Category Archives: church

The Risk of Being Fully Alive

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Love this quote from Mark Scandrette in his book Practicing the Way of Jesus

So much of our lives is designed around minimizing risks, avoiding pain and managing the chaos and uncertainties that are inherent to the human condition. We are tempted to look to governments, corporations or social structures (including religion) to give us the certainty and security we crave. Yet the One in whom we live warns us that it is foolish to live cautiously and calls us away from the safety and conventions of our kingdoms into the mystery and adventure of the kingdom of love. Those who inherit this kingdom do so with reckless abandon, not looking back, and betting it all on the pearl of greater price, to risk being fully alive.

Where will practicing the way of Jesus take us? To the place where it has always taken disciples since the beginning, toward the fault line of love in our time: to suffering, persecution, misunderstanding, and death, this is where his footsteps lead, and to peace and hope beyond the struggles of this age. The greater question is not whether we are willing to suffer but will we risk being fully alive?

Had a great conversation with a few guys last night where we lamented the fact that if the church would just be the church–if Christians would just act like Christ, then things in our world (we were specifically talking about the foster system, healthcare, and the welfare system) would be incredibly different. But it truly does all start with me. Am I willing to risk being fully alive? Am I willing to take those steps beyond protecting myself, living in safety, and avoiding pain into a new way of living that is risky, vulnerable, and full of love?

The Nerdy Church

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Being different is easy. Anyone who’s experienced nerdom knows this. It’s not hard to stand out as different or odd because most everyone is trying to hard to fit in. The formula looks like this: look around you, observe the customs and norms of a majority of those around you, dress or act in a manner that is either opposite or off just enough to make it weird. It’s as simple as that. I’ve done it for most my life.

Being different isn’t hard. Churches and Christians have been different like this for ages. And like the formula above much of the oddness of Christians and churches has much to do with being intentionally different from what’s considered normal around. We define ourselves based on what we don’t do (i.e. we define ourselves by being weirdly different from those around us)

I suggest that those who follow Jesus should be weird, they should be different, but it should have nothing to do with choosing to be different from the culture around. That’s an easy way to be different but it’s not a wholly redemptive way of being different. The invitation that Jesus brings is to live distinctively. It does not require comparison to live distinctively as Jesus invited–it requires courage. The definition of what that distinctiveness looks like is not formed by saying what we DO NOT do but rather what we do do…yes, I just said do do.

On one hand Christians do not exist in a bubble, they are very much enmeshed with the context in which they live (as they should be! This is not a bad thing and deserves its own blog), but on the other hand they should not seek to be defined simply in contrast to that bubble. Jesus was not about the rejection of culture but about the restoration or renovation of it. There are obviously things that must/need to be rejected in our world, but those ‘rejectable’ things are often bastardizations of something that was actually intended for good.

Defining ones self (or ones church) simply by rejecting things you don’t like or don’t aprove of around you is easy. Anyone can do that. Defining ones self (or ones church) based on an intentionally chosen way to live is much more in line with the life Jesus came to offer…but it is most definitely a more difficult road to follow.

Rejection is easy–direction…devine.

Creating Meaning from Creation

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Many people believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible’s creation story. There are whole conferences and lectures dedicated to defending this point of view. My position right now is that I don’t care.

Regardless of whether you take the Adam and Eve story literally, the point of the narrative is to create meaning. How would Christianity–or better yet, how would our neighborhoods look different if they embraced some of the significant meaning communicated in this story? How would things be different if we understood that…

