal sanction of things as they are.

But the judgment of God is upon the church as never before. If today's church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authenticity, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the twentieth century. Every day I meet young people whose disappointment with the church has turned into outright disgust.

Perhaps I have once again been too optimistic. Is organized religion too inextricably bound to the status quo to save our nation and the world? Perhaps I must turn my faith to the inner spiritual church, the church within the church, as the true ekklesia and the hope of the world. But again I am thankful to God that some noble souls from the ranks of organized religion have broken loose from the paralyzing chains of conformity and joined us as active partners in the struggle for freedom, They have left their secure congregations and walked the streets of Albany, Georgia, with us. They have gone down the highways of the South on tortuous rides for freedom. Yes, they have gone to jail with us. Some have been dismissed from their churches, have lost the support of their bishops and fellow ministers. But they have acted in the faith that right defeated is stronger than evil triumphant. Their witness has been the spiritual salt that has preserved the true meaning of the gospel in these troubled times. They have carved a tunnel of hope through the dark mountain of disappointment.

I hope the church as a whole will meet the challenge of this decisive hour.

--------
Did you recognize the source? (Scroll down to see.)





















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excerpt from LETTER FROM BIRMINGHAM JAIL, by Martin Luther King, Jr.:
April 16, 1963
Click here to read King's entire letter

Sabbatical visits:Church of the Beloved (Episcopal), Charlotte, NC

What was your first impression as you entered?

Church of the Beloved practices what some like to call “church in a box.” They manage to pack nearly everything they need for Sunday services into a trailer which is stored somewhere safe during the week. Every Sunday morning they unload the trailer at their worship site (in this case, a school cafeteria in southeast Charlotte), haul everything inside and set up for worship, classes, visitors’ welcome, childcare, coffee hour and Christian education. We arrived early so that we could watch how they set up.

Aware that they were busy, we stayed out of their way. Yet, in between hauling things in or putting things together, various members managed to find opportunities to greet and welcome us. We were very impressed by their high morale, happy spirits, and warm welcome.

How long was the service?

An hour and 20 minutes, followed by Sunday School for all ages.

How was the service structured?

Holy Eucharist, Rite II.

What did you like best?

Of all the congregations we have ever visited, of any denomination, anywhere in the world, Church of the Beloved struck as the most warm and most welcoming. During the course of the morning (before the service, after the service, at coffee hour, in the Christian education hour) we were greeted by all kinds of people who seemed to be delighted to meet us. Welcoming did not seem to be in any organized or coordinated, but seemed to be a central value of the congregation.
-----
They transformed a utilitarian, school cafeteria into an inviting, exciting, tasteful, sacred space by thoughtful placement of a few pieces of furniture and screens. We were very surprised to watch it become, in just a few minutes, one of the more comfortable and attractive worship spaces we’ve experienced.
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The pace of the liturgy was relaxed, neither rushed nor dragging. Their attitude toward the liturgy seemed also comfortable and relaxed, neither rigid/formalistic nor sloppy.
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The prayers of the people were illustrated: images, no text. For example, when the bidder called us to "pray for all bishops..." the praying faces of the Archibishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of Rome (the Pope), the Ecumenical Patriarch, and local Diocesan Bishop all appeared on the screen.
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The sermon was personal, easy to follow, interesting and spiritually centered. They obviously like Jesus.
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After the Gospel, before the sermon, a scene from a recent Hollywood film was played. It was neither introduced, explained, nor referred to during the service, but stood on its own. (Nobody said, “Now watch this….”) We couldn’t tell whether those who chose the scene thought it was directly related to the Scriptures of the day, or the sermon – but upon reflection, that didn’t seem to matter. The clip was simply deeply moving, and obviously suggested the Christian themes of redemption, transformation, and eschatological hope. It stirred up deep longings for the Kingdom of God on earth. It made me weep – and eager to hear the Gospel from the preacher.
-----
Afterward, at lunch with the priest, we asked if they showed a clip like that every week. “Every week,” he said. “Just once, after we had been doing this for a while, there was one week when we didn’t show a clip, and we really heard about it afterward from the congregation! One couple, traditionalists who weren’t sure they liked our worship when they first came, were the first to call.”
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I have thought quite a bit about the fact that the clip shown at Church of the Beloved seemed to us a Word from God, while the clip shown Journey's Crossing made us feel that our time had been wasted. I'm not sure about all of this, but I suspect that mostly this was the result of the difference in the two clips. Obviously, wise selection is essential. But I think that another part of the difference lay in their respective view of liturgy and our various approaches to liturgy. I'd be happy to discuss this further in some other setting.

