It has been about a year since I concluded the 15 Churches experiences. I prayed and sought wisdom for a long time about what the next step was in my exploration of the local church. After having numerous individuals speak truth and life into my writing and my life, I have launched a new blog that will be an ongoing conversation about everything church. We will be walking through various ideas and concepts regarding the local church and what it means to be In Motion as spiritual beings seeking to serve and further the Kingdom of God on this earth.
If you followed 15 Churches, I encourage you to join me on my new blog, and let's discover and discuss together what being The Church looks like now, in America, and across the globe.
Sunday, May 4, 2014
Thursday, May 9, 2013
The Chapel at Akron: Where it all Began
Without question, we can all look back at our walks with God and point not only to moments in time, but also to geographic locations that stand out as pivotal points therein. The Chapel at Akron is significant to my family, serving as the place my father-in-law began his walk with God many years ago. Since that time, Paul and his wife, Barbara, as well as their two children, Hannah Serafino, and Joe, have re-visited this church numerous times to remember and refresh the beginning of what's proven to be a lifelong faith journey. For that reason, I decided to end this exploration with a visit to The Chapel and I write this post not only as a final glimpse of my experience with the local church, but in honor of a godly man whose walk with God has had a direct and incalculable impact on my life. Thank you, Paul. You're a good man, no matter what they say!
The Chapel at Akron surprised me. First of all, pastoral transitions are awkward for everyone; regular attenders feel it, staff live it, visitors sense it. The tension from a pastoral search and the inevitable drama that accompanies it can be tricky. The staff that drove the 10:40a.m. service at The Chapel this past Sunday, though, weathered the service flawlessly, calling out the awkwardness of the uncertainty by requesting feedback in a brief survey, and moving on with the things that matter, like worshiping God.
There was a strange juxtaposition of emotions upon entering and seating myself, by myself. Looking around, I noticed the variety of dress, style, ages, and demographics all around me, clear up to the 'nosebleeds' of the balcony. Yet it seemed so familial, like everyone still knew mostly everyone. I never once felt like a face lost in translation, but knew I was a part of the body of believers at The Chapel, if only for one week. To put it another way, I suppose I knew I'd come to church, which is more than I can say for the other megachurches I've attended lately.
Worship was beautiful. Drew Belden led us into the throne room of God with several songs that were easy to learn, well-rehearsed yet not terribly over-produced. Simple choruses, acoustic versions of hymns, gentle vocals and effects all worked together to create an aesthetically-appealing and spiritually-refreshing worship environment.
My surprise was only heightened, then, by the kind of preaching I experienced. As has undoubtedly been made clear by the first several megachurches mentioned in this process, I'm skeptical as to the biblical depth of megachurch messages. But Pastor Jacob Ley walked us through Scripture in a way I've seen many megachurch pastors fail to do. His desire to delve into deep biblical truths was evident to me as he preached about our role in taking up the mantle of Jesus Christ and, by the power of the Holy Spirit, continuing His work here on this earth, as recorded in John 14. When I left, I felt as though I'd been disclosed deeper insight into the will of God. I personally appreciated this depth; it's good to know that a church can grow to monstrous proportions without 'taking down the cross' from the stage (and thus, all-too-often, from the message as well).*
I was proud to finally experience the heritage into which I married, and prouder still to know the church that fostered the beginning of the spiritual walk of my father-in-law is still preaching the Word, loving its community, and changing live without apology or inhibition.
*A snarky allusion to Rick Warren's Purpose Drive Church, where he suggests removing crosses to appear more accepting or to appeal to a sense of political-correctness.
The Chapel at Akron surprised me. First of all, pastoral transitions are awkward for everyone; regular attenders feel it, staff live it, visitors sense it. The tension from a pastoral search and the inevitable drama that accompanies it can be tricky. The staff that drove the 10:40a.m. service at The Chapel this past Sunday, though, weathered the service flawlessly, calling out the awkwardness of the uncertainty by requesting feedback in a brief survey, and moving on with the things that matter, like worshiping God.
There was a strange juxtaposition of emotions upon entering and seating myself, by myself. Looking around, I noticed the variety of dress, style, ages, and demographics all around me, clear up to the 'nosebleeds' of the balcony. Yet it seemed so familial, like everyone still knew mostly everyone. I never once felt like a face lost in translation, but knew I was a part of the body of believers at The Chapel, if only for one week. To put it another way, I suppose I knew I'd come to church, which is more than I can say for the other megachurches I've attended lately.
Worship was beautiful. Drew Belden led us into the throne room of God with several songs that were easy to learn, well-rehearsed yet not terribly over-produced. Simple choruses, acoustic versions of hymns, gentle vocals and effects all worked together to create an aesthetically-appealing and spiritually-refreshing worship environment.
