Solomon's Porch

We are back from our visit to Solomon’s Porch in Minneapolis. Wow – it is a long drive to Minneapolis, but it was a beautiful one. We wanted to experience the community of Solomon’s Porch as depicted in Doug Pagitt’s book Church Re-Imagined. What we experienced with the “flesh” is in fact what one would find described within Doug’s book. The community meets in an old Methodist congregation’s building and when you walk through the doors – you knew this community was reimagining church. The sanctuary pews have been replaced with sofas, armchairs, rocking chairs, tables with seating. It feels like a large coffee house with the art decor on the walls giving a feeling of welcome. There is no pulpit – or central place that symbolizes a concentration of "power." No one seems to be “in charge” although Doug, the founding pastor, spoke and invited everyone to join in the worship. And thus the service was underway. The service begins with a projected call to worship that is read by individuals within the congregation – at random. No one is preselected but join in; when they feel they are called to read, someone speaks up. It symbolized for me that again power and responsibility for the service is dispersed throughout the gathered community and is somewhat organic. After the gathering words are said, people are invited into Communion, with bread and wine or juice placed on tables throughout the sanctuary. The Communion liturgy is a short introduction into community – and then folk go the tables and serve themselves while at the same time chat with those who are gathered around the bread and wine/juice with them. It has a feeling of our passing of the peace only with Communion elements included within the ritual. I will talk more about details of the service, but wanted to say here that Barry and I felt welcomed and included within much of the service. Doug, Barry and I had lunch together after the morning service where we had a much more informative and directed conversation. We attended two services; one at 10:00 am (a summer alternative worship time) with about 25 people in attendance (no children) and a 5:00 pm (their normal worship time) service. The afternoon service had approximately 100 in attendance and lots of active, busy children. Barry and I were the "oldest" people there, with the average age of those attending being between 25 and 35. It was a very interesting day, filling my imagination. Also we met Dan and Lydia’s friends who attend there, which extended the feelings of hospitality by connecting us back to Three Crosses. Web site link: http://www.solomonsporch.com/

Journeying to Solomon's Porch

Barry and I are off on our journey to Minneapolis – to visit Solomon’s Porch. I am up early to pack my suitcase. I know that in last week’s story Jesus as he was sending out the disciples, two by two, to other cities, told them “carry no purse, no bag, no sandals…” but I just bought new Teva’s (sandals) and I am packing them! I am aware that my suitcase has at least two outfits per day. One never knows what the world is going to bring, so one has to be ready for it – right? Now seriously, it will be very interesting to witness the life of Solomon’s Porch for one brief day – to see how they embody in the flesh their community.

Friendship Presbyterian Church visit

Yesterday Barry and I attended a Presbyterian Church (http://fpcchicago.org) in Norwood Park, which leases space and meets in a Metra train station. Three Crosses shares so much of the same contextual questions as they do. Their place of worship is a challenge as far as their ability of having a neighborhood presence. Who would ever expect a congregation to be meeting in the train station? Yesterday, the worship service was outside – and it was a similar number of folk that one would see at Three Crosses on a given Sunday. Being outside provided a more informal setting – we were even asked to take off our shoes and “leave them behind” as Jesus asked the disciples to not take much with them when they went into the cities. (Yesterday’s lectionary text.) The service was interactive. During the worship service – we “traveled” between conversation partners within the congregation to talk about topics that the pastor set before us. After worship, Barry and I had a great conversation with the pastor. It was reassuring that this congregation was right where COTTC is on our journey of rethinking church. We share some of the same questions around worship, marketing/outreach (evangelism in old model church language) missions and financial viability. I asked my 8 core questions and have logged them into my traveling journal.

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/