Canticles of the Unhomed
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
Yup... its the House Again
Life is never fair. Stayed up late last night talking, and came to the realization that there are things that I hate. Not the good type of hate, like for the bad things in life; but rather hate of a different kind. It humbles me and condemns me that there is this in my life. Was it just niave wishful thinking on my part to think that leaving Sol Cafe to build the House would have no effect on the relationships there? Was it just niave wishful thinking on my part to think that broken relationship didn't have to be the norm? Shit, I hate it. Maybe I should just bury myself in the House and maybe after 6-9 months revisit Sol Cafe. Maybe that is the way to go. I don't know anymore.
Been reading "Reimagining Spiritual Formation," by Doug Pagitt from Solomon's Porch. I know that book is pretty familiar to a bunch of you, but I am just comoing to it, and I am finding a real kindred spirit, philosophically-speaking. He says, "Because of the couches, the absence of a stage, and the fact that people wander around during the gathering, some people describe our setting as casual. Actually, I prefer the word normal. But what happens in this space is anything but normal. When we gather in our normal-looking living room-like space, it is so we can talk about the unusual things of God and the call to live a life in the Kingdom of God. We infuse abnormal practises into this normal space. We sing, pray, confess, profess, eat the body and drink the blood of our Savior, sit quiety, hear the story of God, hear each other's stories, and give money because these are the practises that we want to REPLICATE IN THE REST OF OUR LIVES. [emphasis mine] We are seeking to create a place where our normal lives intersect with the intentional structuring of life in the Christian practises. In this we hope to learn how to bring the two togther in other settings. Instead of having a special place, unlike any other, where we try to make the things of God seem normal, we have tried to create a normal place that gives us permission to discuss the unique things of God... Our Sunday gatherings combine regular elements with occasional surprises. While special inclusions are always welcome and add variety, it is in the routine practises that we find our rhythm for living."
This passage has been consuming and informing my thinking over the past few days. The more I think about it the more I am starting to see that church is incredibly artificial. While i understand that the subject matter of what happens at church is by definition unusual, I can't help but think that we should be trying harder to foster the "normal" interaction rather trying to generate a specific response.
Been reading "Reimagining Spiritual Formation," by Doug Pagitt from Solomon's Porch. I know that book is pretty familiar to a bunch of you, but I am just comoing to it, and I am finding a real kindred spirit, philosophically-speaking. He says, "Because of the couches, the absence of a stage, and the fact that people wander around during the gathering, some people describe our setting as casual. Actually, I prefer the word normal. But what happens in this space is anything but normal. When we gather in our normal-looking living room-like space, it is so we can talk about the unusual things of God and the call to live a life in the Kingdom of God. We infuse abnormal practises into this normal space. We sing, pray, confess, profess, eat the body and drink the blood of our Savior, sit quiety, hear the story of God, hear each other's stories, and give money because these are the practises that we want to REPLICATE IN THE REST OF OUR LIVES. [emphasis mine] We are seeking to create a place where our normal lives intersect with the intentional structuring of life in the Christian practises. In this we hope to learn how to bring the two togther in other settings. Instead of having a special place, unlike any other, where we try to make the things of God seem normal, we have tried to create a normal place that gives us permission to discuss the unique things of God... Our Sunday gatherings combine regular elements with occasional surprises. While special inclusions are always welcome and add variety, it is in the routine practises that we find our rhythm for living."
This passage has been consuming and informing my thinking over the past few days. The more I think about it the more I am starting to see that church is incredibly artificial. While i understand that the subject matter of what happens at church is by definition unusual, I can't help but think that we should be trying harder to foster the "normal" interaction rather trying to generate a specific response.
:: written by Matt Thompson, 3:33 PM
2 Comments:
There's a little known passage concerning the first "church" in the book of Acts, chapter two that I've never heard anyone mention in regards to emerging churches (it's really hard to produce sarcasm with plain text...). Anyway, after reading it again for the umpteenth (kudos to Matt for the spelling of this word) time I get no impression that these new Christians spent a lot of time talking politics, establishing heirarchy, or even purporting mission statements. There's no indication of a well-thought through method of service or even predetermined times and places for things. In short, no false pretenses or fake rituals. I do, however, get the sense that they loved each other and that they met, conversed, shared, ate, praised, and enjoyed each other in their homes, in the courts, and wherever else their normal lives intersected with their spiritual faith.
I think a lot of the practices that we call normal in our churches today developed out of necessity in the beginnings of Christianity. For example - reading scripture. With a shortage of copies of the Septuagint and other, now canonical, books it would have been necessary to gather in large groups to hear the Word. But Christianity does not work well in huge groups. As churches grow they become businesses, albeit out of necessity for them to function smoothly. Even the most "successful" mega churches see the need early for connecting in smaller groups. Hence phenomenons like cell churches. But even this is artificial.
The problem is that Christianity is not about religion, it's about relationship; relationship with God and relationship with each other. In mega churches, and even smaller traditional churches, relationship with God becomes religious: worship this way, pray that way, stand now, sit now, work out your salvation in 2 hours or less on Sunday. Relationships with each other become forced and often lost altogether. Feigned interest becomes commonplace and we tolerate each other's presence.
Why do we have to meet in a special building once a week with people we barely know and force our spirituality into the boxes of a certain denomination? Why can't we form a community which exist in our real lives and our real space and allow that community to shape itself in its goal of relating to God and each other? Why can't we be the House?
Maybe I should get my own blog...ya think?
I think a lot of the practices that we call normal in our churches today developed out of necessity in the beginnings of Christianity. For example - reading scripture. With a shortage of copies of the Septuagint and other, now canonical, books it would have been necessary to gather in large groups to hear the Word. But Christianity does not work well in huge groups. As churches grow they become businesses, albeit out of necessity for them to function smoothly. Even the most "successful" mega churches see the need early for connecting in smaller groups. Hence phenomenons like cell churches. But even this is artificial.
The problem is that Christianity is not about religion, it's about relationship; relationship with God and relationship with each other. In mega churches, and even smaller traditional churches, relationship with God becomes religious: worship this way, pray that way, stand now, sit now, work out your salvation in 2 hours or less on Sunday. Relationships with each other become forced and often lost altogether. Feigned interest becomes commonplace and we tolerate each other's presence.
Why do we have to meet in a special building once a week with people we barely know and force our spirituality into the boxes of a certain denomination? Why can't we form a community which exist in our real lives and our real space and allow that community to shape itself in its goal of relating to God and each other? Why can't we be the House?
Maybe I should get my own blog...ya think?
Hey matt i actually started a blog ha ha ha http://radiancecreative.blogspot.com/
