to be completely fair

Just to provide a fair and balanced perspective, and so those reading don't think that I would completely bash and discard current forms of church community, I point you over to Mike Lewis's blog -- which has a very timely and relevant article today.

Let Us Not Completely Abandon...

Enjoy!

disconnected drifting

For someone who typically is connected all the time via technology (within limits), sometimes I start to feel... disconnected. Not disconnected in the positive sense, as in unplugging from everything for a while to keep myself focused, but as in feeling like I am isolated. I suppose in this case, it sort of works out for the better since my current mode of inspiration and spiritual exploration has been coming in waves; a crest here (lots of thoughts), a trough there (nothing at all). With not a whole lot of cohesive material to put together, my disconnected feeling is forcing me to try and wade through the randomly scattered bits of information and discern some kind of pattern.

Part of my mental drifting lately has been influenced by the currents of thought coming from Emerging Churches (see author info at left). Some of the experiences, stories, and testimonials in the book are really forcing me to stop, reflect, and re-think everything about what it means to be and do church. I know I've talked about it in the past, at times with some strange ideas, but some of what is actually going on out in the wider world (beyond the U.S.) is pushing the envelope further and bringing the focus back to where I had been leaning -- however, I think I had often failed to fully understand the possibilities of just what it was I thinking. For instance...

I've said before that I really don't like the term church, not because its a bad term, but because it is so tied up with the historical context it has been rooted in for the past millennia. So many people equate church with a building, even if they know that the church isn't the building. I've said, and many people know, that the church is the community of people committed to God's kingdom and Jesus's teachings. However, I think even that can get muddled up, because some people while attempting to avoid equating church with the building, end up subconsciously equating church with worship service (whether that is Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday.. whatever). While that is a good step, eliminating the focus on the building and shifting it back to the people, it still misses the point -- worship service isn't the church either (well not the only component anyway). Church; ekklesia; the calling together of people; congregation; assembly; a gathered community...

For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there I am with them.

Wherever I am in the future, should I be asked where I go to church - my answer is:
Here.
If ever I am asked, what kind of people are at my church - my response:
At the moment, they are just like you and me.
And if someone were to ask me what worship looks like at my church - I would reply:
Frequently, it looks a lot like what we're doing right now.

Church - it doesn't always need a building, or a schedule, or a formal leader (other than Him), or chairs, or scripture readings, or songs - it needs people, a love of God, and a desire to be in community.

Cheers!

(So I guess I wrote my way out of my drifting and into something that actually makes sense, I think.)

personal perspective

Ever feel like this is where you are in life, the view from where you stand?


Photo by: Me!
Location: Notre Dame de Paris
Date: 06 July 2006

of experiencing faith in new places

I'm not Anglican, Catholic, Druidic or Celtic, and yet in places that are traditionally thought of as homes to these vast arrays of faith I found peace, awe, and spiritual stillness. There is just something humbling and uplifting about entering a beautifully architected grand cathedral or a simplistic and quiet sanctuary. Aside from the ability to work on technology I love and travel to interesting events, the ability to take time abroad has to be one of the major upsides to my job. Just recently Claire and I spent some time in London and Paris, and while we probably saw way too much to actually share in this entry, there were some spiritual high points that I really want to share.

Temple Church


Yes, I know it seems very Da Vinci Code to have visited Temple Church, but honestly there is something about this somewhat hard to find, unique building. The first thing that you will notice that is very different from other cathedrals in London, is that while a fair number of people will visit it to take pictures and do the tourist thing (like us), it remains quiet, still, and peaceful. I found that while there were those of us who took pictures, no one spoke above a slight whisper, no one crowded around and it felt calming to be there. Now granted, we did visit on a weekday afternoon, which I suppose would be my tip to anyone going to visit it, but overall I highly recommend going to see it just to balance out any other larger cathedral visits. We did visit Saint Paul's Cathedral in London, and while it is quite the awesome architectural masterpiece with beautiful architecture and stonework, it was neat to see something on a more moderate scale with older architecture. Obviously the picture above is not the typical picture you might see of Temple Church, with its life-size stone effigies of the interred knights, but like many things there is more too it if you can get beyond the outer appearance and stereotypes.