What did you dislike?

Two things:

First, when the worship ensemble finished their offertory piece, they started a CD so that there would be worshipful music playing while they took communion. I don’t mind silence during communion, and I don’t mind music. What was annoying was that the song wasn’t over when they returned from taking communion – and they just stopped it mid-phrase so that they could begin playing live music again. That jolted us unpleasantly. We think either they should have chosen silence rather than a CD in the first place, or they should let it finish playing through to the end of the song.

Second, they felt the Nicene Creed to be too difficult and off-putting for newcomers, so they have dropped that from the liturgy. I applaud the motivation, but doubt the choice.

What were its greatest strengths that you’d like to import?

Their welcoming attitude toward the stranger, their strong sense of community, their strong sense of mission.

If you were looking for a church, would this be it?

Yes, definitely.

What did you learn from this visit?

Elegant, traditional liturgy, warm interpersonal touches, cutting-edge technology, creative aesthetics, and utilitarian-secular buildings can definitely be blended into pleasing, exciting, Gospel-focused worship.

Is there anything else you want to say?

As in every healthy congregation, the public corporate worship service is the small, visible tip of a much larger iceberg. The public corporate worship service, in one sense, is the least significant reality about any congregation. This is as true for the Church of Jesus Christ just as the front porch, front door, and entry foyer of anyone's house are not the most significant realities of that home. Please remember that in these reports, I am describing only the visible tip of that iceberg, and saying practically nothing about their small group structures, Christian education, fellowship, spiritual formation, or mission strategies -- which are by far the larger, and more significant realities of those congregations.

I have greatly enjoyed the experience of corporate Christian worship across a number of cultures, theological perspectives, demographics, settings, musical styles, liturgical styles and preaching styles. I definitely believe that nearly “everything works well” somewhere in some setting, and “nothing works well” universally. I do not believe that one size fits all, nor that everyone should do it the same way, nor that everyone should necessarily like everything. There is definitely room for personal preferences, tastes, and varieties of opinion within Christianity, yet no room for hostility toward others’ preferences, tastes, or opinions. Having said that, I don’t recall ever thinking before, “Now THAT is what I have in mind that worship should be.” Until visiting Church of the Beloved.

This is my opinion; I could be wrong.

The Lord be with you.

Are We Raising Disciples of Jesus?

On Mar 29, Matt Matlock spoke at Chafer Chapel at Dallas Theological Seminary, about raising the next generation to be disciples. It is definitely worth hearing his talk.

You may watch the video or listen to the video by clicking here. Scroll down (or search by using CNTRL-F) to "Generation Hope."

Raising Great Kids in Affluent America

The following can be found in today's Washington Post

When Having Just a Little Starts to Mean a Lot to a Child

By Marguerite Kelly
Special to The Washington Post
Friday, August 5, 2005; C08



Q.We live under our means, in a normal-size home and without any showy possessions, but we are surrounded by jaw-dropping consumption.

The contrast is beginning to bother our 6-year-old son. The other day he asked me why his friends get $20 from the tooth fairy and he gets only $2. We are worried that he will want to live as they do. He already has asked for a bigger allowance, lavish birthday parties and a special playroom like the ones his friends have. I feel like we're holding back a tidal wave of peer pressure.

My husband and I grew up in large middle-class families where the basic needs were met but there were few frills, little waste and plenty of hard work. Everyone we knew lived the same way.

We also learned basic lessons: Don't buy on credit; save for a rainy day; help the less fortunate. This upbringing has made me spend conservatively, save diligently and appreciate the comfortable lifestyle we have today.

We want to raise our son with the same values, but they are uncommon in our neighborhood, where most of the homes cost more than a million dollars and bigger houses are being built all the time. We like nice things, too, and we buy some expensive clothes and furnishings, but we don't buy many, nor do we drive a Mercedes, a Lexus or an SUV -- what the teenagers drive around here.

