We may not have it all together; but together we have it all!

Over the past several months, there have been a lot of trials at the Newark church but I think as a community and as individuals we have all grown from it. However, with some of the difficult situations that came/come up there has been a lot of wonderful things going on as well. We have really seen a lot of people’s lives changed in the last couple of months and have seen the beginning of lives lived for God and a lot of spiritual formation of people (young and old) take place. I think we are making efforts into increasing that and making what we are about more effective then ever before. I think we’re getting back to what Steve and I have called “Newark’s DNA” of service and transforming lives. Newark was not and is not your typical church of Christ or for that matter typical church. We are a diverse group of people…a “melting pot” of people (all different kinds of races, religious backgrounds, economic status, etc). Our church was founded on the idea of service and about being active and involved in the community. That is our DNA. That is who we are. We don’t fight a lot of the battles that many churches fight and when they do come (and they do come) I think our servant heart mentality bring us back together (puts everything in perspective). We don’t have the flashiest ministries, or the most dynamic worship services (and I’m the “worship minister”…whatever that means) and we meet in a gym because of the school and day care the church started many years ago. But Steve has a saying in his office that he refers the church back to many times and for the first time last week it really hit me hard what it was saying (and this has become kind of the motto of the church): “We may not have it all together; but together we have it all”.

Let me share a few stories:

Five years ago a woman moved into an apartment complex down the street from us (we are surrounded by 4 apartment complexes). She decided that she needed to find a church but didn’t have a car so she decided to walk down the street and the first church she came across she would go into. It happened to be Newark. I don’t know all the details of the story but I know that this woman became apart of the church and became a Christian and eventually moved in with one of the members (who have transformed their house into basically a hotel for people to stay at whenever the need comes about) and she now has her own place, car, etc. The first Christmas rolls around and this lady knew the pain and loneliness that was there in many of apartments so she decided to have a spaghetti dinner Christmas eve for those people and have the Christmas story read and sing some songs (nothing too big; “just something to get people together”). No budget…nothing. Just her and some other people who were passionate about serving put this on. So for the past five years, every Christmas Eve, this lady puts on a Spaghetti dinner and Christmas service with the help of others in the church for the community around us. Every year it is a great success and people are so appreciative for her caring for them during this time of year. She saw a need and wanted to help make it something better…

We have a lot of people who like to work on cars at our church. So a few guys got together and decided that we should have a car care ministry. This ministry serves single moms and dads and people with low incomes. Once a quarter people get together and work on cars. The people love it and the people who get serviced (from our congregation and from the community) are very appreciative. While the car is being worked on we have other people who are in having coffee with the people and playing games and just talking about life. It’s a beautiful thing! But when I was talking to one of the organizers after this last time he said that the ownership and dream of the ministry isn’t just his anymore. It’s now of many people and many of them younger who have the talent to work on cars. All he could say to me is “WOW! God is Great!” Now; the people that serve together in this ministry are men and women with the starting age of 12 or 13 (some younger that run and get tools, oil, etc) up to around 70 years old.

That same day there was a group of people putting together Christmas boxes for people who may not be able to have a Christmas dinner for their family. So each year, Newark gives about 30-35 boxes of food for a Christmas dinner including a turkey with all the trimmings (also understand that we give food to about a person a day out of our pantry…I have NEVER seen a church pantry used like that!!). Again, people are appreciative. But again, the group of people that were together: 11 to about 80 years old. Serving…sharing…laughing…tell stories…talking about life.

I have working in youth ministry for eight years now and grew up in a youth group and assisted my youth minister while in the youth ministry and may know a good chunk of things but I still have a lot to learn about ministry, teens, etc. But, the one thing I will take with me always in the absolute effectiveness of all ages serving together. There is no other way it should be done. I have seen it with local efforts, Hurricane relief, and foreign mission trips. Ministry in a church context is about the holistic spiritual formation of people of all ages. And the way that is done is through interaction of all ages. Is separation good…yes…but only sometimes. There is the need for learning and experiencing the age differences and working together for the common good. This is how we are spiritual formed. We are made for relationship. We are made to be together. All ages, all types of people. When we do this and work in this way…we are changed…and so is the world…into the way that God created it to be.

