Thursday, March 4, 2010

Living the Questions…

This letter is a shameless promotion of the current Adult Sunday School Class. But, hopefully, it’s worth reading whether you attend or not. Though you really might like it…

For those who haven’t attended Sunday School in awhile, let me give a sense of what’s been happening. Last year, the Board approved an educational experiment. We purchased a yearlong membership with a church lending library- Iowa Religious Media Services. IRMS has vast amounts of DVDs, Videos, Books and other resources, which they lend to paying member churches. Membership dues are on a sliding scale. So, being an intimate church, we come in at the low end- $106 p/year. I presented this to the Board last year, and they decided to designate part of our education budget for IRMS membership. Thus, we now have access to the ever-expanding IRMS catalogue.

I called this an experiment because, cool as it sounds, I didn’t know if it’d work at PCCC. I worried they were too far away, or that stuff we really wanted would always be unavailable. So we figured we’d try it out, and see how it goes. About six or so months into the experiment, my and others’ assessment is an unqualified YEAH! The IRMS staff is responsive and kind, and turn-around time on material is very quick. But most important, the resources we’ve found for Sunday School are great. The Youth have enjoyed the two DVD series we’ve tried (and I’ve been excited to discover how insightful, deep, funny and faithful PCCC youth are; it’s all our privilege to be in church with them!). And the adult Sunday School is three weeks into its third DVD series, called “Living the Questions.” Every Sunday is about a 50/50 mix of discussion and DVD watching. Though the sessions build on one another, each is self-contained enough that you can miss Sundays and not get lost. Or join the class after the third/fourth week, and feel completely in sync…I’m just sayin’.

So why write about this now? Well, when I first encountered IRMS, at a Regional event, they were promoting “Living the Questions.” I’d already seen these DVD sessions at my old church in Lexington, and loved them. I’d also heard that many other DoC and mainline churches had incredible experiences with LtQ . So I thought this could be interesting for PCCC. The problem was the DVDs cost $300; not a big deal for some church budgets, but WAY too much for us to spend on one curriculum. But IRMS was a way to get access to LtQ AND much more at a third the cost. Naturally, I was eager, and now it’s happening!

But what makes this series so interesting to me? Think about the title- Living the Questions- and then ponder our modern context. Some churches advertise themselves as answer factories, right? Come to worship, join our church, and we’ll teach you God’s most intimate secrets. Sound like a beautiful idea? Sure. Does it sound realistic? I don’t think so. And I’ve learned that doesn’t describe P triple C (PCCC...) either. Indeed, we’re proud that we don’t offer easy answers to life’s most profound questions. Not because we lack faith, but because we don’t think that’s how life works. For religious folk in this modern, pluralist environment, reducing God and God’s plan to a simple four-point formula is naïve, at best, or in some cases, dishonest and manipulative. And I think at PCCC, we value honesty and authentic faith, even if it’s more difficult than other options.

In other words, the modern religious life isn’t about discovering the “right” answers. It’s about asking better and better questions- about Jesus, God, family, morality, etc.- and living more faithfully as a result. Or at least, that’s what this DVD series proposes, and as you might’ve guessed, I think that’s basically right. That doesn’t mean you’ll agree with everything the DVD presenters say. But it’ll provoke, challenge, and encourage you to deeper Christian living. And that’s not a bad way to prepare for worship, amen? FYI, the class tells me they’re really enjoying this series, and that there’s still lots of room…

Grace and Peace,

Shane

P.S. - Class is 9-9:45 AM

Read more!

Monday, March 1, 2010

The Gathering Bloom…

Some think of wedding registries as law, and I’m one of them. These people, perhaps creative elsewhere, feel no impulse of creativity when buying wedding gifts. We buy what’s on the registry and only what’s on the registry, unless someone else has bought that item, in which case we find something else…on the registry. Others, however, have a more liberated approach to the wedding gift process. Some use the registry items as ‘guides and suggestions’ rather than ‘the only items ordained by God which a wedding guest should ever purchase.’ Others forgo the registry altogether, relying solely on their judgment and knowledge of the couple. We received a few such gifts, and each was beautiful (if I tried that, I’d buy Broncos-themed Macaroni and Cheese Makers, so it’s best I stick to the registry).

One of the non-registry gifts from our wedding is especially noteworthy. It arrived a couple months late, but we didn’t know it was coming until, returning home one evening, we found a small box on our porch. Apparently, a family member had waited until the perfect time of year to send the gift. And good thing too. The box was alive!

Well, not the box, but the gift inside. We’d been given a flower bulb, potted and ready to grow, in need simply of water and sunlight. Again, it was unexpected, but we’ve enjoyed having this flower in our home the past few months. It’s been fun watering and waiting, moving it closer to the window, away from the window, watching as the first green shoots break the soil, and grow longer and thicker.

Just this past week, I’m happy to report, the bulb began to open. A flower emerges! Thus, a) I didn’t kill it, frustrating predictions of Vegas odds makers, and b) I’m finally seeing if the beauty within is as dynamic and profound as I’ve imagined these past months.

Do me a favor; reread that last sentence, starting at b). Thanks. Ready for a metaphor?

I say this gift is perfectly timed, because it’s almost Spring now, and already, blooming is beginning! Indeed, every Spring we have this earth-given opportunity to reflect on the power of new life, of transformation from within. Think about it. The bloom that emerges on my kitchen table received many external inputs- water, soil, sunlight- but I simply see something marvelous opening in front of me, acting like the bulb contained that spectacular display all along. The biological story is more complicated, of course. But the image is as simple as it is beautiful. New life, transformation, in this instance of God’s Creation, derives from those potentials and beauties within the flower, and all outside input gets applied to that goal.

Church works that way. That flower is my metaphor for Plymouth Creek. In the past weeks, we’ve seen some changes and shifts occur. The Worship Team has asked we embrace innovation and creativity, so we can more fully understand our 2010 theme (Go to All Peoples: Transforming Community with Disciples), and catch the vision of being a church who loves to worship together. The Mission-oriented folk asked us to adapt our mission strategy. Gone is the Mission-of-the-Month rubric; in its place is a familiar list of special offerings and a challenge to undertake one or two medium/long-term mission projects based on the power of community and relationship (decisions for that will be made on March 14 after church; please join in!). If you’ve participated in Board or Servant Leader conversations, you know the fresh ideas and emerging new forms of ‘doing church’ that our congregation is exploring and implementing.

And all that sounds like a blooming flower. I’ve seen so much beauty within this church already. And like many of you, I’ve imagined so much more that is possible. But it’s not all the stuff we could add to this church from the outside that’s makes me joyous, hopeful and elated. It’s the simple, profound, dynamic , generous, compassionate people and potentials within. And it’s a blast to watch you bloom.

Thanks for taking the risk to bloom, and show your beauty to your neighbors.

Grace and Peace,

Shane
Read more!