We don't want to change our values, but we don't want our kid to feel like an oddball, either. Although the schools in our neighborhood are very good and the location is great for commuting, we wonder if we should move.

A.Judge your neighbors by their character, not by the size of their homes.

Big allowances, lavish birthday parties, special playrooms and super-big houses tell you that the owners probably have more money than you do and that they're not as frugal as you are, but you may find that they cook and dig in the garden with their children just as often as you do, talk with them as freely and read to them every night.

Or you may find that some of these parents stay in one wing of their super-big house while their child plays by himself, way off in a wing of his own. In that unfortunate case, he is essentially growing up alone and untended, but this can happen to a child who lives in a normal-size house, too, if he has a TV, a computer and a few video games in his room. Even the most diligent parent doesn't walk in and out of it to see what show her child is watching, what Internet site he has found and if he's still playing that video game.

So much uncensored screen time may lead to a certain loss of innocence, but mostly this child will lose the sense of unity and satisfaction that comes from being in a family.

A neighborhood should also provide you with a sense of unity and satisfaction, and if it doesn't, you might decide to move. Don't judge your community too harshly, though. There are some things that are right with almost any neighborhood and some things that are wrong with the best of them -- like those super-big houses. The wealth of their owners -- and the way they throw money around -- may make your son feel sorry for himself, unless you help him understand that you and his dad save some of the money, give some to people who don't have enough and use the rest to pay for whatever the family needs.

This may inspire him to tell you again that he needs a bigger allowance, and if he does you should ask him why he needs it, consider what he says and unless his reason is very good, tell him that he'll get an increase on his birthday, every birthday -- but not in between (because that's the family tradition) and never as much as his richer friends get (because he has to live within the family budget). Children want -- and deserve -- explanations when their parents say no.

If it makes you feel guilty to deny your child, read "How Much Is Enough?" by Jean Illsley Clarke, Connie Dawson and David Bredehoft (Marlowe, $14.95). It tells you what happens to the child who is either spoiled regularly or indulged often, which should quickly stop you from doing either.

Weeping at the Smithsonian

Definitely go see the "Separate is not equal" exhibit at the Smithsonian Museum of American History.

It is full of horror but also with hope, truth and strategy.

It is interesting how Christians and the church shows up throughout the exhibit, both in beautify and ugly ways. It does make one think.

The online exhibit cannot compare with the on site exhibit, but click here

Sabbatical visits:National Community Church, Washington DC

What was your first impression as you entered?

National Community Church gathers for worship in two locations. The location I visited was in the theater complex in the basement of Union Station.

A colorful banner at the entrance assured me that I was at the right place, and we were warmly welcomed at the door – by greeters of several different races. That I found this surprisingly delightful made me sad about how largely segregated most congregations remain to this day.

As we wandered through the lobby we encountered various display tables with friendly, helpful people, and creative, interesting materials. It was fun.

How long was the service?

About an hour and 10 minutes.

How was the service structured?

“Sermon sandwich” An initial set of music followed by the sermon followed by a longer concluding set of music.

What did you like best?

1) That it was packed with enthusiastic people – at the early service!
2) That it was demographically mixed and racially integrated.
3) That they had learned how to solve the typical lighting problems that haunt other churches that meet in theaters.
4) That they were wonderfully creative in ways that enhanced rather than distracted.
5) That they had learned how to lead congregational singing. They had the typical praise band – but instead of an ensemble of vocalists, there was a sole vocalist acting as song leader. He was wonderfully low key, personable, warm, and welcoming. There was no sense of his performing on stage; rather he was leading us in singing. He used his fine, clear voice to help us stay on note and rhythm, and never fell into the temptation to show off. I really, really liked this young man’s leadership.
6) Their choice of music was excellent: they chose exciting, singable pieces, mostly familiar, and with good lyrics. Moreover, they knew how to use the music for formation. Rather than merely stirring up the emotions or expressing ourselves, we were rehearsing theological and spiritual ideas that mirrored the theological and spiritual ideas in the sermon and Scripture.