Justice in the Burbs

“. . . doing missions means doing the work of the kingdom wherever you are sent. And the best place to think about where you have been sent is to see where you are. God is a being of great economy. He works before you even realize it and before you sign on, and he’s placed you where you are today for a reason. If you find yourself in the suburbs, welcome to your mission field.”

And with this phrase one dives into Will & Lisa Samson’s book “Justice in the Burbs”. This is a book that deal with more then just justice but brings to the table ideals for holistic living in a suburban context. This is Will & Lisa’s story. They talk a lot about there lives and also have other people chime in with their experiences as well (people such as Brian McLaren, Leonard Sweet, Doug Pagitt, Tony Jones, Luci Shaw, and others). In the later chapters, the book gives some great practical ideas for holistic, missional living in the suburban lifestyle, however the book spends a good deal of time talking about urban or rural areas and the need for the ‘burbs to begin to better focus on the needs in these areas. I agree with this to a degree, however I feel there are needs that need to be met in the burbs as well and many of the same situations can also be taken seen outside of the rural or urban areas. I have done some hands on work both in urban settings and in suburban settings and can say that both have needs that need to be met by people who have a passion for serving others and the world around them. I feel Will & Lisa would agree with me on this and their book is here to be a voice for moving people to action and I would stand with them in that.

At the end of the book, Will & Lisa offer this:

“To hold onto this hope, however, we need a new view of the kind of future that is possible if we act out the call of God on our lives. This is what one theologian referred to as an ‘eschatology of hope,’ or a view of the future that involves the world of tomorrow living more justly because of your actions today.
And this is where we would like to end. Imagine what the world of your great-grandchildren could look like if you begin to live justly today. There is an old Arab proverb that states, ‘Old men plant trees.’ This is precisely the kind of hope we would wish for you – a hope rooted in the belief that another world is possible.”

This is a good read and one that can be read in a very diverse group and would have effect on many different types of people. The book deals with more of the idea for the need to be involved and active in the works of justice. As the sub-title of the book says, we need to be “the hands of Jesus wherever we live”.

Signs of Emergence: Book Review

Signs of Emergence by Kester Brewin is another book put out by the “emersion” resources with Baker Books. Personally, I feel this is the best work yet.

The front cover is eye catching and gets you interested by the sub-title of “A Vision for Church that is organiz/networked/decentralized/bottom-up/communal/flexible/always evolving”. So if your into that sort of stuff you are pretty interested. However, he begins this books unlike others like this by starting with a chapter called “Advent”. In this chapter he begins like this: “…But before the church can change, before I can change, before anything changes, comes waiting. A pause. A rest.” These are some of the wisest words I have heard out of a emergent voice recently. We talk about change in the church so much and in a fast pace society it is refreshing to hear the advice to stop…to meditate…to see really where God wants His church to go. Brewin uses other writings, poems, and liturgies throughout the book but none as appropriate as the words of waiting (which you will have to get the book to read the liturgy). He also talks about Christianity being evolutionary and not just revolutionary, which to me is a wonderful way to discuss following Christ and gives a good balance to the revolution idea (which I think is a great way to describe what Jesus was doing, however it does not end at the revolution but continues to be a life changing process that continues to evolve).

From there Brewin goes into a great description of the emerging conversation and the idea of church in this time and culture. In part 2 of his book he looks to a narrative approach and gives a great narrative of who God is and what his mission in the world is. At the end, Brewin shows God comes into the dirt and mess of the world with the emergence of Jesus and gives a beautiful link of the first part of the book to the narrative talked about in the 2nd. This book reminds me a lot of Pete Rollins’ book “How (Not) to Speak of God” (which makes sense since Pete and Kester are friends…good enough that Kester can post something on Pete’s blog about how great “Signs of Emergence” is).

I highly recommend this book whether you are into the emerging conversation and discussing church and how it looks in this day and culture but also for the casual reader as well. His first chapter on Advent is worth the regular price of the book. The linking of the whole book together is worth reading the book to the end and the information inbetween it is insight and study that you will want to have for your spiritual walk. But again, the first chapter called “Advent” is one dramatic change for a book on the church and a direction that needs to be made…to wait and earnestly seek the voice of God.