Texting and community-A New Generation of Pew Sitters

The room was dark except for whatever emanated from the stage lights. It seemed smoky but it wasn’t. About 50 young people had gathered for the indie rock show our church sponsors, as we do many weekends. There’s no real stage, only a ‘stage area’, distinguishable by a carpet that elevates the performers a good half-inch above their audience. Most of the audience was standing in front of the ‘stage,’ gathered in a semi-circle. The first ‘row’ was an arms length from the lead singer. And a half-inch below. Some in the audience swayed to and fro, moved by the music. Most just stood casually by, a stance that somehow seemed to communicate as much of a positive response to the music as the swaying. And then there was a third group. Along the walls of the room there are two old church pews that represent both a nod to and a departure from the generations of the faithful that had come before us. This night the pew closest to me was filled with young bottoms. About 5 or 6 young men and women in their teens or early twenties. Each held a cell phone whose light shown dimly on their faces. They were, well, texting. There they were, sitting together, communicating, but not with each other. (Unless, of course they were texting each other, which is a possibility, considering the decibel level in the room.) The generation illustrated by these 5-6 youthful butts in a pew is not the future church. They ARE the church. And those of us who are older and whose thumbs lack the agility to text must take note. We must listen to them and understand. We must not write them off because their world is different than ours…because they are different. We are quick shake our heads and say that they are not experiencing ‘real community’ because they are not truly present in the here and now. If they cannot give their full attention to the one sitting next to them, they’re missing an opportunity for relationship. If they are more attuned to the one they are texting than the one they’re with, then something is wrong. And if we said that we would have a valid point. But before we do, lets look a bit closer. First of all, they chose physical proximity. The pew-sitters didn’t isolate themselves in order to begin texting. They found other butts to sit with. Other texting butts, but butts nonetheless. They could have instead found a corner where they could have been ‘alone’ with their texting buddy, but they didn’t. They didn’t consider it rude or antisocial for their fellow pew-mates to be communicating with who-knows-who. They didn’t find that it cheapened the moment or the relationship with those in present company. They were together, sharing the same space, breathing the same air. They were enjoying a social and perhaps a spiritual event in the same time and space, and thus they were together in a real way. Is it not sometimes enough to just sit together in the presence of your friend, your lover, your Lord? Is silence among us always a sign of disconnect? No, it is being uncomfortable with the silence that more assuredly indicates a lack of connection. And perhaps the moment was important enough to them that they felt the need to expand the circle beyond who was actually physically present. Perhaps the reason for their behavior was different than we imagine…perhaps they texted not because being present was lacking or because they were bored. Maybe it was because they could not tolerate keeping the moment all to themselves. Maybe the circle of fellowship was larger because those sitting on the pews held their phones before them, thumbs moving at lightning speed, faces aglow. Or maybe they were texting about donuts, hated the band and could barely tolerate being in the same room with the others. Thoughts?

A New Beginning-The Open Church

Our church meeting Sunday was...ummm....different. If you've visited CrossBridge before you're probably thinking to yourself, "Duh. THIS Sunday was different." Well, it was different, even for us. And no, we didn't dress up and sing hymns. But we did put all the chairs in a circle and have a conversation together about how we at CrossBridge need to go further, deeper, more radically different from church-as-normal. Just because we are accepting of how people dress, what they drink and that we have cool music and a smoke break doesn't mean we're any closer to church life as described in the New Testament. We must hold on to what we've got, but grow in relationship, prayer and spontaneity. We talked about the early church and how each member came not to receive but to give. We talked about how they were free to share and pray for others as they felt led, without worrying about interrupting the sermon. And we didn't just talk about it. We prayed for some hurting people, and some folks shared the good things God has done for them. And it was beautiful. And exciting. And different, even for us. There will be more of this. We have started a new adventure as a church. We are starting a journey and Sunday was only the first couple steps. We've dug up an out of print book called "The Open Church" and are passing it around. If are a part of CrossBridge and you'd like to receive a copy to borrow or have, please let me know.

Frank Viola and the Experiement

Frank Viola is a name I've known for a long time. I love his contribution to the house church movement, of which I am an avid fan. I've followed this movement for many years and consider myself on the fringes of it, even though at CrossBridge we are holding primarily public meetings at present. Frank is a prolific writer and is one of the names most associated with the house church movement. He has a passion to see the practices of the early church be once again embraced. So do I. CrossBridge, though only about 2 years old needs some tweeking. I've said numerous times that public meetings are an experiment that we're trying and we'll see how it goes. The experiment is to see if we can have an experience of authentic church life and public meetings as well. Can we live in relationship with one another and have a public presence? Can we also recruit the troops and pool the resources in order to make a difference in the world? Can the two co-exist? Here's how its going: We have grown from about 10 people meeting in our home in early '07 to about 20 people meeting in St. Andrews Civic Club in late '07 and '08 to about 50 people meeting at our rented facility in the Lincoln Center now in '09. Numerical growth is happening. We're moving about 300 boxes of food a month through Angel Food Ministries. We've seen some lives changed and some people walking with Jesus who were not before coming to CrossBridge. We've been able to give away about 25 cars to needy folks. We've done well about showing the love of God to the world. We have a great worship team and great worship. (Truly unbelievable for a church our size!) We are quick to love and slow to judge. We have great conversations. But... Someone told me today that they feel disconnected...that back when we were smaller and met in the St.Andrews Civic Club it felt more like a family. We all knew each other. We ate together most Sundays. It was more intimate. We've lost something as we've grown. Its easy now to come to church and go home without really talking to anyone. Its easy to get in and out. Get your church fix, and not connect with anyone. And as we continue to grow it will become even easier. But the irony is that its becoming less and less 'church.' Because church happens in relationship. Church happens when people pray for one another, laugh and cry together. When they bear each other's burdens. When they are involved in each other's lives. We've gotta get that back and there's only one way to do it. We've got to experience church life beyond Sundays from 10-12. We've got to build this thing on relationships. And we've got to do this no matter the cost. This means....(drumroll)....meeting in homes. Period. This is not about Dave wanting everyone to join a homegroup. This is about being the church. Its the fabric of who we are. If its not the fabric of who you are then you should prayerfully consider if CrossBridge is the place for you or not. When Frank's office sent an e-mail that he is coming I responded immediately, hoping, but thinking that it was a long shot. CrossBridge is a small church and doesn't have money to bring in big name speakers. But Frank accepted our invitation. This speaks highly of Frank, his heart and his approach to ministry. He's not driven by numbers or big money. He's like Jesus that way. I'm excited about Frank coming because I believe that his message is timely for us. I believe that he has something to say to CrossBridge at this time. And I believe that this whole thing is being orchestrated by our Father. So be prepared, CrossBridge. God is up to something.

