Born and raised in New York, I would have expected a different answer … but I guess my time in Texas is having it’s impact …
You Are Austin |
 A little bit country, a little bit rock and roll. You’re totally weird and very proud of it. Artistic and freaky, you still seem to fit in… in your own strange way. Famous Austin residents: Lance Armstrong, Sandra Bullock, Andy Roddick |
I just finished the article for this month’s newsletter:
It was totally unexpected. We had no idea that my husband had a paid holiday on Columbus Day. And, it just so happened, when I looked at my calendar, I saw that I had no appointments, no meetings, no commitments to anyone on that Monday. It was as if God gave us a day. In the midst of life’s craziness, God just gave us a day.
What would you do with an extra day? Isn’t this the secret wish of all middle-class Americans? An extra day. I thought about the work we could get ahead on and the many projects we want to do around the house. But, when I gave it some serious consideration, I realized that what I really longed for was time with God. Maybe God gave us an extra day to let us know how much we craved time focused on our friendship with the One who made us.
I find God most readily at the beach. There is something about the way the seashore is both constant and changing, is vast yet personal, a great friend and a mighty force, filled with energy and essential to life that leads me to see God. So we packed our car with necessities and headed to the presbytery’s retreat center on High Island, not far from the beach.
There we enjoyed the gift of uninterrupted time … time to listen to God, to worship God, to enjoy the very essence of life. I believe this is what Sabbath is about – the gift of time. After working for six days creating it, the world was not complete without a day of rest … time for contemplating the greatness of creation and the wonder of God’s work.
In our world, we are addicted to work; we have no time for “leisureâ€. Time is our most priceless commodity, and we feel we need to fill every moment with some sort of productive activity. We are made to feel guilty for taking vacation days, yet we have fewer vacation days allotted than other nations. Even so, we take more sick days than other nations … too much work makes us sick … and still we’re back at work as quickly as possible.
Even more than money, we idolize our own achievement. We have convinced ourselves that the ultimate value in life comes from what we are able to do, make, or produce. When I read the Bible, though, I see a far greater value on “fruitfulness†than mere work. Fruitfulness implies there is a partnership between the work I do and what God is doing through me. In order to bear fruit, we need to give some time to the Lord to work through us. We need to be grounded in our relationship with Christ that can be nurtured only through the gift of time … time to learn, time to listen, time for prayer. This is what Jesus condemns Martha for, isn’t it? All work and no time to listen and be fed. Work is good, but only when it is in partnership with what God is up to in our lives.
It is imperative as we move into these next challenging decades, that we give God the time needed to make that relationship strong, full, and vital. A few years ago, I heard about a goal of one hour a day, one day a month and one week a year solely focused on God. Columbus Day was my day this month. I did nothing by our cultural standards. I read. I sat. I walked on the beach. I watched the waves and the birds playing with them. Mostly, I listened to what God was saying. I cannot expect that God will grant me with an “extra day†every month. So I pledge to order my life in such a way to give that time to God. I invite you to do the same.
to be published in the November/December edition of Connections, a publication of the Presbytery of New Covenant.
The other day Dwayne mentioned that he has a paid holiday tomorrow for Columbus Day …. hmmm, I’m liking this new company more and more. I looked at my calendar, and it was clear — totally clear — of appointments or meetings or anything for Monday.
So, after I worship with the Nigerian Presbyterians this morning and early afternoon, we’re going on retreat to High Island. Our presbytery owns a small retreat center there that’s hardly ever used. I thought we could check it out. Just a building, bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen and meeting hall … no phones … we may even be out of cellphone coverage … no TV … no internet … just us, the birds (it’s an area used by birders), the beach not far away, and God.
The Harbour … and Faith Harbour in Baytown … both the concert venue and the church have closed. The life they birthed, however, is something that has only just begun to develop. Lives have been shaped by the ministry done there and through the people there. There’s a lot of hope, I think, in the death of a church. That is, a vital and spirit-driven church. The hope is that the movement of the Spirit is free to take the fruits of that church to far greater proportions than any of us could ever imagined.
Think of the many young adults, touched by the Spirit in this place, experiencing a sacrificial and radically generous, and very tangible Grace in this place … now attending college or university in Illinois or Iowa … or in Austin … or in Denton … or in Nacagdoches … or in Baytown. Some of them are taking jobs, getting married, having children. Imagine the relationships that will benefit from that grace .. imagine how it grows and multiplies as stories are told … as community is reproduced in all of those places. That’s how the church started, afterall.
The Harbour was a unique experiment which tried to get at the very essence of being Church … the people called out … and living and following in the likeness of Christ as best as they could in a sinful and broken world. As an experiment it was highly successful … lives changed, messages proclaimed and lessons learned. As an institution is was less successful … bills to pay, short on staff, always struggling. As a movement … well, we won’t be able to measure that one for a while … but I believe the fruit will be abundant. And I’m excited.