I was initially disappointed that I would not get to hear their pastor preach, as their pastor was away. However, their guest speaker, a South American missionary, delivered an outstanding sermon: challenging, thoughtful, insightful and inspiring. I was very glad to have heard it.

What did you dislike?

The MC tended to use a lot of church cliches.

What were its greatest strengths that you’d like to import?

Their enthusiasm, their sense of mission, and their administrative skills.

If you were looking for a church, would this be it?

If only they had a sense of liturgy, yes.

What did you learn from this visit?

There are inexpensive creative solutions in unexpected places. Examples: A pair of plastic baby gates can turn any hallway into a safe nursery area. An Army surplus parachute spread out on an old, tacky, overly-used carpet instantly creates a huge, clean area for toddlers and infants to play on. People will happily trade their contact information in exchange for a free CD of worship music.

Is there anything else you want to say?

I’d happily recommend National Community to anyone who wasn’t committed to historic, sacramental liturgy. And they do what they do so well that it was easy for me to imagine historic, sacramental liturgy in that space. This was the church that made me feel not only that worship in a movie theater was possible, but that it could be wonderful, without feeling that it was a big compromise.

This is my opinion; I could be wrong.

The Lord be with you.

Sabbatical visits:St Bartholomew’s, New York City, NY

What was your first impression as you entered?

“St Bart’s” is an historic Episcopal Church that erected a magnificent Romanesque building on Park Avenue at 51st, before midtown became a corporate canyon. At one time, when this location was a residential neighborhood for the wealthy, this astonishing building must have dominated the neighborhood. Today it defies the surroundings – with a blatant architectural claim about the eternal reality of God in the midst of modernism's capital of mammon.

Walking up the steps from the sidewalk to the arched entry door, I found myself hoping to be moved by the imagery inside. But then the first surprise: the entry foyer.

I have come to expect entry foyers to be dark, quiet hallways, perhaps equipped with a rack for pamphlets and some signage. But St Bart’s reviews its bold and intentional strategy to engage and transform the world in which it finds itself. This strategy is obvious in two ways: First, one can neither enter nor depart through the main entrance without encountering mind-changing books. They turned the entry foyer into a bookstore. Not a gift shop (although there are gifts available), but an outlet for challenging, inspiring, and strategic books. Second, those that are most prominent are those designed to transform the person and the community, those that deal with spiritual formation, leadership, and ministry.

How long was the service?

The “Come as you are” service on Sunday evening lasted a little more than an hour.

How was the service structured?

Holy Eucharist, Rite II.

What did you like best?

Rather than allowing us to spread out in the pews in this enormous space, as people naturally tend to do, St Barts is determined to build community. As we trickled in before the service, they packed us closely together in the choir pews and folding chairs, surrounding the altar, until not one more person could sit up there. Only then were people seated in the pews, again packing them in beginning in the front row. The result was that we were viscerally together in worship – rather than so many individuals rattling around alone in a mostly empty cavern. Sitting in the apse, under the magnificent icon of the Transfiguration, surrounded by people, I couldn't help feeling that I was in the very center of something exciting.

The liturgy was well led, and it seemed that everyone was fully engaged in everything: the prayers, the responses, the singing, the silences, the Scriptures, the sermon, and the Holy Communion. The informal folk music and praise songs and unvested clergy (jeans and golf shirt), inhabited the space rather than seeming out of place among the formal lines and rich visual symbols. Bill Tully’s sermon was well crafted, stimulating, funny, helpful, and inspiring.

What did you dislike?

St Barts may possess the most uncomfortable pews anywhere!

What were its greatest strengths that you’d like to import?

They epitomize the conscious, intentional, missional, practicing congregation. They demonstrate a warm, gracious, inviting spirit, coupled with clear vision, strong resolve, and an awareness of the cultural context in which they find themselves. They are models of how congregations can faithfully reinvent themselves, with integrity, in the midst of great challenges and a constantly, rapidly changing world.

If you were looking for a church, would this be it?

Yes, definitely.

What did you learn from this visit?

A deeply spiritual, conscious and intentional, missional, practicing congregation can be developed over time, within the most unlikely and difficult environment. If reinvention can happen at St Barts, given its unlikely location, corporate environment, and rather embarrassing history, it can happen anywhere.

