Last night was my first “missional learning party”. I’ve never been to a learning party before - apparently its a lot like a world cafe. There were lots of Jesus followers all talking about how they experienced God’s Kingdom breaking in - and how in other ways we have tried to live the Kingdom life and have failed miserably. The coffee shop we met at was covered in butcher paper, from the walls to the tables, hopeful of getting creative ideas drawn or written down. We shared with complete strangers in God’s family the missional impulses of our hearts…it was great.

We watched a few videos, including the incredible “Escape the Circus” video which I wrote on here. But the MC of the night introduced me to Sigur Rós, an Icelandic ambient band that has an eerily compelling sound. Their song Glósóli sent chills up my spine. Before starting the video, we were asked, “Where do you see ‘mission’ in this music video?”

I’d love your thoughts on this.

Recently there was a series of articles published in the Christian Chronicle on church planting within Churches of Christ. (here here and here) Since I have roots that go pretty deep within that heritage, I read each of them, and was really encouraged to see that while church planting is becoming more recognized in the fellowship - even if its far from being a renewal…Churches of Christ are still way behind the population’s growth curve - seen in the figure below.

Still - there is cause for hope. Churches of Christ (and across denominational lines) are beginning to add “church planting” to their vocabulary - and all sorts of things are beginning to happen. For a denomination that grew out of a heritage that pushed “the priesthood of all believers” and strong evangelistic impulse, (to speak nothing of the church planting movement in the 1830-60’s that the Churches of Christ, Christian Church and Disciples of Christ were born from), church planting is certainly in our DNA.

What remains fascinating to me is the multiplicity of expressions of what church planting looks like for Church of Christ related church planters. When “order of worship” was what split the growing Stone-Campbell Movement in 1860’s and again in 1906 (of which Churches of Christ were born), it amazes me that church planters are so willing to break out of the mold. And I mean MOLD.

The past week at ACU’s Lectureship has been really encouraging to me. I spent a good portion of the sessions with church planters, listening to presentations and sharing stories. Networking and conversation filled the room as we heard the dreams of those who had traveled across the country to Abilene, TX in order to tell them. Passion and excitement were in their eyes. Could they really be that excited about planting more churches of Christ? (little “c”)

The fact is - this is DNA from our heritage’s past that has become reactivated as we boldly move into a new understanding of church. Simple worship, lay leadership, evangelistic impulse, and autonomous governance have always been core factors to a movement that had its beginnings in the backwoods of Kentucky and spread like wildfire across the US. Now that the Stone-Campbell dynamic “movement” has become a rigid “monument”, it is refreshing for many of its adherents to hear stories of others in their fellowship who are pioneering once again. Below is just a few of the people I’m in connection with in Church of Christ circles who are engaged in church planting:

Chadd Schroeder - educated at Sunset School of Preaching and ACU, Chadd has worked as a career missionary in Mexico. He has planted several churches of different types and models, but is focused on training Mexicans to become local leaders who can plant authentically Mexican models of churches, in taquerias, bars, and homes.

Ben Cheek, Jared Looney, and “Metro Soul” - connected in the Northeast from the Bronx to Jersey City, live in the world’s most diverse city, and are developing a organic network of churches and communities that is becoming just as diverse as their city. Their focus on discipleship and missional leadership is pioneering a vision of church planting for many others.

Phil McCollum - ministering to the poorest of the poor in East Hollywood (the side that no one talks about). Because he believes that Jesus “had friends in low places” he and his family have moved into the neighborhood, and are living with love for the people of that area.

Kester Smith - planted an emergent church in the alternative communities in Austin, TX. They experience true life together and offer real conversations among skeptics and seekers. Kester works on the edgy Sixth St at Book People, a sweet bookshop and a gathering place of ideas and people of all walks of life. The church they planted is Immanuel Fellowship, and I can’t think of a better name.

Steve and Chrissy Holt - are living incarnationally among people groups in Boston, MA. They have been praying about developing an intentional Christian community (see also, The New Monasticism) and living out practices of peace and restoration among the people in their lives.

Dillon Ross - having recently graduated from Harding University, Dillon has begun working with Chicago District Evangelistic Association to plant simple churches in the Chicago area.

Greg Scott - The Blessing Place network is planting simple churches in the southwest suburbs of Chicago, Greg and his wife Sam work intentionally with native Americans (she lived on a reservation with Rich Mullins!)

