I visited a church last Sunday and again today. It's one The Fisherman and I have been to together and he has visited it a couple times on his own. I was amazed to find that there were a lot of things about it that reminded me of Open Door Fellowship (aka, very special church I've been at for 30 years, as mentioned in Church Shopping - Part 1). Last Sunday was an atypical service in that the "message" was actually several different people sharing what the church and their "home group" means to them. A couple times a year, Open Door does this as well. I have often wondered, as I've heard people sharing about when they walked into their first Sunday morning at ODF, what they observe, sense, and feel in so doing. Having been there for so long, I don't know what it's like for someone new to walk into that "environment of grace." I have a sense now.
I was actually compelled to write down some of the things I was pleased to observe about this church. Here they are:
- Shorts
- Jeans
- People free to bring a drink into the sanctuary
- Stepping on a chair to get into the row so as not to disturb the person on the end who was standing for the singing
- After the songs ended, the worship leader said, "Let's give our thanks to the Lord" and then was quiet. From the congregation came a handful of random "Thank You, Lord, for..." comments. Just a few, say 5 or 6. And then they continued on with the rest of the service.
- Teasing from the "pulpit" (actually a music stand)
- Teasing back from the audience
- The acknowledgement and brief honoring of a church member whose photo was in the newspaper
- "If you're visiting today, please do not feel obligated to put anything in the offering plate."
- (I love this one!) At the front of the church they had all kinds of banners, flags, and ribbons on sticks and rings for the children to freely play and dance with during the music.
- They had just come off of their Vacation Bible School week where they had all kinds of water toys, including water slides. The guy who's been the acting interim pastor/preacher until the newly hired guy arrives was both teased and praised for "sacrificing his body for those kids" by going down the much-too-short-for-an-adult slide. And he told of one boy who said to him at VBS, "This is the funnest church EVER!"
- One sharer related something she said to someone when she had been new at the church. She was both relieved and intimidated at that time because, as she put it "...there's all this intimacy...and, you guys know each others' stuff." She also used words like "safe" and the phrase, "a hospital for our souls."
- Another sharer commented how glad he was to see they really worship there, not just "sing three songs and sit down."
- Another explained that he was really hurting when he first found his way into this church and he was met with obvious "acceptance" and "a lack of judgment". He also commented that it was at a time when the church itself was hurting and grieving the loss of their pastor's wife, and yet the fellowship was still "speaking life and blessing".
- One obviously well respected, well liked, and exuberant woman shared that it was at this church that she finally "learned what it was like to be safe with other people" and "to be transparent with other Christians." She also said some things I'm not very experienced or, I admit, comfortable with. She said it was also the place where she learned to "hear a word" and "hear a prophecy."
-She went on to encourage everyone to get into a home group where this relational intimacy and safety can be developed. In her bold, funny, enthusiastic way she said the following things:
"If you're not in a home group....well, I won't make you raise your hand. That would be the Baptist thing to do. But I AM tempted."
"Home Groups are safe places. Not many people have that in their lives. If you're a woman who works in an office, you tell me how many of those other women you can trust?"
and "I don't care how old or young you are, you should join a Home Group. If you're older than dirt, join a home group!" Everyone was laughing at her comical manner.
When she was done, before the next sharer was introduced by the interim pastor, he took the microphone and said, "First, I'd like to apologize to the following groups: Baptists, women, particularly women who work in offices, and people who are older than dirt." I loved it!
-Eventually it was the pastor's turn to share. He said when he first came to that church, it was like "water to his weary soul," that he "didn't want to be graded on performance," and "wanted a place where he could grow, and breathe, and spread out." He also shared about it being a safe place, a place where there's respect for each other's sacred journeys. (That word "sacred" is one of my favorite words of late, so I loved hearing it.)
What I Took Away From My Visit
What I sensed from my visit and took away with me was that this is a group of people that really love each other, that are comfortable with each other, that are there for each other, that extend grace to each other, that know how to have fun together, that VALUE each other and value fun with each other. I could see it and feel it. They are serious about following Jesus. They are serious about loving God, knowing His love for them, growing in intimate relationship with Him and with each other. They are serious about prayer and serious about worship. And they are determined to enjoy God's grace and extend it to each other.
I liked it a lot. It reminds me of home, ODF.
We do have a couple concerns that give us pause, however. One thing about this church that concerns us is that they have no elders. They have a leadership group that in some ways is not biblical. And their "by-laws" state they are a pastor led church. But it seems like SUCH a great church! Do we pass it up because they have an unbiblical form of leadership or do we dive in to become part of the family in spite of that? They also lean toward the charismatic side, though it is barely evident in their worship service. How much we might encounter upon getting involved on deeper levels, I don't know.