The Lord's Prayer Part 6-Temptation and Evil

Temptation and Evil Mt. 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. There is an ancient Jewish Evening prayer, which Jesus likely knew. One section says the following: Lead my foot not into the power of sin and bring me not into the power of iniquity and not into the power of temptation and not into the power of anything shameful. It would follow that Jesus was referencing this prayer when He taught His disciples to ask to be spared temptation. To be spared temptation and rescued from evil should be the desire of any spiritual person. We should resist sin, but we need help. It’s one thing to struggle against sin. But if we are not tempted then there is nothing to resist. Abstaining from sin would be a breeze. So, it’s a good prayer. And we all can be sure that Jesus’ prayers were always answered. But…Houston, we have a problem. This is a prayer that God doesn’t seem to answer. At least not all the time. We ARE tempted. And sometimes it seems that the more we sincerely ask for relief, the further away the relief moves. Or maybe its just me. Assuming that He Himself prayed for deliverance from temptation, even Jesus was denied an affirmative answer. Perhaps he prayed the aforementioned evening prayer, or perhaps the same ideas in a different form. He was “led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil” in Matthew 4:1, just 2 chapters back from The Lord’s Prayer. And later He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane for the cup to pass from Him. It did not. It only got harder. If Jesus was tempted and thus received a less than affirmative answer to this question, we can be sure that the spirit will lead us to places where we will be tempted as well. Regardless of our answer to the prayer we are instructed to pray it. I Cor. 10: 12So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! 13No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. He always gives us a way out. We don’t always take it. But this is a most appropriate time to pray for deliverance from evil. When we find ourselves on the verge of giving in is when evil always seems the most personal. Its attacks on us are tailor-made. In our weakest moments we are tempted with the things we most desire. Its hard to imagine that this is arbitrary or coincidental. The Greek word that is traditionally translated “evil” can equally be translated “evil one.” The Christian belief in a personal devil is often rejected by critics of the faith. But no one can deny the personal way in which evil works in the world, especially in the area of temptation. The Bible offers two primary ways in which to resist temptation in the frequent occasions when our prayer for deliverance is not answered affirmatively. They are both vitally important and can be effectively employed simultaneously. The first is by using God’s word. Matthew 4:1-11 is the story of Jesus’ own temptation in the desert. For each temptation the devil presented, the Savior quoted scripture. It follows that various temptations can be better resisted the more scripture we know. The second way is by a simple removal of the obstacle. I call it simple because it is not complex. Not because it is easy. Earlier in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus speaks of the severity of the sacrifice that the disciple should be willing to make in order to resist sin. Matthew 5:27-30 speaks of amputating limbs that cause one to sin. Certainly Jesus is no dummy, and realizes that the sin of stealing has to do with the mind and heart, not with the hand. The point is to become radical in dealing with sin. Do what it takes to eliminate the sin, even if it is painful or involves sacrifice. Some years ago a colleague in the next counseling office and I had some down time and were sharing a conversation. He mentioned a TV show and asked if I’d seen it. “Nope.” He continued to ask this or that question about TV shows that yielded only frustrating answers until I confessed that we had given away our TV some time earlier. The look of shock on his face is burned into my memory. “Well…what DO you do?” I listed the things that my wife and I had time to do that we hadn’t because of our diet of boob tube. We read books, spent time together, took long walks on the beach. My friend’s response was as if I had cut off my right hand. (By the way, we once again have a TV and we are addicted to ’24.’) Thousands of men struggle with temptation to access Internet pornography. As the Internet becomes more and more indispensible as a part of our lives, the options for dealing with this sin become fewer and more important. For many it is not as simple as cancelling home Internet service. But filters and accountability software can be an excellent option for those of us who feel the need to remain plugged in. (see www.covenanteyes.com or www.xxxchurch.com.) The point is to deal with this and other sin radically and with a vengeance. For others it may be that life is too busy and we need to learn to be ruthless with our schedule to free up time for God and family. So, pray to not be led into temptation. If you are tempted, pray for deliverance and look for the way out that He provides. Resist temptation with God’s word and remove the temptation even if it means being socially awkward or inconvenienced. Trust the God who loves you enough to send His Son to deliver you from sin will support you fully. Even if He leads you through deserts of temptation He will lead you out and His angels will minister to you as well. Winston Churchill’s words seem appropriate here: “If you’re going through hell, keep on going.”