  • …we were intended to be at peace with the earth, with plants, animals, and each other. The Garden of Eden was a space where all the creatures lived in a mutually beneficial peaceful existence. Adam was even created from the dust of the earth! Essentially the story communicates that if it weren’t for the earth we could not/would not exist! How different would our world be if we tried to lean into this intended reality?
  • …man and woman cannot be separated. I’m not making an “Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve” play here. What I am saying is that according to the story woman cannot exist apart from man (it took one of his ribs to make her) and man cannot be complete apart from woman (missing that damn rib). In a world filled with broken relationships would it change anything to know that apart from others we are incomplete? We were not created for isolation or complete individualism! The whole man-woman thing is not at all tied to superiority or control, rather it is about connectedness. We are forever and completely connected to each other.
  • …we are partners with God. God invited the humans to name the animals, he invited them to be a part of the creation process by actually giving the animal kingdom some of its identity. How would things change if we viewed ourselves as partners with God in the continued identity-giving process of life?
  • …not only were we intended to be at peace with the world around us, but originally there was a peace and casual relationship between the creator and his creation. It was normal for Adam and Eve to walk together with God in the dew of the morning! How would life be different if we knew that we were intended to be at peace and in relationship with God?
  • …Adam and Eve were naked…and I’m pretty sure they were dead sexy (though probably a bit freakish looking without a belly button). I don’t think this necessarily invites us all to come to a place where we can all be naked together (though some could argue that). Rather I think this reminds us of our intended innocence. We were intended for purity, innocence, and simplicity (don’t clothes bring heaps of complexity to our lives?!). What would our world look like if we embraced our original calling to simple, pure, and innocent living? Jesus invited his followers to be like children…seems strangely similar.
  • …we are good. God looked at his creation over and over again and mused to himself “wow, this is pretty good!” and regarding you and I he even thought “Wow, this is really ridiculously good!” So often Christians start the story with brokenness and sinfulness but the reality is that the story starts with goodness. How would our world be different if when we looked at people around us we saw (and believed) their inherent goodness. It’s not that we’re all good or that given the opportunity we’ll all make good choices, rather its that our starting place, our origin, or beginning is in perfect goodness…what a better place to find our identity than in our brokenness!
  • …destructive things are only bastardizations of the good stuff. The devil came in the form of a snake and tempted the humans to eat the fruit. What I love is that early on in the story we’re reminded that the best that evil can do is bastardize good things. Snakes aren’t evil, they’re kind of awesome. But the devil used it to bring about broken relationship. If we look at most everything that is destructive in our world it turns out to be a bastardization of something that was originally good. Evil doesn’t create. How would like and Christianity be different if we had the courage to own everything good?
  • …work is a gift from God. Work isn’t something we HAVE to do, it’s something we GET to do. God didn’t place humanity in a box, in an empty field, on a cement pad, or in a spa resort. He placed them in a garden with plants and animals to take care of. Work was part of the beauty of their existence–how would life be different if we understood labor as a beautiful part of being human? How would we choose our jobs differently? Hmm…I wonder.
There are so many other bullet points that could be included here! Again, regardless of whether you take this story literally or not the reality is that it is the the defining start to the Jesus-narrative. And I think we have a great opportunity to be shaped by the meaning that this story seeks to bring into our world. Peace, communion, relationship, enjoyable labor, partnership, goodness…this is who we are and what we were intended for…what if we tried to live THAT out?

Dear Renovatus Church,

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Seven years ago with a baby on the way Jess and I joined nine other adults in the crazy adventure of trying to start a new church on the east side of Vancouver. This church ended up being called Renovatus (Latin for “renovation”). Over the course of those seven years we poured out our lives for and with this fledgling faith community. And in January of this year they waved goodbye to us as we began to take next steps in the journey of starting a new movement in downtown Vancouver. This week I was struck not only by how blessed I have been in my past by Renovauts but how they continue to play an active role in loving me and transforming the reality of my future. So with that said, here are a few words that I feel like I need to say to this beautiful community…

Dear Renovatus,

I have a lot to thank you for. My kids don’t know what church is outside of you. They don’t know that some people don’t have to setup their church out of a box each week. Thanks to you my kids don’t know how to behave in church because you were a safe place for them to be…well…to be kids. My kids have fond memories of their time with you. Thank you for that gift.

I have a lot to thank you for. You’ve cared for me in amazing ways—creating space for me to learn how to be a leader. Forgiving me for my awkwardness, for my randomness, and my mistakes. You let me experiment on you as I got excited about different ideas and processes. I wouldn’t be who I am if it wasn’t for you (I hope that’s a compliment!).

I have so much to thank you for—you’ve provided space for two former homeschoolers to learn how to be more normal, to learn how to do church in a way that’s so weird that it works, and to develop some lasting relationships that we wouldn’t otherwise have.

