finished

I just finished reading Church Re-imagined! I have to write for a moment just to simply say every time I nibble away at this book I become inspired about what being a part of the family of God can be like.

I'm not sure if I really should set out to try to create such a spiritual community, or if I just need to watch for how/where God is creating community around me and join in on it.

Whatever the case, I long for it!

Get the book!

P.S. Maybe the above picture resembles human attempts to create community?

more ramblings from reading church reimagined

How is one to define success when seeking to grow a local church gathering?

Doug Pagitt notes how many groups point to things like size, market share, political influence, healthy budgets, and "successful" looking people that seem to be living the American Dream. But what if being a successful community of faith is less about the above mentioned things and more about a community of people who, in seeking to follow the way of Jesus, eat together, live together, share possessions, and generally share real life?

What if being a church family is not about "targeting" certain people in the community?
What if it's not just about being a provider of religious goods and services?
What if we dropped the marketing and hunting metaphors?

What if it's about:

• Growing real relationships-both in and out of the spiritual community
  
• Growing in character
• Growing in fruits of the Spirit
• Growing in appreciation for God and others
• In short-growing in maturity as a follower of Jesus.
  

dreaming of a church

Reading has been slow lately largely due to a lot of different issues on my mind as of late. When reading consumption slows so does writing output. However, I have been picking my way through Church Re-Imagined by Doug Pagitt. He's the pastor of Solomon's Porch in Minneapolis and the author of Preaching Re-Imagined of which I blogged about earlier.

I'm drawn to this book not only because the last one was good, but because I resonate so much with the title. The last several years have been a time of chasing mental dreams about what spiritual community is either supposed to be like or, better yet, can be.

The purpose of the book seems to be to let others experience in a small way a week in the life of the Solomon's Porch community. To facilitate the experience, there are half a dozen or so different members who add they're raw journal entries sprinkled throughout the book.

The following is a list of the dreams that are identified early in the book. I have emboldened the ones that really speak to me and added comments in parenthesis.

WE DREAM OF A CHURCH WHERE...
1. We listen to and are obedient to God. (through the Holy Spirit's speaking to our hearts)
2. People who are not Christians become followers of God in the way of Jesus.
3 Those who are not involved in church would become an active part of it.
4. People are deeply connected to God in all of life: body, mind, soul, and spirit.
5. Beauty, art, and creativity are valued, used, and understood as coming from the Creator.
6. Culture is met, embraced, and transformed.
7. Joy, fun, and excitement are part of our lives.
8. The Kingdom of God is increased in real ways in the world. (note-the Kingdom of God-not just our religious institutions)
9. The biblical story of God is told and contributed to.
10. Biblical justice, mercy, grace, love, and righteousness lead the way.
11. Truth, honesty, and health are a way of life.
12. We value innovation and are willing to take risks in order to bring glory to God.
13. Worship of God is full, vibrant, real, and pleasing to God.
14. Faith, hope, and love are the context for all.
15. The next generation of leadership is built up, and leaders are servants.
16. Everyone is equipped to do ministry.
17. God's Spirit takes precedence over all structures and systems.
18. Christian Community is the attraction to outsiders and the answer to questions of faith. (I would clarify for myself by saying "an" attraction as opposed to "the" attraction)
19. People participate in the Kingdom of God in accordance with their abilities and gifts.
20. We are connected to , dependent on, and serve the global Church.
21. People learn the ways of God and are encouraged to make them central to their lives.
22. Other churches are valued and supported.
23. People's visions and ideas of ministry come to life.

sabbath part 6

This volume continues my journey of contemplating further what Sabbath rest is all about. Wayne Muller offers a summary of the concepts in his book over at this website. Here's the material from the website. Maybe take a Sabbath moment and reflect on what Wayne has to say.

We Have Forgotten The Sabbath

Sabbath time is a revolutionary challenge to the violence of overwork, because it honors the necessary wisdom of dormancy. If certain plant species do not lie dormant during winter, the plant begins to die off. Rest is not just a psychological convenience; it is a spiritual and biological necessity. Perhaps this is why, in most spiritual traditions, "Remember the Sabbath" is more than simply a lifestyle suggestion. It is a commandment, an ethical precept as serious as prohibitions against killing, stealing and lying. How can forgetting the Sabbath -- forgetting to be restful, sing songs and find nourishment and delight--possibly be morally and socially dangerous?

Plea For A Renewed Sabbath

...I make a plea for renewed Sabbath-keeping. As a nation, we cannot live like this, endlessly rushing about in a desperate frenzy, never stopping to enjoy the blessings of family and friends, unable to taste the fruits of life. We can change society by beginning a quiet revolution of change in ourselves and our families. Let us take a collective breath, rest, pray, meditate, walk, sing, eat and take time to share the unhurried company of those we love. Let us, for just one day, cease our desperate striving for more, and instead taste the blessings we have already been given, and give thanks. Religious traditions agree on this: God does not want us to be exhausted; God wants us to be happy. And so let us remember the Sabbath.

Practices for a Simple Sabbath

Light a candle.
Set aside sacred time for a family meal, for prayer or meditation or simply quiet reading. Set a candle before you, offer a simple blessing and let the world fall away.

Practice thanksgiving.
Give thanks before meals, upon rising, when going to sleep. During Sabbath, we are less concerned with what is missing and more grateful for what has already been given.

Bless your children.
Place your hand gently on their heads and offer your blessing. What do you most wish for them? Self-knowledge, courage, safety, joy? Let them hear your prayers for their happiness.

Invite a Sabbath pause.
Choose one common act -- touching a doorknob, turning on a faucet or hearing the phone ring. Throughout the day when this occurs, stop and take three silent, mindful breaths. Then go on.

Take a walk.
Stroll slowly to nowhere in particular for 30 minutes. Let your senses guide you. Stop and observe deeply whatever attracts you -- a tree, a stone, a flower. Breathe.

Pamper your body.
Take a guilt-free nap. Take a leisurely bath with music, special scents, candles. Make love with your spouse. Walk barefoot in the grass. The Sabbath is a day of delight.

Create a Sabbath box.
Put your to-do list, your keys, your wallet -- anything you don't need in Sabbath time -- into the box. Or write down a particular worry or concern and drop it in. Just for now, let it go.

Turn off the telephone.
Or the computer, the TV, the washer and dryer. Create a period of time when you will not be disturbed or seduced by what our technologies demand of us.

Prepare a Sabbath meal -- or a Sabbath cup of tea.
Even if you are alone, you can choose foods you love, put flowers on the table, take time to enjoy every dish, give thanks for the bounty of the earth.

Seek companionship.
One of the most precious gifts we can offer is to be a place of refuge, a Sabbath for one another. Ask for companionship when you lose your way. Give quiet time and attention to others.

Reset your inner compass.
Make a list of the values and principles that guide your life -- both those you follow and those you would like to follow. Speak them aloud, alone or with loved ones.

Surrender a problem.
The Sabbath reminds us that forces larger than ourselves are at work healing the world. Imagine that these forces already know how to solve your problem. Turn it over to their care.