It's Been A Long, Long Time

I've not been on this blog for a long, long time. But I was trying to figure out where to post this next little entry of mine. I didn't want to bump up against my most recent entry on Bibfeldt's Inquiry...and it seems more like a theological rant...so this is where I'll go.

I was reading the blogs of some folks in our Conference of the United Methodist Church. One of the bloggers is the Wesley scholar for our annual conference. What concerns me is that he is promoting a theology which is perhaps Wesleyan - maybe not - but which I'm concerned about nonetheless.

And here's my concern. I believe that God has transformed the world. The United Methodist mission statement is that we are to make disciples for the transformation of the world. As if we are the ones who are responsible for the transformation of the world. I don't think that is true. I believe the world is transformed - but that we don't live as if that is true.

I was struck again last night at our church when De'Amon brought together three people who never would have met to gather together for mutual encouragement and delight. One of these people recently lost a good IT job that he had held for 18 years after being arrested on felony drug charges (he had attempted suicide and then calld 911 where they discovered some drugs in his home when they were rescuing him). He now has a felony conviction (that will go away if he stays clean for a year). He has several months of sobriety - and he's unemployed. He's doing good work, actually great work around our church while unemployed. One of the people De'Amon invited was another congregant who lives out in the suburbs and works in the IT industry. He thought this fellow could talk the same language as the brother who was struggling - and maybe even find a compadre. He also provided some names to the unemployed fellow of some contacts that might prove useful. The other person was a neighbor. She says her calling is "to mend the broken." She had never met the other two fellows. They talked with one another. She encouraged the unemployed man...and challenged him to enrich his prayer life. And then she laid on hands and prayed for him and them. That abundance was always there. It was not made by any of the folks there. It was not even made by De'Amon. The abundance, the community, the support, the encouragement was there - all the "church" did was point it out and invite people together - based on an abundance that we knew and trusted would be there.

That's our role and responsibility. To "bear witness" by pointing out the abundance - and abundances - that we are so often blind to. Our congregation says that as followers of Jesus Christ we seek, welcome and value all people. I'm pretty sure all those people walked away from each other that night feeling valued.

As we in the Church recognize and see the power and presence of the Good News of God's realm around us - maybe some others will begin to believe and see. Then it will not be that God will transform the world or that we will - it will be that we will recognize and rejoice in the transformation that God has already wrought.

I just wish our big "c" Church would recognize that. We are so busy wringing our hands, that we miss the real and genuine blessings that are here.

Last night was important to me, as the pastor at Broadway. I hope such occasions will multiply. And it looks like to me that they are.

When People and Opportunities Connect

The church I serve, Lockerbie Central UMC, in downtown Indianapolis is about to begin a new venture. We are nearing the end of our construction phase for our coffeehouse, which we have come to name "Earth House Coffee and Books." In the process, some very interesting connections for economic development have occurred.

First, I asked my good friend, the Roving Listener, DeAmon Harges to come and paint a mural on the wall of the entrance to the coffeehouse. He agreed to do so and in turn, invited a friend of his from the Mapleton/Fall Creek neighborhood, Gary, to come and help him out. Gary is an amazing artist, seeking to find ways to share his talent in more settings than just family and friends. Gary has done a marvelous job of working on the mural, which should be completed this week. One of the items that came from this is that we are in the process of working with Gary to put up art in our coffeehouse the month following the Fringe Festival. We hope to have a grand opening for Gary's art and for the coffeehouse in September. Perhaps this might enhance Gary's work.

Second, the coffeehouse will mostly be serving drinks, both cold and warm. But, we will also have some small pastries. We have been able to get much of our needs met with product, with the exception of pastries. We weren't sure where we would get our pastries, knowing that we wouldn't be able to produce them regularly as a congregation. But, DeAmon was reminded of some of the cooks that are in the neighborhood of Mapelton/Fall Creek. He knew that they could bake wonderful pastries, even Vegan ones as well. He suggested that perhaps we contact them to provide our pastries. Not only will this offer us an opportunity to have pastries, but it also allows us to invest in our local economy and to invest in neighbors and friends whose gifts and talents may not have been known had we not had a connection between myself and DeAmon, and DeAmon with these women and with Gary.

Truth is, amazing things happen when our gifts and talents can correlate together towards a project. Opportunities and dreams can come into fruition. These possibilities are always right in front of us, we simply need eyes to see and ears to hear.

Studio 237

Mike did a fabulous job of posting the purpose of our new blog. We are concerned about econonmy, as Berry put it, "the Kingdom of God" economy. We are interested in telling stories of economic development and creativity on the streets and in the sanctuary. I thought I would begin with a story that is just now developing as I write.