Benny and Niki Nowell - work with the homeless youth and basically bless the socks off anyone that comes in their path. They provide a summer experience called “Sabbath” for urban kids, and offer mentoring love and God’s Shalom to many of the brokenhearted in Denver, CO.

Miller Talbot - is preparing the soil of Abilene, TX and the working poor with prayer and incarnational love. His “church plant” looks more like a garden, and his “mission work” looks more like digging a hole in the ground…to find water for a dry and weary land. Check out his imaginative vision here.

There are LOTS of church planting teams in formation, among which my wife and I are a part. To just get a glimpse at some of them, check out here, here and here.

Of course, this is only a slice of the pie. These are friends of mine that are (at different levels) connected to my religious heritage within Churches of Christ. I am proud to be in the family of Christ with them, and look forward to seeing how our paths cross in the future.

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God–

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. — Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians

While we might all know from sermons and studies that it is BY grace we have been saved, do many of us know the grace FOR which we’re saved? I believe this man is learning. We are God’s unique gift to his creation.

The glory of God is man fully alive. — St. Augustine

May no man or woman go to their grave without having sung the song…without having reached their destiny and gracing the world with their unique masterpiece.

The Illinois Senate recently met to discuss options for bailing out Chicago schools and public transit, both of which are necessary commodities in a global city like Chicago, and both of which are in dire need of financial aid. Story here. The Senate approved a bill (HB2035 and SB1110) that would allow for 3 new casinos (one built right in Chicago City proper) that would offer the $200 million dollar break RTA (Regional Transportation Authority) needs to get back on its feet (er…rails).

I take issue with this “solution” for several reasons.

First - its just buying time. The Chicago transit system is still going to need to find a way to make a profit after its loans are paid off.

Second - this gambling expansion plan will hurt the working poor who are more susceptible to gambling.

Granted, senators were divided 37-15 on the vote, and many voiced similar concerns and Governor Rod Blagojevich seemed to make it clear that this was a temporary solution that may or may not ever come to fruition. The RTA still hasn’t even taken a position on whether or not they approve of the plan!

I’m writing to voice my concern against this bill and am adding my voice to (hopefully) myriad others who find exploitation of the working class to be a crime. Instead, I suggest we end a variety of tax breaks for businesses (especially larger corporations) to free up tax money to help public transit, and Chicago schools. Why let Big Business get bigger, if the working class is spending all their money at the casino or on a train ticket and not on the market?

This is a chance to work for those working for you.

Illinois Senate - reconsider.

Its been a good weekend for movies. Last night we watched The Last Mimzy, which was like E.T. and the Matrix somehow combined. Tonight we watched Edward Scissorhands one which I YET to EVER see. Both were absolutely wonderful allegories…parables for life.

The Last Mimzy reminds us of the pure nature of the child, and therefore humanity, and how our world’s culture of distrust and isolation ultimately leads to complete annihilation. It is a commentary on the preciousness of human life, and how each person has a crucial role to play in the desperate fight to reclaim that preciousness found in themselves. This movie suggests that as we mature, we lose our ability to actualize the divine gifts we’ve been given, and spend the rest of our lives trying to convince ourselves that we are in a world destined for destruction. For me, it was a powerful reminder of who I am in Christ - a child of life.

Edward Scissorhands was hilarious and awkward, as are all Tim Burton/Johnny Depp films. I was drawn into the heart of the “monster” (Frankenstein anyone?) and the “beauty and the beast” elements were pretty clear too. But the real villain was our humanity; we humans can’t be happy without social equilibrium. If something (or someone) too “other” comes too close to us and what we cherish, we are at best temporarily intrigued, and ultimately we are threatened and outraged. The townspeople in this flick use and abuse the gifts of love that Edward shares (he gives a mean haircut) but then turn on him the moment he is vulnerable. The only friends he has are those who accept his differences as more than just the “fascinating new thing” and see his pained soul deep within. What might happen if we were to learn from diversity, rather than wallowing in our culture of homogeneity?

— — —

In both the theme of “isolation” is given comment. Mimzy says that our isolation breeds distrust, war and destruction, while Ed says that mixing together only brings confusion, conflict and death. How does humanity deal with the fact that we are so very different, yet in absolute NEED of one another? Can we ever learn trust? Or…do we even need to?