braddock, pa and sanger-heights

A great read from the New York Times magazine:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/13/magazine/13Fetterman-t.html?_r=2

worship conversation #1

Below you may find notes I took from Calvary's first congregational conversation on worship, led by Emily Snider and Terry York. Some folks were frustrated that there wasn't more 'conversation.' We need to remember that, though some of us have had these discussions heretofore, not all Calvarians have spent time diving into the what and why of worship. Paramount to our ongoing conversation is the desire and willingness to listen to one another. Everyone will have their say; but as much as we speak, we will spend the majority of time hearing.

One note about the notes, two community needs interrupted my participation. Those places are indicated within the notes.

1/30/11 Worship Conversation #1

Dr. Terry York led.

To facilitate discussion of worship, we need a common vocabulary and common concepts. He has led these conversations for other churches; he speaks and then leaves.

A generation ago, worship and preaching were synonymous. Now it’s worship and music. Task now is to fit preaching into worship.

Exodus 20.1-4 tells Israel to worship. Worship is like a kernel that has all kinds of expectations and agendas; the kernel becomes wrapped in papier-mâché until it becomes almost unrecognizable. Worship unites but agendas separate. It’s hard to peel away the papier-mache to get back to the kernel. Life and work of church is energized by authentic worship.

John 4.23-24. Sometimes we lose control and that conflicts with agenda. Scripture does not detail how to worship. Psalm 66 says to make a joyful noise. Habakkuk 2.20 says enter into the Lord in silence. Worship happens in midst of dynamic tensions: noise/silence; individual/corporate; entering God’s presence for worship/God with us always.

Worship is hard to define. We can usually describe it but we cannot define it. There are things seen as rivals, seeking pre-eminence with God on Sunday: worship & evangelism, worship & church growth, worship & anything else. We aren’t equipped to talk about this in the midst of church.

What is worship to accomplish? Accomplishment itself has red flags. Sunday mornings seem good place/time to display ministry agenda. Where must agendas stay so that we worship no other gods but God in spirit and truth.

Worship is first work of the Church. Worship & puts something on par with Worship. Marva Dawn says don’t break the back of worship [by putting other agendas on it].

TY talked about a monastery in California where the monks would share everything gratis except Communion. They were not intending to be exclusive.

[At this point I missed about two minutes as we had someone needing assistance at the side door.]

Church can’t be all things to all people. What is our identity? What is our giftedness so we can act on that? Goal is to be Christ-like, not church-like. Body of Christ has position and focus and can be repositioned and refocused every Sunday, unless agendas get in the way.

Some common worship vocabulary: traditional, contemporary, and blended.

[At this point, Mallory and I missed about 10 minutes as we had another community member arrive needing assistance.]

There is typically , , , and in a worship service. Preaching is to take deeper into the Gospel. Gospel points arrows of worship into same direction.

How do we worship and confess or deal with a specific issue? Do those worship & bow before the throne or are they focal points? We can’t cover it all on a given Sunday.

When worship works, it is connected to all of life.

How does church find its voice? Start calm conversation and peel papier-mache that is not worship.

Music can move us beyond words. Preferences does not mean unreconciled voice. Preference does not equate to capacity to hear God or to worship God before all other gods. Taste and preference matters. Keep things in perspective. Help each other live the question.

TY does not like blended worship [he was quite emphatic on this point].

Next conversation will take place on February 27.

china & the lariat

From Agnes Tang:
http://baylorlariat.com/2011/02/01/1879/

congregational health

This from Kay Dunlap [thanks Kay!]: http://columbiapartnership.typepad.com/the_columbia_partnership/2011/02/who-or-what-is-driving-this-congregation.html

There are a number of tie-ins to Calvary. Perhaps most pertinent concerns our Mission Plan and how serious we are about living up to it.

joy triumphs over despair

I had a Calvary member ask me recently how one is able to balance the muck and mire in the world with the glimpses of God's love and transformation. Her work has her constantly responding to crises that affect people in fundamental ways. All that sadness and tragedy and sin threatens to overwhelm her and cloud out the Light of Christ's work.

Much of my week is spent reacting to difficulty or crises; not all of it to be sure but much of it. I shaerd with her, and share with you now some thoughts of others that have helped me come to grips with the muck and mire.

The late 18th century theologian and pastor Friedrich Schleiermacher put the issue very clearly in his seminal work The Christian Faith. He argued against the existence of Hell on the grounds that it would cause sadness in Heaven. How could saints rejoice in Heaven knowing that friends or kin or even strangers were simultaneously suffering in Hell? While I've never been a fan of Schleiermacher, I found this to be a very good question. I do believe that Hell exists (call me old-fashioned if you must) but his point gave me pause to consider this.

Sometime later I ran across C.S. Lewis's response to this point. I do not recall which work it was in but Lewis essentially argues that evil cannot conquer or overcome or dilute joy. Joy wins out and breaks through the muck and mire. If we allow sadness about the state of the world, others, Hell, to leash and encumber our lives, then we suffer from a misunderstanding or poor experience of joy. In doing this, we also limit the glory and bounty of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Evil does not have the power to limit joy inherently; only when we succumb to the so that sadness eclipses rejoicing do we bestow that power upon evil.

I know that the muck and mire is temporary. I take is seriously, of course, but it lacks the permanence and substance of joy and light and grace. Knowing that allows me to experience the depths while clinging to the heights.

churches default

Interesting piece in the WSJ. Calvary is in good shape through prudence, patience and Providence.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704115404576096151214141820.html

math and mentoring

I mentor a young lad at West Ave. Elementary. Last week, during our hour together, he had to solve a math problem. I found it pretty tough too. For your edification, I provide the problem. Let me know if you solve it, there are only 5 correct answers.

You have a 1 bag of 45 m&m's. You use this bag to bake 12 cookies. Each cookie has at least 3 m&m's and no more than 5 m&m's. Determine the m&m distribution for the dozen cookies.