The church I serve, Lockerbie Central UMC, sits on the corner of New York and East St. in downtown Indianapolis. Its address is 237 N. East. Inside our church building sits a space once used for children's sunday school that has been virtually unused because we do not have many kids who come to our church. A recent turn of events has created a new direction for this space, which is currently being painted and cleaned to turn into a music and arts studio designed by two men in our congregation. These two men have unique stories.

Scott is a pianist. He was raised in Illinois and has lived many places from Seattle to Colorado to Texas. Five years ago his partner died in Texas and so Scott moved to Indianapolis. He found our church because it was close to his home. Scott began selling women's shoes for a profession and playing his piano occasionally in bars or in church on the side. After our music director resigned last June, Scott took over his position as our music person at the church. Concurrently, he lost his job selling shoes. He told me that he dreamed of a day when he could teach piano lessons and have a studio. He has been waiting for this day for a long time.

Mark is a clarinetist. Mark grew up in Indianapolis playing the clarinet from a very early age and even playing professionally with the orchestra here in town. When college rolled around, he headed off to California where he majored in music with a focus upon the clarinet as his main instrument. Mark had a difficult time with bipolar disease and moved back to Indianapolis where he lived with his family for a while. For a variety of circumstances, Mark ended up homeless on the streets of our city and eventually at Lighthouse Mission. He began attending our church last September and is now our Administrative Assistant at the church and has played his clarinet several times in worship for us. He, too, has dreamed of making a living from his music and sharing his gift with others.

Scott and Mark came up with this brilliant idea to create a music and arts studio to train young, old, and in between how to become musicians and artists. With this seed planted, they began devising a plan to start this studio in the church since we have space. They have begun painting the room, they have aims to have one of our pianos at the church tuned, and to collect music stands from local high schools in town. In fact, both Scott and Mark have already found one student each to learn the piano and the saxophone. I am one of those students. I had my first lesson with Mark on my new saxophone just this week and it was exhilirating. I have always played the trombone and to switch to a saxophone was so amazing that it has allowed me to dream of playing jazz and other music in the future.

This is a story that has really only just begun. But, it is a sign of God's economy. Scott and Mark are people who have had many of their dreams crushed by life circumstances. I am so grateful that they have felt free to dream in our church. They are now beginning to see a new dream come into fruition. It gives them hope. It gives me hope, not only for them, but for what the church can be in the world.

What in the World Are We Doing?

Chad Abbott and I have gathered together from time to time to talk about ministry in our congregations, and in our city. In those conversations we have found ourselves often stumbling upon the observation that the Church (big "C") often has way too little to do with the economic life of the community around us. We have often talked about the possibility of collecting stories from one another and from others in churches around our city (and other places) that show in what creative ways people are finding to invest in people who come to them in times of economic hardship. When people go to a doctor to get medicine -- the doctor tries to determine what is causing the illness and then treat that. Too often we in the church seem comfortable with treating the symptoms and ignoring the underlying issues.

Speaking for myself -- I find it stunning to see how easily the Church often seems to believe it exists in isolation from the world around it. For those of us in urban and rural areas you would have to not be paying attention to think that what is happening to your congregation IS what is happening to your community. And if you are in suburban or "growing" metropolitan areas -- you only would have to set aside hubris to think that the prosperity of these days doesn't have a little something to do with what is going on around them in their communities.

Both of our congregations are places where we are doing what Gandhi might have called "experiments in truth." We are watching what people around us are doing to invest in the Spirit of God alive in the hearts and minds of people in the parishes we are blessed to serve. Every day we get to see people who are struggling to make ends meet financially, but who are bright and creative and energetic to eager to share the gifts of the Spirit in their lives with the people around them. Oh yes, I'm not ignoring the fact, that many people come feeling beat up and like there is no real option out there. But we know that it is not so. I don't hesitate to say it at all -- that it is Jesus who reveals this to us.

Jesus paid attention to what was happening around him. When the disciples wanted to send the crowd away because they were hungry - Jesus saw an opportunity for the most amazing party. And man, that is just so easy to miss. I know that I miss it all the time. And I think that this blog is our attempt to try to notice and celebrate the activity of the Spirit -- in real and concrete ways contributing to the economy -- in all its fulness of our life together.

Years ago, Wendell Berry said that he couldn't think of a better economy than the "kingdom of God." My friend (our friend, I should say) Marc McAleavey, just told me a story about something that happened to him yesterday that reminded me of what Berry writes about so well - that there is real economy in the mutual affection of neighbors.

Finally, let me say a word of thank you to the Rev. Dr. Philip Amos Amerson who first coined the term "Street Hymns and Cathedral Tears" to me many years ago. It has continued to ring in my ears and it only seemed appropriate to choose that name for this blog -- because Phil is one who convinced me that the Church could and would be a place where the gospel not only can be lived out and bear witness to the gospel in the world around -- but that when it does -- the good times really roll!