Now … a little about the institutionalized church … hmmm …. I, of course, am not speaking about every church or every church-goer, but … well, the church is lost. It has lost its Christ-center. In my experience .. and I think this goes way beyond Presbyterian or Baptist churches … churches have become more like social clubs separating the “good” from the “bad” than communities of Christ-followers offering grace and redemption. They are filled with people more compelled by “right-thinking” than “compassionate-living”. They are more concerned with conserving tradition than being filled by the Spirit.
I’m reading George Barna’s, Revolution. At the same time, I’m reading
an advanced copy of a new book from the Gallup people about “engaging”
church. In both books, the statistics on the spiritual commitment of
church members is apalling. Very few church members worship God
outside of a weekly church service. Of those worshipping in the
church, few report that they actually encounter God in
worship. A majority report that they’ve never felt the presence of God
in worship. They only give about 3% of their annual income to the
church or other charible causes. Most church-goers don’t read the
Bible on a daily basis and we don’t often pray with our families or our
children other than saying grace before meals.
This afternoon I had a conversation with a colleague about the future of the Church … insert your own denomination … he asked if I really thought there wouldn’t be any more denominations or church as we know it in 50 years? If not 50, then 150 for sure. Oh, I suppose there may be a remnant for at least one more generation.
The thing is, though, that I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. The system, the institution is terminally ill. A cancer of pharisaical behavior has spread rampant in the organism. Sometimes, when cancer has infected too many systems, the organism dies. But life … well … Life is God’s promise in Christ. That’s the hope of the Gospel, isn’t it?
Even so, Gallup makes a case for renewing the church, Barna says the trends are showing that God is working outside the church. I see value in both, but I think the real future is in a total revolution of the Church … a death and resurrection … and I think that’s exactly what God is up to in the world right now … even in the death of an experiment of Grace … like Faith Harbour.
Randy and Nelda, you are true revolutionaries; you’ve given birth to a movement … even if you’re still feeling the birthpains … one day … you’ll see the full magnitude and value of your obedient and sacrifical work. God bless you.
I have just gotten over to the HarbourBlog and read Randy’s response to the Socialism/Capitalism blogquiz we both took a week or so ago.
Randy, the church-state reasoning is a good analysis of our differences. I am a strong
believer in the separation of church and state, so I’m with you on
that. And I definitely agree that Jesus and the early Christians were living a life which exemplified socialism. Believe it or not, I even agree that generosity should not be forced on people.
However, there are certain principals that I believe are morally
appropriate for all people regardless of our faith … and they include things like
caring for the poor, speaking up for the marginal voices, providing healthcare and education for all people. I score as a
relatively strong socialist because I believe it is the moral responsibility of us all to
give, especially if we’ve been given more. I want to live in a nation that values these same moral principles. And I want to strive for them both privately and corporately as a nation.
I also think that Capitalism, at least in its current form, exploits more people than it helps. It has led us, as a nation, to a place of moral and spiritual decay. It has become an idolatry that puts the “bottom line” at the top of our priorities. I definitely see an oxymoron in the description of our country as being both Christian and Capitalist. In part … because it has led to the same ill you describe … the capitalist-like behavior of the Church. Churches are making decisions that are more about the financial thrival or survival of the institution than about obedience to Christ.
I don’t know if it’s a “governmental” responsibility to provide these things, but I’m certain it’s a societal responsibility …
But here’s the really good news … even if you are 76% Capitalist … I still love you. 
We have a huge gift in the reporting of the executions at an Amish school in Pennsylvania this week. We are getting, at least through NPR, what I think is a good view of the Amish life and spirituality. Of course, the Amish don’t allow their pictures to be taken or their voices to be recorded. Yesterday I heard that some had reported that this will reinforce their desire to remain separate from the rest of society. Of course, as we learned from the movie, The Village, there is no way to safeguard ourselves from the influences of the world around us. Yet, today, I heard a very interesting report on the Amish Community’s reliance on mental health services in this situation. They are somewhat reluctant to engage in therapy or get help from outsiders who may try to sway them from their Amish values and community life. However they have a relationship with a counseling center nearby that was begun by the Mennonites. The Mennonites share the spiritual values and religious views of the Amish, though they do not remain separate from the rest of society.
So … here’s the part that I think is the gift. In the NPR report, they were reporting on the kinds of concerns the Amish were taking to the counselors. They were concerned about how and what to tell the other children … they wouldn’t be hearing about the shooting in the media, afterall. They wanted to know if they should send the kids back to school. And they wanted to know what they could do to support the family of the killer. That’s right. There’s the gift. The Amish are all about community, and they are pacifists. Those two things, I’m sure, have taught them the importance of forgiveness and reconciliation. They are so good at it, that one of their first concerns is to reach out in compassion and care for the wife and family of the perpetrator.
This is an example of the kind of Kingdom love I know in Christ. God Bless the Amish for this vivid example of forgiveness and compassion.