It's hard to choose a new church when you're so used to another one which almost fits like an old shoe. The old one is not a perfect fit, but because it's so fitting in most aspects, it's easy to forgive what faults you see. But with a new one, it's different. There's that apprehension of newness because you don't exactly know how the fit will take shape. Will this thing I see now rub me a blister or be of little consequence? You just don't know. Having been at one place for nearly 30 years, I still don't quite know how to discern these things. We are in the process of deciding what things are "non-negotiables". How much grace are we going to give them? How much grace should we give? (I think this is a very potent question, pivotal actually.) Now that we'll be back living in the same household, let alone the same town, we will be picking up the process together as we search for a place to worship, belong and serve.
Showing posts with label Church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Church. Show all posts
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
Church Shopping - Part 1
The Fisherman and I have lived up here for 11 years. We've attended three different churches and visited about four more over the years. We've had a tough time finding a place that is a full fit. We've settled in places for anywhere from 5 months to almost 5 years. When you come from a very special church, a big church in a big city, that you've been at for 30 years, it's difficult to find a good fit in a small town. I imagine Open Door Fellowship will always be home to us. Our roots go deep there; our history is long there.
We attended for almost five years a church that I also worked for. I made lots of friends in women's ministries and I loved serving that church as their secretary. To this day feel like it was the best job I've ever had. (Yes, actually beating out being secretary at Open Door, oddly enough.) It was such a perfect fit for me job wise. I have never felt better used given my skills, talents, gifts and abilities. I have never felt more comfortable doing a job. It's where I truly learned that being a church secretary is "not just a job - it's a ministry." Yet there were always some uncomfortable, even troubling, things for us there. When I moved to Phx to take care of Mom, we kind of knew that "era" was complete for us. Now that I'm back on the mountain, I will visit the people I grew to love there, but it won't be our church home.
There are a few things that stand out strongly in our efforts to find a new church home. Things that, so far, have made it difficult to find a church to align ourselves with and a place to call home. In no particular order, they are:
1.) The music. We come from a church that has always been gifted with an abundance of musical talent. They really know how to rock! And that's what we love. Hardly a Sunday goes by when I'm at ODF that I don't stop singing for a moment and marvel at the huge fullness of the singing. It absolutely FILLS the sanctuary and I simply cannot help but imagine this is what heaven is like. And most of the songs are ones that are currently playing on the radio. Most churches we've been to up here range from a little to way behind the times when it comes to the style and songs they sing. And they all seem to be afraid to turn the volume up. The result? Wimpy singing. I remember at our last church, there was the occasional Sunday (in five years!) that they turned the volume up for the band. People really sang! You have to when the music is louder. The Fisherman and I were like, "Finally!!" It was beautiful. Well, it never failed that come Monday morning the pastor would mention how someone had complained about it being way too loud and he had to speak with the worship team about toning it down. I tell you, sometimes my heart just sank with hopeless disappointment. It's just so not what we're used to, what is beautiful to us, and what takes us to worship.
2.) Charismatic or Traditional. There seem to be a lot of charismatic churches in small towns. Maybe it's not disproportionate as compared to a big city, but it sure seems so to me. I've noticed it in Alaska, too. We are not of the charismatic inclination and are not comfortable when it's over-emphasized in a church body. We steer clear of the ones clearly of this bent. We are not of a traditional inclination either - that of a traditional church subject to the gigantic governmental organism of their denomination. I guess, what I'm trying NOT to say is that it seems like there is a choice between dryness and raging flood waters. That said, there actually are a lot of nice churches up here, full of committed people who are learning, growing, and loving within their church families. I think there are some churches that may be charismatic but don't seem to be saturated in it and distracted by it. It's just that so far, it's hard to find one that fits us. I think depth is the appropriate word. We are looking for depth of teaching, worship, relationships, and so on.