Stonehenge


An ancient, pagan rock formation of which we hardly know the true purpose or meaning behind its construction! Surely, I must be nutty if I found spiritual nourishment here right?!?! Wrong. I love the outdoors, I love nature, and I love beautiful things. Aside from the backroad highway that runs by Stonehenge, there is nothing but rolling hills, pastures, and trees in the region that surrounds this ancient and mysterious location. Like many historical places in Europe, there was an audio-guide that we received to inform us what is known about the site, its construction, and some possible uses for it. However, I let Claire handle the guided part and fill me in later because I was drawn in by everything that was around me and before me. The design and overall appearance might not compare at all to the cathedrals and castles that we saw, but the achievement and basic meaning is no less significant. Someone gathered together people to build something massive and more important than themselves, and they brought craftsmanship to the job when they did it. You see this is more than just a pile of big rocks sticking out of the ground, they are planned out and engineered. One side of the stones has been worked on until it is nearly flat, while the other is left rough; the entire setup is designed in a series of concentric circles with a pathway that leads from the north into the center. The top stones are not just laid to rest on the upright stones holding them aloft, they are engineered in place using notched tongue and groove interlocking; and the most well-known aspect is that being at Stonehenge during the summer/winter solstice and vernal/autumnal equinox during sunrise shows its alignment with the Earth's movements. Say what you will about why it was built, but go there and experience it before you discard its significance.

Saint Sulpice


Again, I know it is another Da Vinci Code reference, but you know what - the church was here before the book, so let it go. On a positive note, it seems the interest generated in the church by the book could possibly be fueling a renovation effort on this beautiful cathedral (as we learned, this was what happened with Notre Dame de Paris after Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre Dame became enormously popular). While it might not have the soaring flying buttresses and massive rose windows, Saint Sulpice is beautiful and intriguing. While we did take time to check out the roseline and the scientific information about how the sun at noon slowly works its way across the church through the year (the gnomon), you could easily overlook that aspect if you were not looking for it. There is a whole lot more to see, such as the gorgeous and sacred Maria chapel that resides behind the high altar in the apse, and as most cathedrals have - intricate stained glass windows. Since we again visited on a weekday, there were not a lot of people there and those who were present took seriously the signs requesting that people observe a respectful silence since it is a place of worship and spiritual solace. In retrospect, I wish I had taken a few moments to kneel in prayer as I felt the urge to do so, but being in tourist mode I opted not to. I say in retrospect because the next day we visited Notre Dame de Paris, and I felt absolutely nothing while there. Sure, it is a great example of Gothic architecture, has beautiful stained glass rose windows, and an intricately decorated high altar... but the crowds, oh the crowds! It was as if you were in a massive river of people, all slowly flowing around the cathedral in a predetermined route, each group with their designated photographers jockeying for position to capture a poorly lit and out of focus memory. There were memorable places and interesting things to photograph, but the possibility that existed in Notre Dame for spiritual nourishment was suffocated by the throngs of people who felt the need to talk constantly while they explored, resulting in a physical river of people that created a constant, loud murmur throughout. I would love to go back again to visit both cathedrals, after Saint Sulpice has had a chance to finish up some restoration and so I could visit Notre Dame earlier in the day (it was a weekday that we went) to see if perhaps it would be quieter and more peaceful.

I suppose my experiences all come down to the idea that I prefer tranquil spaces for spiritual reflection. I do enjoy more lively environments from time to time, but not usually when I am looking to sit down and ponder the meaning for my existence, God's artistic creation, and the best way to put my talents to use for the Kingdom.

Cheers!

eye of the storm

A bit on the melodramatic side as far as titles go, but for this time in my life a rather appropriate one. For my valued readers, an apology for the lack of content recently, I have been otherwise disposed as of late -- I've been busy. In the current, if fleetingly, moment of calm let me throw out some quick updates.

I finally started reading Emerging Churches, and all I can say so far is wow! Normally I burn through the pages of good book at a blistering rate, but this is the first book in a while that I've slowed down intentionally and have read it with pen in hand. That's right, I'm writing and notating and highlighting in a book -- something I haven't done since college. And there are stretches where I could swear I have been marking something on every page. To date, I have only read through the first 4 chapters but they are packed full of interesting material. I'll write more about it later on, either after I get through more of the book or after I finish it.

As for the reason I have been slack on the blog, the past 4 weeks I have been out of the country. I spent 2 weeks in London working on some pre-tournament setup work for Wimbledon (website stuff). After that the wife flew over the pond and we spent 5 days touring around London (including Windsor Castle and Stonehenge) and then another 5 days in Paris. We had a fabulous time, and there are some parts of the trip that I will be blogging about later as there were some really interesting spiritual things that I experienced. However, the vacation has ended and very soon work will be spinning up rapidly with another grand adventure -- the jointly authored technical book!

Cheers!