Visiting Friendship Presbyterian Church

Barry and I are off to our first church visit – Friendship Presbyterian Church which meets in a Metra Station – except tomorrow – they are having worship outside. Here is their web link: www.fpcchicago.org Here is a bit of who they are: At FPC we believe that being a church isn’t about a building, it means seeking to be God’s hands and voice in the world. As a faith community, our mission is to create relationships that transform lives. We do this by welcoming and serving those around us. We also believe that God’s love is bigger than the labels and boxes that often define us but just to be clear, you are welcome to join us on our journey no matter your age, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, mental, physical or socio-economic status, we are glad that you are here! We promise that all will be welcomed, accepted, and celebrated as a beloved child of God. We respect and celebrate our differences, delighting in the variety of talents and gifts that result. We utilize the historic Norwood Park Metra Station for weekly worship plus monthly music concerts, community events, art shows and preparing monthly meals for The Night Ministry (a Chicago program that feeds the homeless and hungry and provides them with medical care). We are a transforming community, working on intentionally developing our faith and nurturing spiritual growth as we explore together the endless possibilities in relationship with each other, our community, and with God.

Spirituality as journey

As Barry and I sat still soaking up the July 4 firework's finale - the person standing beside us said to his family in a disappointed tone: "is that all there is - 15 minutes of fireworks and it took us three hours to get here and will take three hours to get home." With the day’s readings from Church Re-Imagined still lingering in my head I thought - folk could often say that about the church worship service if they only see the 11:00 am service as the "primary" moment within their spiritual journey. Did the disappointed spectator see any of his trip to and from the fireworks as moments of joy, did he feel a connection with his family, or did he feel the rumblings of a big city as part of his continuing story of human development? Should the fireworks be more than about the "moment" when streamers of fire are falling from the sky? Church Re-Imagined is helping confirm an intuition that I have been living with for some time. While I was taught in seminary (in the 1980's) that worship was the "primary moment" in the church's weekly activities; the moment when the church had a chance to transform and impact those gathered, I have felt deep within my bones that every relational encounter throughout the week, and the quality of those relational moments are equally or more important that what we say with our lips in that hour of worship. While what we do in worship is a critically important part of articulating publically who we are as a faith community, if it stands along, then I think we could be falling into "a sort of 'patent leather' spiritual formation - a glossy, slick substitute for the real thing [which] involves little vulnerability or self-disclosure. It is easy …to listen to someone talk about spirituality and belief without opening up to its implications. There is a certain ironic comfort to a life that looks the part on the outside while wilting away on the inside. But when a friend tells you about a deep struggle, and the natural response is to enter in to the person's life, whatever the risk - then we find ourselves being transformed into the people of grace and mercy opened for us in the Kindom of God." page 149. Church Re-Imagined

Day 1

It seems a bit odd that I am not headed to the church's office as I routinely do on Monday mornings. I feel a little off kilter, but in many ways that is what this sabbatical is about - opening myself/oursleves to new experiences - feeling a little off kilter so that I/we are in reflective mode and thus intentional about evaluating what we routinely do and perhaps take for granted. During the Pride Parade yesterday, where churches are cheered as we march by - it was a good reminder that "church" may have to hit the streets and take ourselves where people's needs meet the resources we have to offer. I know that the parade had a preset grouping of spectators, the more challenging reality is how to connect in ways when the crowds are gone.