3.) Church government. The biblical guidelines for church government are that a church should be elder led. I see elders as kind of like the Dads of the church family. They are the head of the family. Their role is one of teaching, prayer, leadership and oversight. They are to be the guiding influence on the flock and the protectors of the flock. Much like a shepherd is charged with the overall well being of his flock. We have found a number of churches up here that do not have elders. They are pastor led churches. It's unwise to let all the influence rest with one man. God knew this; that's why the Bible calls for elders. The plurality of leadership not only is a safeguard and a checks and balances system for maintaining a God-honoring, doctrinally sound church, it also requires that the leadership work in relationship with one another. In relationships is where God does all His work in us. The Bible talks about each Christian having at least one "spiritual gift" given to them by God for use in building up the church body. We all need each other. I need to be on the receiving end of your gifts and you need to be on the receiving end of mine. We are to submit to one another's gifts/strengths and not try to function independently of one another. If we as a collective whole are supposed to function interdependently using our various gifts, it's natural that the leadership of the church should function likewise. The elders' relationships with each other and working together for one purpose serves as model and example for the rest of us. It is part of their leading.
4.) Grace or Performance. We come from a church that has a fantastic handle on the fact that, as Christians, we are not under a performance mantle but rather a mantle of grace. God is NOT standing there tapping His foot at us waiting for us to measure up. WE CAN'T! That's the whole message of the Cross. Yet we live in a world where we better measure up, or else we won't get that job, will get punished, will lose friends, will get passed over for that promotion, won't win the race, won't get the girl, won't get asked out, and on and on. When it comes to God, we can NOT measure up. That's why He sent Jesus - who DID measure up - to take our place in the consequences of NOT measuring up. He did it on the cross. ("He came to pay a debt He did not owe because I owed a debt I could not pay.") Believing that puts us in perfect standing with God...never more to be judged, with regards to eternity or His love, based on our performance and behavior. So why do SO many churches preach performance??? The last two times I have been to one particular church, the emphasis was all about performance. How can you serve better? What can you do to be a better Christian? Yes, God has designed that we serve each other (i.e., the gifts paragraph above under church government). But our target should not be improving our behavior. Our target is knowing God, knowing His love for us, and in turn loving Him. Our target is God Himself, not what we can/must/should do for Him. It's hard to find a church that grasps and embodies the Bible's message of grace.
To be continued.....
We attended for almost five years a church that I also worked for. I made lots of friends in women's ministries and I loved serving that church as their secretary. To this day feel like it was the best job I've ever had. (Yes, actually beating out being secretary at Open Door, oddly enough.) It was such a perfect fit for me job wise. I have never felt better used given my skills, talents, gifts and abilities. I have never felt more comfortable doing a job. It's where I truly learned that being a church secretary is "not just a job - it's a ministry." Yet there were always some uncomfortable, even troubling, things for us there. When I moved to Phx to take care of Mom, we kind of knew that "era" was complete for us. Now that I'm back on the mountain, I will visit the people I grew to love there, but it won't be our church home.
There are a few things that stand out strongly in our efforts to find a new church home. Things that, so far, have made it difficult to find a church to align ourselves with and a place to call home. In no particular order, they are:
1.) The music. We come from a church that has always been gifted with an abundance of musical talent. They really know how to rock! And that's what we love. Hardly a Sunday goes by when I'm at ODF that I don't stop singing for a moment and marvel at the huge fullness of the singing. It absolutely FILLS the sanctuary and I simply cannot help but imagine this is what heaven is like. And most of the songs are ones that are currently playing on the radio. Most churches we've been to up here range from a little to way behind the times when it comes to the style and songs they sing. And they all seem to be afraid to turn the volume up. The result? Wimpy singing. I remember at our last church, there was the occasional Sunday (in five years!) that they turned the volume up for the band. People really sang! You have to when the music is louder. The Fisherman and I were like, "Finally!!" It was beautiful. Well, it never failed that come Monday morning the pastor would mention how someone had complained about it being way too loud and he had to speak with the worship team about toning it down. I tell you, sometimes my heart just sank with hopeless disappointment. It's just so not what we're used to, what is beautiful to us, and what takes us to worship.
2.) Charismatic or Traditional. There seem to be a lot of charismatic churches in small towns. Maybe it's not disproportionate as compared to a big city, but it sure seems so to me. I've noticed it in Alaska, too. We are not of the charismatic inclination and are not comfortable when it's over-emphasized in a church body. We steer clear of the ones clearly of this bent. We are not of a traditional inclination either - that of a traditional church subject to the gigantic governmental organism of their denomination. I guess, what I'm trying NOT to say is that it seems like there is a choice between dryness and raging flood waters. That said, there actually are a lot of nice churches up here, full of committed people who are learning, growing, and loving within their church families. I think there are some churches that may be charismatic but don't seem to be saturated in it and distracted by it. It's just that so far, it's hard to find one that fits us. I think depth is the appropriate word. We are looking for depth of teaching, worship, relationships, and so on.