I’m indebted to you for providing a place for people I care deeply for. Over the years and

to this day many of those I love have found a place in your community and its not because of some special program that you offer but because of who you are and how you love. Thank you.

I’m indebted to you for how you have cared for and continue to care for my parents. I don’t know what it’s like to deal with your child dying of cancer but I know its got to be worse for the parents than for the kid! I love how you have surrounded them, how you have blessed them, and created an environment where they are being cared for in real and meaningful ways.

 

I’m grateful for how you’ve cared for me and my family in all of this cancer mess. You’ve cleaned my house, provided meals, paid medical bills, prayed, sent cards, and a dozen other things that belong on a list. Y’all have really showed that you mean it when you say that you’re trying to be like Jesus. I know this ‘cause I’ve been on the receiving end of it.

Thank you for being so weird. Seriously you are one weird group. Remember when we used to sing a song together about Jesus having worms in his hair? Who does that? What church sings that? We were all weirdos together and I hope that hasn’t changed just because I’m not there. (insert joke here)

Thank you for stretching my imagination. When Renovatus started all I could imagine was a worship gathering that was engaging and fun. By the time we had journeyed together for six years not only did that become second nature and assumed but our imaginations had together been stretched to realize that being the church was so much more than a worship gathering—it was a way of life, it was a community of people who were committed to each other, and it was a group of people who were together being transformed into their original purpose and intended beauty.

You all are a special group of people. As Jess and I continue the work of starting the Grassroots Conspiracy here in downtown Vancouver I am giddy to know that we’re not doing this alone. We are who we are because of you and we’re doing what we’re doing because of you and we’re glad to be attached at the hip. We love you and are grateful for who you are, who you’ve been, and who you’re becoming. Peace to your house…err…grange hall.

We Need Structure…but do we want it?

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When we talk about becoming a community who does life together and we speak of how we’re better off together than we are on our own we often run the risk of falling off into fanciful ideas and dreams that materialize into nothing. Intentionality is tough to come by. Follow-through is tough to come by. Action is tough to come by.

I’m speaking biographically here.

The challenge isn’t just that huge transition from dreaming to experimenting but it’s the mental shift that accepts that intentional structures can be of value…or, dare I say it, are essential to doing life together!

That’s right, I’m going to go as far as to say that for us to do life together, for a community to be shaped by the truth that we’re better off together than we are on our own we must have intentional (routine?) structures that draw us together, that invite us into doing life together in deeper ways, and that give us a venue for personal and communal transformation.

The idea that we’ll all be transformed and that we’ll develop into some sort of alternative special community through randomness, organic-y activity*, and an all out embrace of fluidity is a pipe dream. The best things in life happen with some level of intentionality.

So here in the ‘Couve I’ve been spending significant time trying to discern and dream up what type of structures will bring about the life that we so desperately need and desire. How are we shaped as individuals amongst the community? How are we shaped as a community amongst a larger neighborhood? How are we agents of transformation in a neighborhood within a city? The reality, I think, is that it’s hugely ordinary stuff. What’s not so ordinary about it is the willingness to commit to each other, the willingness to experiment together, and the willingness to commit to a way of life together.**

It might sound boring, but we need structures to sustain life together. Weekly community meals. Bi-weekly discussion groups. Theology pubs. Mom’s groups. Neighborhood associations. Monthly gatherings. Annual gatherings. Random gatherings. Meals. Meals. And more meals.

The question isn’t do we need it…but do we want it?

 

*  “Organic” as a term shouldn’t refer to things that are left on their own…though that’s how it’s often used and that’s how I’m using it here. I don’t know if any of you garden organically but it’s a whole lot harder than gardening with chemicals. It takes work, time, effort, intentionality, planning, etc. It’s not a loosey goosey process!

** I would add that it’s essential that this ‘way of life’ must invite us into something bigger than ourselves (not just greater than ourselves but even greater than us). If we’re not a part of a larger redemptive story then I don’t think we’ll ever break out of the ordinariness of life as most of the world experiences it.