Upcoming Sabbatical summary

The purpose of this renewal/sabbatical program is to re-imagine a mission model for “doing church” that will carry Church of the Three Crosses into the future as a congregation that remains a vibrant and relevant faith community. I plan to visit and observe at least six churches which have broken from traditional church paradigms, and have begun evolving into dynamic and exciting spiritual communities. It is my hope that we can glean from these observations vital ways of being church. At each of the church visits, the same eight, core questions will be asked as a means of maintaining consistency and focusing the discussion: 1) What would the community name as core values vital to its identity? 2) How are these core values expressed in its communal life? 3) What are the overarching theologies that support the community/ 4) How and why was its worship style developed? 5) Who is coming through the doors to visit? 6) How does it do missional outreach? And, 7) How is the community marketing itself? 8) How is your community funding itself? a. Getting Focused: July 1-10 Reading and visiting Friendship Presbyterian Church which meets in a Metra train station. Begin reading Doug Pagitt's book: Church Re-Imagined, 2005 b. July 11 – 15 Drive to Minneapolis, MN (Pam and Dave Clinefelter have invited me to stay with them at their house), and visit Solomon’s Porch Church. Meet with staff and members to explore what they see as “best practices” for this congregation. Ask Church Council members to journal in their reading of the Pagitt's book. c. Return to Chicago: July 15-August 2. Time to rest, reflect and organize information. Utilize the church's blog to interact with a church book group, which will be reading Church Re-Imagined. Begin reading Diana Bulter Bass' Christianity for the Rest of Us. July 21 - worship at Urban Village - Chicago - ask core questions to pastor and key leaders. July 28 - worship at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church - ask core questions to pastor and key leaders. Blog on the church's blog site. d. August 3 - fly to Asheville, NC. e. Land of the Sky UCC and Circle of Mercy, Asheville, NC: August 3 Travel to Asheville, NC. Visit a new UCC church development, Land of the Sky, which bills itself as an emerging congregation. Attend Worship and meet with the co-pastors, Rev. Sara Wilcox and Rev. Amanda Hendler-Voss, lay leaders and members. Help lead Vacation Bible School camp at Land of the Sky. August 11 I will attend Circle of Mercy UCC church and meet with the pastoral staff. I will spend the remainder of my time in Asheville to summarize and reflect on all my data and stay with my daughter. Attending all the events of Land of the Sky possible. During August, the second book group will be convened. f. Return to Chicago: September 8 First Sunday back at Church of the Three Crosses will be September 8. Worship celebration and luncheon. Give a brief initial report to congregation. g. Follow-Up Conversations The congregation will meet over the next six Wednesdays (beginning September 18) for conversation and reflections upon what it has learned about its present life and work at imagining its future life. John and others will facilitate these conversations. Here are the web sites of the congregations I will be visiting - check them out: ;Friendship Presbyterian Church: http://fpcchicago.org ;Solomon's Porch: http://www.solomonsporch.com ;Urban Village Chicago: http://www.urbanvillagechurch.org ;Holy Trinity Lutheran Church: http://www.holytrinitychicago.org ;Land of the Sky UCC: http://landoftheskychurch.org ;Circle of Mercy UCC: https://sites.google.com/site/circleofmercy/

We celebrate the courage of Jason Collins and hope that his declaration will provide a pathway for a deeper conversation around sexuality. I pray that the media coverage he is getting does not stimulate negative conversation around dinner tables and locker rooms for gay teen who continue to struggle with their sexuality and coming out.

As I awoke this morning, I heard the news of the shooting in Colorado, and could not discern if I was dreaming or if this was reality. I thought I must have been dreaming. An early morning nightmare – this could not be real. Who would be that cruel to open fire in a movie theater? But sadly the news was real – a nightmare none-the-less, but real. This level of violence shocks us and my heart goes out to the families and friends of those killed or injured. May love hold this community and our nation as we grieve those intimately impacted by this horrific act of violence and may grace guide us as we grieve death’s grip on our world. John

The marriage debate

It seemed paradoxical that as Barry and I were issued a marriage license in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, at the same time the United Methodist General Conference in Tampa and the state of North Carolina (where my daughter lives) were debating the status of gay couples from their perspective. As you may have read, ultimately the Methodist debate ended, leaving in tact within the Book of Discipline language that states “homosexual practice is incompatible with Christian teaching” and banning ordination of gay clergy and the blessing of same-sex unions, including the use of church property for those blessings. While this intense debate was going on and people were being wounded, Barry and I were greeted with upmost professionalism from the Town Clerk who issued our license. Everyone in the Clerk’s office offered congratulatory comments and wished us well in our marriage. Their comments and actions demonstrated that gay marriage had been normalized there. Amazingly, when they issued the license, the sky did not crash in nor was the marriage of any other couple threatened by ours. Then we made our way to the First Congregational Church of West Tisbury, a United Church of Christ, founded in 1673, one hundred and three years prior to the adoption of the Declaration of Independence that included these words: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all people are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” In West Tisbury, the staff’s welcome seemed rooted in a deep sense of hospitality and justice for all. On Saturday at our wedding, there could not have been any more joy and love surrounding us. Our families were there to celebrate with us our sixteen years of life together and to wish us well on our continued marriage journey. Their warmth, love, grace and joy lifted our souls and again, the sky did not crash in nor was the marriage of any couple threatened by the joy and love of ours.