3.) Church government. The biblical guidelines for church government are that a church should be elder led. I see elders as kind of like the Dads of the church family. They are the head of the family. Their role is one of teaching, prayer, leadership and oversight. They are to be the guiding influence on the flock and the protectors of the flock. Much like a shepherd is charged with the overall well being of his flock. We have found a number of churches up here that do not have elders. They are pastor led churches. It's unwise to let all the influence rest with one man. God knew this; that's why the Bible calls for elders. The plurality of leadership not only is a safeguard and a checks and balances system for maintaining a God-honoring, doctrinally sound church, it also requires that the leadership work in relationship with one another. In relationships is where God does all His work in us. The Bible talks about each Christian having at least one "spiritual gift" given to them by God for use in building up the church body. We all need each other. I need to be on the receiving end of your gifts and you need to be on the receiving end of mine. We are to submit to one another's gifts/strengths and not try to function independently of one another. If we as a collective whole are supposed to function interdependently using our various gifts, it's natural that the leadership of the church should function likewise. The elders' relationships with each other and working together for one purpose serves as model and example for the rest of us. It is part of their leading.
4.) Grace or Performance. We come from a church that has a fantastic handle on the fact that, as Christians, we are not under a performance mantle but rather a mantle of grace. God is NOT standing there tapping His foot at us waiting for us to measure up. WE CAN'T! That's the whole message of the Cross. Yet we live in a world where we better measure up, or else we won't get that job, will get punished, will lose friends, will get passed over for that promotion, won't win the race, won't get the girl, won't get asked out, and on and on. When it comes to God, we can NOT measure up. That's why He sent Jesus - who DID measure up - to take our place in the consequences of NOT measuring up. He did it on the cross. ("He came to pay a debt He did not owe because I owed a debt I could not pay.") Believing that puts us in perfect standing with God...never more to be judged, with regards to eternity or His love, based on our performance and behavior. So why do SO many churches preach performance??? The last two times I have been to one particular church, the emphasis was all about performance. How can you serve better? What can you do to be a better Christian? Yes, God has designed that we serve each other (i.e., the gifts paragraph above under church government). But our target should not be improving our behavior. Our target is knowing God, knowing His love for us, and in turn loving Him. Our target is God Himself, not what we can/must/should do for Him. It's hard to find a church that grasps and embodies the Bible's message of grace.
To be continued.....
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Alaska Photos 8 - Misc
WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE SERVICE...
I saw this photo collage in the Safeway in Soldotna. Seems they had a super cold day one winter which brought some unwanted customers seeking shelter from the cold.
I asked the meaning of the special cross, which was everywhere. To the standard cross, they have added a bar above the crossbeam, signifying the placard placed above Jesus' head stating that He is the King of the Jews. The bar across the bottom represents the foot rest believed to have been what His feet were nailed to. It also represents the two thieves crucified on either side of Jesus. The side tilted downward represents the thief who continued to mock Him to the very end of his life. The side tilted upward represents the thief who came to saving faith and who later that day met Jesus in heaven.
I stopped to take the photo for another reason though. I took it because it's.....
I saw this photo collage in the Safeway in Soldotna. Seems they had a super cold day one winter which brought some unwanted customers seeking shelter from the cold.
When you think about it, I'm sure just by walking up they opened the automatic doors. It's a wonder they didn't just walk right in.
COLOSSAL FLOWERS
With so much daylight, plants tend to grow pretty darn big in Alaska. Note the moose and caribou antlers.
RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
in Ninilchik, about 50 miles from our property. Very historic.
Behind the church is the water of the Cook Inlet. Across the water about 50 miles is Mt. Iliamna and Mt. Redoubht. Both are 10,000 foot volcanoes of which you can see all 10,000 feet because you're at sea level. They are beautiful snow covered mountains. This is Iliamna.
For some reason I totally love this photo. It's so simple with so little in it.
I asked the meaning of the special cross, which was everywhere. To the standard cross, they have added a bar above the crossbeam, signifying the placard placed above Jesus' head stating that He is the King of the Jews. The bar across the bottom represents the foot rest believed to have been what His feet were nailed to. It also represents the two thieves crucified on either side of Jesus. The side tilted downward represents the thief who continued to mock Him to the very end of his life. The side tilted upward represents the thief who came to saving faith and who later that day met Jesus in heaven.
COOL WATERS
I love this photo, too. I love the sparkling water, the pink Fireweed, and the sunspot reflection.
I stopped to take the photo for another reason though. I took it because it's.....
Dave's Creek. My brother's name.
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