City Rescue Mission

Justin and I were very fortunate to be part of a City Rescue Mission service tonight. We led worship for the service and were so blessed by the people there. After the service, we talked to some of the people. A guy came up to me who used to play viola and had actually made All-State orchestra when he was in high school. I let him play my violin, which he was really excited to do. It was sad though, b/c I wondered what made him get from being an all-state musician to being a homeless man. He alluded to drugs in his past, so that was probably what derailed him. But it was such a blessing to talk to him and let him play my violin. Justin let some of the guys play his guitar too, which they loved. It was just such a neat experience-hopefully we can start going there regularly. It would be fun if some time we could watch all of them lead worship!

Avatars at church

I just ran across something that really bothers me. And it concerns a local church that many of us are familiar with that ends in .tv. I looked at their website because I read about how people can raise their hands to be saved by clicking a button on the computer. That in itself really got to me. Accepting Christ into your life is supposed to be a life-changing experience, not a click of a button. I've always been skeptical of this church because it seems to rely so heavily on their "internet campuses." I think this whole going to church on the internet thing totally defeats the purpose of what church is supposed to be about: community and fellowship. How do you do that online? I'm sure some may say, there is an "online community," but you can't have meaningful relationships or experiences with God or other people on the computer!

So after looking at the website a little more, I saw something about "Second Life." This is the description of it:

Second Life is an Internet-based 3-D virtual world which enables its users to explore, socialize, participate in individual or group activities, and create and trade items and services from one another. In Second Life, users create avatars (3-D characters) that they use to interact and communicate with each other via a text chat (audio chat is coming soon) or by making gestures.

Using avatars to socialize and participate in activities?!!! What happened to meeting with people in person and engaging in meaningful conversation face to face? What happened to having people over to your home or going to a restaurant and hanging out? What happened to worshiping together as a community and serving others as a community?

We all need to be around others. We need human touch, we need human interaction, we need common experiences. I just don't see how this church thinks taking out what makes churches human is acceptable.

I know there are good people that go to that church and many of them probably actually meet with other church members and have meaningful conversations and experiences togther. But why would you want something so impersonal and sterile to be such a big part of your church?

Everyone is clergy.

Everyone is clergy. Everyone is called to serve,
To create, to communicate,
To participate with our good Creator
In the making and remaking of our good world.
Everyone is clergy. Everyone is called to stand,
To struggle, to suffer, to trust and to love,
And so to join in the unmaking of injustice and
In the liberation of earth from every form of sin.
Everyone is clergy. Everyone is called to holiness,
To faithfulness, to health, to growth,
To serenity and activity,
To the practices of life
In the kingdom of God.
All our daily work is holy. Every act of service,
Every deed of neighborly kindness,
Every smile or sigh, every touch or tear
Can be a sacramental act expressing the presence of the living God.
Every drop of sweat that falls in honest labor for the common good
Joins with every movement toward others
In the daily liturgy of human work.
Some are given special gifts to equip and inspire others for this daily work of faith
And labor of love.
All are channels of grace, given, received,
Shared in a symphony of many voices and instruments,
So the earth may be filled with the glory of God.
You are clergy. So am I. Together
We are called to learn God’s music of life
In the unique instruments of our bodies, our persons, our times, our settings.
Then we are sent out to play it with joy and sincerity wherever we go.
Together we are part of a truly apostolic succession:
The people of God sent into the world, generation after generation,
As Jesus was sent by the Father,
In the power of the Holy Spirit,
For the good of the world.
So let us work and rest together,
Let us play and sing together,
Let us by our faithful lives bring glory to the true and living God.
For we are all clergy
And we are all called.

-Brian McLaren