First, a happy birthday to Jim West. I guess some dude named Harry Z chimed in…
We went to the early service this morning, which was a blast… getting ready in less time… But, we made it…whew. We usually go to the 11am service, but this time, we decided to go early because of the Rally Day/Block Party in which the congregants and the community are encouraged to attend to celebrate the start of another, I guess, church/academic year. There are several classes this year, at various times of the week exploring different aspects. For me, I will be joining the discussion on Romans and the New Testament as well as a discussion on the Wisdom Literature. Three classes, Monday, Wednesday, and Sunday nights. My wife will be doing an Intro course and the New Testament. The kids are looking forward to it as well, but I’ll talk about that tomorrow.
So, we went to the Rally Day. People from the congregation and the community were there. I know that sometimes, the comparisons get old, but because I know that a few of the folks from the old congregation read this blog as well as those who have been so hurt by it that they simply choose to live with it and have forsaken the assembling together…. I continue. First, in the old place, for church activities, it was always about the picture, the view, the conception of holiness. Outsiders could come in, but they were demanded to wear what we wore. Sure, we could bring someone, but they had best already live up to the outside code. We would host things on the parking lot, and believe it or not, visitors simply didn’t show up. Not if the grandchildren of members could come unless they wore the uniform, so to speak. Here, while the dress code is significantly looser, ALL people were invited, whether they were members or not. No one, as far as I could see, was frowned up for who they were or what they wore. It was an outreach, with the family doors swung open for everyone to be a part of. Maybe it works, maybe it doesn’t, but it was a blessing to see numerous people there.
I ain’t going to lie, the transition hasn’t always been the easiest, but when you have such a welcoming body of people, it helps.
I have a few things for this week – a few reviews, some interactions, etc… Monday is going to be a long day as is Thursday. But, we’ll see. And, as always, if you want to be a contributor, let me know. Don’t forget Craig‘s and Jason’s giveaways. Otherwise, I am patiently waiting for my classes to start…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2biS7-Tuxw
This was one of the songs sung this morning, and it is timely. I do believe that more than ever, the world needs the Gospel of Jesus Christ preached, but more than that – it needs to be lived. I hope that whether or not we agree on doctrine or theology, politics, or other things, we can agree that living as Christ taught would make this world a better place.
Joel Landon Watts is a Masters of Theological Studies student with a focus in Mimetic Criticism of the Gospel of Mark. His interests include exploring the role of mimesis in human civilization, specifically in the study of religion and media, as well as science fiction and the way in which it has allowed mythology to be explored in light of scientific ideals of the past century. Currently, he is a TA for Old Testament at United Theological Seminary under Dr. Vivian Johnson, Associate Professor of Old Testament. His first book, Rhetorical Strategies of the Evangelist: Mimetic Criticism of the Gospel of Mark, is expected to be published by Wipf and Stock early next year. He is currently co-editing a book on moving from Fear to Faith (Energion, 2013).
who the heck is harry….
Trying to figure out what the uniform was you had to wear at your old church, but it doesn’t matter. It’s great you can wear whatever you want.
A couple of punks with their spiky multi-coloured hair, multiple piercings and leather jeans catch the free shuttle bus to Hillsong in Sydney on Sunday nights, and yeah, they are as welcome as anyone else. I’m guessing they would not have been welcome at your old church.
The ‘holiness uniform’ ….