My surprise was only heightened, then, by the kind of preaching I experienced. As has undoubtedly been made clear by the first several megachurches mentioned in this process, I'm skeptical as to the biblical depth of megachurch messages. But Pastor Jacob Ley walked us through Scripture in a way I've seen many megachurch pastors fail to do. His desire to delve into deep biblical truths was evident to me as he preached about our role in taking up the mantle of Jesus Christ and, by the power of the Holy Spirit, continuing His work here on this earth, as recorded in John 14. When I left, I felt as though I'd been disclosed deeper insight into the will of God. I personally appreciated this depth; it's good to know that a church can grow to monstrous proportions without 'taking down the cross' from the stage (and thus, all-too-often, from the message as well).*
I was proud to finally experience the heritage into which I married, and prouder still to know the church that fostered the beginning of the spiritual walk of my father-in-law is still preaching the Word, loving its community, and changing live without apology or inhibition.
*A snarky allusion to Rick Warren's Purpose Drive Church, where he suggests removing crosses to appear more accepting or to appeal to a sense of political-correctness.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Resurrection Sunday; The Sequel
And redeem it we did! Unfortunately, Hannah was sick and unable to join me. But per the invitation of some good friends, I ventured out into the cold Saturday night air to the Pascha service at Holy Assumption Orthodox Church, which began at 11:30p.m. and ended when the festivities for the night died down.
For the sake of portrayal as accurate a picture as I can of my experience, I must first share with you that I have an eye condition that causes night-blindness; candlelit rooms, though reverent, are less-than-ideal for my having any clue what's going on. My friend Bailey took me by the arm and led me to a pew, where I met Matt, who said he would help me as needed throughout the Pascha service. How fitting, though! I was the perfect object lesson that night, standing there as a literal manifestation of what we were celebrating. The scent of the incense, the tonal worship and choral chanting wafted through the dark hall for more than a half an hour, until midnight. Candles were distributed, and the light past from hand-to-hand.
Once all candles were lit, we were led outside, where we marched in a processional around the church building. Once, twice, three times, with the bell tolling in front of us, and each stopping as they had need, to relight their candle from the night time wind. Following the processional, and short time of prayer outside, we moved back into the sanctuary, where I quite literally passed from blindness to sight, from darkness to light, and the celebration ensued!
Christ is risen! Indeed, He is risen!
Christos anesti! Alithos anesti!
Cristo ha resucitado! En verdad ha resucitado!
Kristo amefufukka! Kweli amefufukka!
The priest circled the room countless times (most likely a multiple of three, if I were to make a guess), sprinkling water on us and blessing us with incense exclaiming in any language he could remember that Christ is risen! And as the members of the congregation crossed themselves and received the blessings, they replied, if the knew the given language, that "Indeed, Christ is risen!" Never before have I been among a group of believers so excited to remember that Christ was indeed alive. Laughter and joy filled that room as, for over an hour, we chanted "Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs, bestowing life!"**
The Divine Liturgy began around 1:30a.m. followed by communion, of which I was unable to partake (presumably because I am not a member of the Orthodox church, right?). Nonetheless, being present in that room during such a celebration is an experience and memory I will not soon forget. The priest ended the service by blessing the dozens of 'Easter baskets' on stage. I soon found out that these baskets were full of all of the foods and drinks from which the members of the church had been fasting for several weeks. And when the service was over, the feast began. Pork, steak, sausage, chili, bacon, cheeses, bread, beer and wine, chocolate, and countless other foods soon filled the tables of the fellowship hall, as we all gathered around to celebrate the resurrection of Christ our Lord.
The selflessness that pervades the Orthodox tradition (from what I've experienced) is its defining factor. In American churches, we are free, and almost encouraged, to "have it your way." Find the worship and the preacher and the sermon time and the children's ministry that appeals most to you and go to that church. Orthodox Christians gather together at the same times, in the same manner, with the same liturgy and worship that they have for centuries, taking the human variable out of the equation and giving God was is God's, week after week, year after year, and again and again. They take fasting seriously. They gather at all hours of the night to bring in the resurrection of Christ. There is no room for "I don't get anything out of that" in these churches.
With this being one of my final posts in this blog, I would emphasize again the need for a renewed sense of reverence and sanctity within the American church. Orthodoxy recognizes God as God in a way I feel most protestant-evangelical churches fall short. If you're only exposure to the Orthodox church is "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," I urge you to take a Sunday, empty yourself of preference and "getting anything out of" this or that, and go silence yourself in the halls of a great building where the Spirit of God moves like wafts of incense through the hearts of his worshipers.
*A quick answer I found here: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070316053624AAoTlCC
** The Paschal Troparion, chanted in sets of three. More info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paschal_troparion
*A quick answer I found here: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070316053624AAoTlCC
** The Paschal Troparion, chanted in sets of three. More info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paschal_troparion
Friday, May 3, 2013
God's Two-Cents
Albeit late in the week, I’d like to briefly share the experience we had this past Sunday. From what I understand (please correct me if I’m wrong), New Pointe Community Church began in Dover, Ohio, and has since spread across Stark County to multiple campuses. We attended the Canton site this past week, where we were able to worship comfortably with three or four hundred other members of the body of Christ.