Is there anything else you want to say?

My first awareness of St Bart’s came by hearing of their annual “Reinventing the Church” Conference. My initial impression when I first heard about the conference was, admittedly, negative. My ungracious, judgmental assumption was, “here’s another rich, arrogant institution touting its programs as the model for success.” I was wrong.

Instead, the church gives an impression that is completely the opposite of my expectations: it exhibits humility, graciousness, warmth, and a desire to be of help. The conference was similar in tone. Rather than saying, “Be like us,” it was more like, “Wow… if we can figure out how to reinvent ourselves in our unique situation, then surely you can figure out how to reinvent yourselves in your unique situation. We are here hoping somehow to encourage you, to tell you some funny and terrible stories about our own goofiness, and to inspire you with enough hope to go home and try again.” There were no magical formulas, no slick packages. Instead, there offered wisdom and true missional fellowship. I came away from the 2 day conference hoping to take my entire vestry to next year’s conference, as the centerpiece of our annual vestry retreat.

This is my opinion; I could be wrong.

The Lord be with you.

Sabbatical visits:Horizon, Owings Mills, MD

What was your first impression as you entered?

Horizon meets in the AMC theater at the Owings Mills Mall. Parking was easy, and they clearly mark which door to enter, so there was no confusion about where to go.

Unfortunately, this particular theater entrance lacks the more visually appealing setting of many others. Moreover, to avoid confusion with theater goers, they use an exit door rather the main entrance. (In contrast, National Community and Journey's Crossing make bold, full and unapologetic use of the main entrance and lobby.) So, honestly, the first impression was rather unappealing, not unlike sneaking in through a back door from an alley. We were a bit early, so perhaps there were greeters later. But the complete lack of welcome at the entrance was in stark contrast to most other churches I’ve visited.

How long was the service?

1 hour, 25 minutes.

How was the service structured?

25 minutes of music, followed by 10 minutes of announcements (including the sweet blessing/sending of a young couple moving away), and a 50 minute talk. The service ended with “bye.”

What did you like best?

The talk: The pastor gave an engaging and inspiring report of his mission tour of the Dominican Republic. I have no idea what his typical sermons are like – but he definitely knows how to tell gripping stories about life, faith and ministry among the poor! In the midst of the story he masterfully wove in deeply spiritual values. The 50 minutes passed quickly; It was really quite wonderful.

What did you dislike?

Although it was clear enough what to do if one were a newcomer and wanted to somehow break into this group, they unintentionally but consistently acted as though they were unaware of the presence of newcomers. I was surprised to realize that I felt not not even a newcomer, but more like a voyeuristic outsider spying on a large family gathering.

Their gathering is completely consistent with the Baptist assumption that we gather together to hear a message. Apart from the music, there was no sense of participative worship.

What were its greatest strengths that you’d like to import?

They had some great video advertisements showing at the beginning and the end that were fun and inspiring. One of these gave the sense that Christianity was an exciting adventure that required attention, discipline and skill. Another communicated the spiritual and corporate values that form the vision of the leaders. I caught myself coveting my neighbors videos. Ooops.

If you were looking for a church, would this be it?

No… gathering to hear an inspiring message is not enough. However. I’d happily recommend it for teens and young adults who are not yet intentional and conscious followers of Jesus. It is very imaginable that they might find their way to faith by attending Horizon.

What did you learn from this visit?

A big sign on a glass door – black background, bright letters – immediately ends any confusion about where to enter. A well-crafted, quiet video loop playing in the background while people enter or leave can be surprisingly inspiring.

Is there anything else you want to say?

Clarity about entry is far superior to confusion, but is not enough. There also needs to be some friendly faces out front. (Visit Journey in NYC for an example of outstanding greeters.) Nor is a door and a hallway is enough; we need a gathering space that helps us make the transition. (Visit Journey’s Crossing in Gaithersburg for for an example of an outstanding entry area, or St Bart's in NYC for for an example of an outstanding strategic entry area.)

This is my opinion; I could be wrong.

The Lord be with you.

Sabbatical visits:Journey’s Crossing, Gaithersburg, MD

What was your first impression as you entered?

