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Complications

There were tears in her eyes. She had come to our medical mission the past two times with her son who had a bad cough. She related that the man she lived with had kicked her and their son out. What a mess. The boy’s father had come with them that night because he didn’t believe that his son really did have the onset of asthma.

The boy has a bright smile and loves to talk. We have talked a lot these past two Wednesday nights. He thinks the world of his father and you could tell that his presence meant a lot to him.

What a broken world we live in. It is in these moments that you can see the need for redemption and yet from a very practical stand point what do you do?

These are the kind of things that come at you when you are willing to insert yourself into the world. Nothing clean or neat or inspiring, just real life and real brokenness and a real need for redemption.

I figured something out though last night. We had some people who have left who didn’t like how I handled situations. They wanted big prayers and flowery pronouncements. They wanted to feel like we cared. They wanted invitations that were powerful and moving delivered from a safe distance. Let’s talk about our problems but let’s certainly not get too involved because involved is messy.

I figured out why they didn’t like me last night as I listened to this women’s story. I don’t have flowery answers or moving responses. I have a practical streak a mile wide that says what can we do to really help with redemption in these peoples lives. NO placebo of experience but real hope.

You see I have a real disdain for invitations. Maybe it was the week long gospel meeting that became the three day gospel meeting where the preacher had Just As I Am repeated until someone was bludgeoned into response.

I remember several years ago before our first child was born going forward to ask for prayers as a father. I remember the faces in the crowed as I began the approach during the invitation song. You could see the questions in their eyes. “What has Darin done?” “This is going to be interesting.”

I remember the change in the atmosphere when the minister informed the church that I had just asked for prayers on our sons impeding birth. I remember people telling me I would do great, I had nothing to worry about but not one I’m praying for you. The invitation was the time to mark, gawk and wonder.

It was in this moment that I new that redemption is not an event or a moment but a process that requires a rolled up sleeve, involvement and commitment. This relationship is a mess a no flowery prayer is going to change that. No pat on the back and a Jesus loves you will prepare this boy for what lies ahead.

I thought about the woman who was caught in adultery who Jesus sent away with a simple "Go and sin no more." There is a lot more to that story then what is recorded. A lot more too every story. It is easy to see Jesus send that woman away but the story was told to show Jesus willingness to forgive not to show a ministry style, or so I think. How about you?

No, that woman was going to need some support and encouragement and a willingness to be community. What do you think?

Trappings

What do your trappings say? We rang in the New Year with one more step away from ‘typical’ church trappings. We have never had a pulpit and we have been using a nice stand. We rang in the New Year with the removal of the stand. The stand is now a small table that allows for my notes and Bible. We will add an area rug as soon as I find the right color. We have no pews, no ties and now no stand.

What do you think of trappings? I wonder what impact if any this will have. We are a church that has always been willing to do things differently so I doubt if it will matter much but I wonder what message it will send.

It has been an interesting experience living in the Bible belt these past few years. People seem to place a lot of stock in trappings. I had a woman who visited say that she guessed it was okay to laugh during church. If she doesn’t like to laugh she certainly came to the wrong place. It seemed that the experience wasn’t churchy enough for her. For her church should look like church if you know what I mean.

This is hard for me because I think church should look less like church if you know what I mean. As a child raised going to church I wanted nothing to do with the experience. I spent years living in the world before I discovered it was a relationship my Maker desired. As a minister why would I want to recreate something that seemed so pointless, so drab, boring and lifeless? What I find interesting is the number of people who come and because they don’t experience church as they see church want nothing to do with it and even question its validity.

How fascinating. Maybe someone can explain. Do you realize that a way of doing church has in many peoples mind become church? How sad and ironic that one expression of how a church functions is actually viewed as being what the church is.

The big question in my head is will this always be how it is? Are there people disenfranchised with church, meaning that brand of experience, that might find our experience more meaningful or not? If there are how do you let them know that your church experience is unlike the picture of church in their head?

It would seem the only way is to get to know people. Get to know people who you wouldn’t normally get to know. The nicely dressed churchgoer isn’t really interested in rocking that boat but who wants to attract people who simply want the carpet changed and kids ministry tailored to their liking?

All I can say is that in 2007 I will learn more about what it means to be an unchurch or boutique church as I like to call it.