A new beginning...

...for the blog anyway. It seems the first one wasn't too successful...

But the event last Saturday definitely was. It came together by nothing less than the grace of God, and I think most everyone would agree that it was an intimate time with the Lord and with each other.

So now there are a few things on the drawing board. First, and most importantly, is the day-to-day working out of our faith in and relationship with God, and through that, our relationships and community with each other. We all know it's more than an event or a meeting. Now it's time to put that into action. Make a point to go out of your way to serve someone. Say something uplifting to someone, even if you could get away with not saying it. Take an old friend to lunch, preferably someone you haven't talked to in a while. Ask the Lord to show you His love in a new way. Love has to be intentional, both toward God and toward others.

Secondly, we have another event coming up on April 9th, which is Palm Sunday. You may be wondering why we keep saying it's more than an event, and then keep organizing events. Well, we believe that organized, intentional meetings and events do serve a real purpose. For people who are a part of the community of God, these gatherings are an opportunity to seek and honor the Lord as a community, as a body, as one voice. It will also serve to bring people into the community who are not already a part of it, and to share the vision of God for this community to those who have not yet gotten on board. Yes, it is more than an event. But we believe in the power of God to use an event, or a series of events, to start a movement, driven by the revelation of God's love through the Holy Spirit working in His children and causing them to love one another. That is our desire, our goal, and our motivation.

So. This forum can be a really useful tool to us as we plan this event and as we explore the ideas of community that the Lord is showing to us. Let's start with some practical stuff. Take a minute and post some of your thoughts on the event this past Saturday. What aspects/elements of the event did you find useful in seeking the Lord? What was your reaction to the layout of the room itself? Do you think the space was used effectively? Were the scripture readings and prayers helpful in connecting with God? Was the music helpful? The dances? What, if anything, would you change/tweak/alter about these things? Was there anything not included in the event that you would add? Did the songs, dances, readings, and prayers transition well, or did it seem choppy/fragmented? What other thoughts do you have?

Those are just a few example questions so you know what we are looking for here. Those aren't the only things we need to evaluate, and you don't have to answer every question of course.

It's really exciting to see what God is doing. I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this, and seeing where the Lord takes us.

Some thoughts

So last night, shortly after setting up this blog, some friends and I had a really interesting discussion that I think relates directly to what we are going to be dealing with here. We were discussing our experiences with homeless people and different ministry approaches to helping them. All three of us who were there admitted a hesitation to giving to homeless people, because we don't know if they will actually use the $5 to buy a hamburger, or if they will immediately duck into the nearest liquor store or go find a drug dealer. This is the kind of "wisdom" a lot of Christians employ when they encounter people on the street, and so we tend to prefer buying the person a meal over giving them money.

Our question in all of this was, is that REALLY wisdom? Is it really Christlike that I, being more wealthy and thus a better citizen (not to mention infinitely more holy), give her what I think she needs, making it completely clear that I look down with pity on her and don't have an ounce of trust or respect towards her as a human being? This is not what Christ does with me. He gives freely to me, not just the $5 I ask him for, but more like $5000. And He does this in full knowledge of the fact that at one point or another, I'm going to squander every last penny of it. But He also knows that, more than I need a Big Mac combo from McDonalds from some "wise" stranger who feels sorry for me, I need someone to extend real love and affirmation and acceptance to me. I need someone to show me that no matter what I do with the things they give me, no matter how I respond to them, they are ultimately concerned with me knowing that I am loved and valued.

I've never been homeless. I can't begin to understand what it is like to have no place to go, no food to eat, no one to love or show me love. I can't imagine what it must be like to be looked at by others as a disease of society, or less of a person because I don't have a certain standard of living. But I do know what it is like to be scorned by others because I was different. People's words and actions and condemning looks have incredible power to destroy others. But they have even greater power to bind up wounds, to fill empty places with love, to communicate the Love of God. It is when we approach homeless people (or homosexuals, or teenage mothers, or non-Christians, or drug addicts) as real people rather than a problem that must be solved that we can truly help them.

The bottom line is PEOPLE MUST KNOW THEY ARE LOVED. This is the Gospel of Christ. Not a hamburger. Not a $5 bill. Not a tract, or a sermon, or a clothing drive. Almost no one in the church would disagree with that. We think it's important to apply that in some cases, so we only donate money to "faith-based charities." But all of this, all the tax deductible contributions, all the outreach services, all the McDonalds Extra Value Meals are completely useless if we do not have love. Paul nails this home when he says even the most spiritual of things we do are obnoxious and offensive without love. (1Cor. 13)

How does this tie into community and worship? Though they have no house, the homeless are our neighbors, and are a major part of our local community. Those of us who are somewhat familiar with the homeless situation in Williamsburg know that many people here would rather ignore the problem and hunker down in their gated communities than do anything to help. The city government has made things very difficult for those who have come with vision to help these people, and it is a very real and very pressing problem. We can bring such great glory to God by showing love to others. In fact, I believe we MUST show love to others in order to bring glory to God. Not that we all have to sell everything to help homeless people, but can we really say we love them when we do nothing to help them, and rarely even think about them? Next time you encounter a homeless person, why not stop and tell them you love them? Why not stop and pray for them for a minute? Why not approach them and start a conversation? Why not spend time getting to know them? Why not take advantage of the opportunity to share real love with someone who desperately needs it?

And these ideas are so much further-reaching than the homeless situation. How about in our churches? Why not invite someone you haven't really talked with very much to come to your house for lunch? Why not stay a few minutes after service ends and strike up a conversation with someone new? If we are not really invested in the lives of those around us, we can not say we are really part of a community with them. If we do not share each other's burdens (which assumes we even know about them), we do not fit the biblical picture of brothers and sisters in Christ. And what could bring God more glory than to fulfill His will? What more pure expression of worship is there than to declare and demonstrate and embody His love for His children?

I think this is part of where worship meets community. Please post your thoughts/responses/questions/etc. May we all seek truth, that we should find it.

Let it begin

Welcome to the home of the Williamsburg Community Worship Forum. This will be a forum for discussion of ideas/thoughts/experiences regarding the connection between real worship and real community, and will be a major part of the preparations for the Community Worship event at William and Mary on Saturday, February 25. Feel free to comment on what you read here, whether you are involved in the planning of this event or not. Try to limit your comments to those that relate to our topic, but feel free to expand and extend on what you read. Our goal is to seek God's direction on we as followers of Christ can realize the true meaning of unity and community, and how/if this overlaps with or is synonymous to corporate and individual worship. Our hope is that this forum and the ideas discussed here will inspire thought and exploration into the heart of God for His Church, and that we would respond to this in true worship. May God open your eyes and your heart to His truth and love.