Journey’s Crossing meets in the Rio Theaters in the upscale Washington Center shopping center. Parking was very convenient in the parking garage directly adjacent to the entrance. The glass-sided elevator down to the street gave a great view of river/lake beside the theater, and a huge flock of ducks made me smile. So I was predisposed toward liking the experience. Attractive sandwich signs guided us through the doors, to the entrance, making this the least confusing entry into any of the theater venues I’ve visited.

Inside the mall, just outside the box office, attractive display tables were set up in a large circle, facing inward. Each table was colorfully signed, manned by friendly people, and devoted to one function: refreshments, visitor information, child care information, a book table, ministry group sign up, small groups, sermon tapes. The effect on me was to feel that I had “entered the church” while still in a mall, and to feel they were very well organized. I was pleased to see a healthy age spread from little children through middle age, and a variety of races. My hopes were high.

How long was the service?

One hour and 20 minutes.

How was the service structured?

25 minutes of music, followed by 10 minutes of welcome and announcements, followed by a 35 minutes sermon, followed by communion and dismissal.

What did you like best?

Darin Brown, one of the staff pastors, delivered a terrific sermon. The passage for the day (not chosen by him, but the next passage in succession) was one that is very difficult in our current culture, and in my inexperience, usually misunderstood and handled very badly. But not by him! His presentation was carefully crafted, thoughtful, and well-nuanced. His delivery was low-key, humorous, and focused on real life issues in a healthy way. His main idea, “the unselfish life is essential for peaceful, healthy human relationships” accurately reflected the thrust of the passage.

What did you dislike?

Nearly everything else in the service. Apart from the sermon, there was no sense that we were engaged in anything important, large, awe-inspiring, or life changing. A college student in our group summarized it over lunch afterward:, “Instead of worship, it was 'youth group schtick.' It felt like they were trying too hard to convince the non-church people that they were hip and edgy. As though they were trying to convince them that this was worthwhile instead of actually being worthwhile. Great sermon, lame everything else.” That was my impression too.

The song leader was distracting. We found ourselves trying too hard to ignore his behavior and comments so that we could engage with the music. (Go visit National Community Church to contemporary song leading done very, very well.)

The band appeared competent, but the selections were uninspired, both musically and lyrically.

They showed us two videos. One, which they had done themselves, was both creative and amusing, while the other, a clip from the film Spaceballs, was boring and annoying. But neither of the videos were in any way helpful for worship or spiritual formation. We felt that they wasted our time.

The communion was utterly individualistic and superfluous -- nothing more than a quick reminder that Christ died for us. (It's no wonder that so many Protestants think that weekly communion has no meaning! In contrast, Dylan's Lectionary blog this week indicates why the communion could and should be the most powerful highlight of our worship. (Read the Proper 13, Year A comments at Dylan's site.)


What were its greatest strengths that you’d like to import?

Their administration!! They have a well-organized team of dedicated, enthusiastic volunteers, terrific nursery and children’s programs, a superb orientation CD for visitors, and an excellent website.

If you were looking for a church, would this be it?

No. I’d like to hear Darin Brown preach again, but the other elements of their worship service were too off-putting.

What did you learn from this visit?

Although I've seen both electric and acoustical drum sets in a number of churches now, their excellent use of their electric drum set convinced me of their value, and that electric drums are right choice for a worship band. Every acoustic drum set I've experienced tended to overpower the band and the singing. This group new how to tone it down and get the right balance. It was more modest, both visually and audibly than any acoustic set I've seen, which I appreciated. I also think their entry area was perhaps the most helpful I’ve seen anywhere, whether in a church building or alternative venue. It was both welcoming and functional, and was a gentle yet certainly liminal transition from “out there, apart” to “in here, among us.”
Is there anything else you want to say?

It's worth a Sunday morning to go to Journey's Crossing to see how they set up the entry area. While you're at it, go see their excellent use of space for nursery and children's programs. Also notice how their abundance of attractive, colorful signs not only helps newcomers find their way, but helps create hope for something wonderful. However, we then need to ensure that our worship planning meets or exceeds our expectations! And -- busy, moving backgrounds are not helpful when projecting lyrics!

This is my opinion; I could be wrong.

The Lord be with you.