The Church as a House

We're used to thinking of a church as "the house of God", but I've been reading a book called "Congregation: Stories and Structures" which recommends that we think of a church much like any house. The point is that we already behave this way; we just need to recognise it. So what does this mean? Well, if we think about it, we'll realise that we do treat the church like a house - and not just the building; it's about 'the family' who gather together. Like all the best homes, we try to demonstrate hospitality, to make people feel welcome, but it's not always easy - after all, every 'house' has its own rules, doesn't it? They may not be written down anywhere. They may not even be spoken. But people find their place in the house according to certain standards of behaviour, certain ways of doing things, particular "understandings" about who is in charge of what, who is responsible for what. Every house is a bit like this, and each church has its own unique "understandings" as well. We can't help it. But the question is: can we see what we're doing? There's also the question about who is the head of the household? Like most houses, it will depend what issue you're talking about - some people are in charge of the shopping and kitchen, others in charge of the fixtures and fittings, etc. But as a church, the true head should not be any individual or the minister, but the Spirit of Christ - which reminds us to always check out how well the running of our house accords with Christ's Spirit ... which isn't primarily about maintaining the structures, but is about showing particular concern for 'outsiders' ... Mmm.

Movers and Shakers

Who'd have thought it? Not just that our Sunday worship seems to have been enhanced by the use of musical instruments ... but that it is not only children who take the shakers out of the box! It is fantastic - to see people of a wide range of ages taking a shaker or seed-filled egg or tambourine! Without meaning to sound over-the-top, it's one of the best things about being the minister of this church! Why? Because it's not just about making the singing better than before - with people contributing to the overall sound in new ways. It's also about worship being a community activity - it's something we all do - and a bodily activity - it involves not just our mouths, or ears, but our arms and hips! And to play instruments, along with the organ, with three-year olds and seventy-three year olds, we certainly need our ears, but also our arms - and our smiles (because sometimes it's really funny), as well as our patience (because sometimes the shakers are shaken at the "wrong" time!) But more than that - may be it also helps us to think of ourselves as "movers and shakers" out in the world, too ... to see that our worship of God leads us to be people of hope and joy, justice and peace in the world. That's a thought.

Turning the world upside down

It's hard work being Christian. There's so much to do, and so little time to do it! Which is why I'm not sure that it's very authentic to be a Christian 'on your own' - because there's a real danger that, when you're not sure what to do, you'd simply allow yourself to reach your own decision, which might well happen to confirm your current prejudices! Instead, we should subject ourselves to the views of others - we are called to build a community, which Jesus called 'the kingdom of God', where God's priorities keep upsetting our prejudices and challenging our assumptions. And so we need each other - for support, encouragement, a shoulder to cry on, but also for mutual challenge, as we face the hard work of being Christian together! ... And we know it's hard, because Jesus asks such tough things of us, things which are very different from 'the ways of the world'. For instance, a foreign woman comes to him (Mark 7:24-30), and at first even Jesus isn't sure about it - he seems to think his mission is for the Jews only; but she persuades him otherwise; and so this is a challenge to our prejudices: how do 'outsiders' prompt us to review our mission, to enlarge our vision? And then, when faced with disciples arguing about who's the best (Mark 9: 33-37), Jesus puts a child in their midst: here he demonstrates what it means for the 'first to be last' and the 'last to be first', because to put children at the centre of things starts to turn our world upside down: as the ones who suffer first whenever there is conflict, Jesus invites us to stand in solidarity with them, the vulnerable ones. It is a priority which churches still struggle with - which we even try to 'tame' by implying that he meant 'be innocent, just as children are innocent', as though we don't know any children! No, it is a decision to be in solidarity with vulnerable people, to see them as people, to put the least before the powerful ... what a different world; no wonder it's hard work.