It’s a unique experience sitting in an auditorium watching a video screen, knowing that, somewhere, the speaker, Pastor Dwight Mason, was not only addressing a congregation directly in front of him, but three other congregations via similar video screens. Initially, it’s a weird feeling; I can get the same experience sitting in my underwear on the couch at home. And I’m certain this argument has been raised at board meetings and in critical reviews across the nation since this multi-campus church movement has taken off. However, the wonders of modern technology now allow for a multi-thousand member church to be ‘one,’ hearing the same vision, same teaching, from the same man simultaneously.
I would love to end my experience there, but, once again, I feel compelled to portray my experience and observations in its entirety, which has not always taken the form of positive niceties. As I shared after our first experience at a local megachurch, there seems to be a lack of biblical depth and foundation to the teaching. I’m concerned, personally, about what seems to be a trend in churches like this; we have begun watering down Sunday morning messages to appeal to those who might find biblical fundamentals too intimidating or overwhelming. The current series at New Pointe is Five Emotions That Will Destroy Your Life. This past week we learned about grief, and how improperly dealing with grief and loss will imminently erode your faith, your personal well-being, and your relationships. This is true, without question. But these kinds of psycho-emotional therapy lessons mirror the kind of well-being lessons taught by Dr. Phil and Oprah. Since we have stapled some Bible references to them, we can call it a ‘sermon’ (or ‘message,’ for those who find the word ‘sermon’ unpalatable).
Adding parenthetical Bible references to the outline of a college course on “Grief and Loss” doesn’t by default imply Biblical depth. I don’t at all want to imply that every sermon ever taught should be verse-by-verse exegesis, but there are certainly ways to approach issues like this from the Bible, instead of supplementing someone else’s material with God’s two-cents.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Church Biology 101
I'm not going to lie, or pretend; We skipped church this past weekend. Altogether.
The local church gets like stagnating cells; We kick and scream with one another, pointing fingers, assigning blame when in reality, the Body of Christ is failing to operate how it should. We are infected. At large, denominational differences have festered to the point of sickness.
Our sickness is self-righteousness where there should be humility. Or contentment where there should be striving. Or staying the same where there should be change. Or relevance, at all cost, even at the sake of reverence.
Any of these things, and many more, cause stagnancy. And when that happens, "it ain't good." But all that decays can be restored, and eventually, if we stop bucking each other and focus on restoring the Body of Christ as a whole, we can hit a rhythm. We can begin working together and begin the restorative process.
In this scene, I feel like the student observing and portraying that which I don't fully understand. I just stand on my desk at 15churches.blogspot.com, trying so hard to get the attention of those much smarter and wiser and older and more experienced than I am, in hopes of someday one of them going, "Like... how a cut heals."
This is the turning point.
If you're a pastor or church leader, I challenge you to wrestle with God at length about what your church can be doing in conjunction with other local churches, 'hit a groove' and impact your communities more effectively.
We went camping with my brother and sister-in-law instead, and decided that we would miss a week, since we added the 5th of May to add Orthodox Easter to the menu.
That being said, I would like to take this Tuesday morning to expound upon an excerpt from the movie "Here Comes the Boom" (this blog has stirred in me an uncanny eye for anecdotal material from pop culture herein to share).
The context of the clip is entirely irrelevant. Listen to his biology lesson.
The local church gets like stagnating cells; We kick and scream with one another, pointing fingers, assigning blame when in reality, the Body of Christ is failing to operate how it should. We are infected. At large, denominational differences have festered to the point of sickness.
Our sickness is self-righteousness where there should be humility. Or contentment where there should be striving. Or staying the same where there should be change. Or relevance, at all cost, even at the sake of reverence.
Any of these things, and many more, cause stagnancy. And when that happens, "it ain't good." But all that decays can be restored, and eventually, if we stop bucking each other and focus on restoring the Body of Christ as a whole, we can hit a rhythm. We can begin working together and begin the restorative process.
In this scene, I feel like the student observing and portraying that which I don't fully understand. I just stand on my desk at 15churches.blogspot.com, trying so hard to get the attention of those much smarter and wiser and older and more experienced than I am, in hopes of someday one of them going, "Like... how a cut heals."
This is the turning point.
If you're a pastor or church leader, I challenge you to wrestle with God at length about what your church can be doing in conjunction with other local churches, 'hit a groove' and impact your communities more effectively.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Conduit of Grace of Truth
The celebration continues at Faith Community Church, located a few blocks from Malone University on Cleveland Avenue. This hometown local church, at first glance, seems to be proactively pursuing it's namesake: Their local community. A quick web search will land you on their homepage, which is filled with information about Canton's history, demographics, and current events. FCC is clearly highly concerned with making an impact on the community of Canton, as they undoubtedly have been for nearly seventy years.
Cleveland Avenue is a prominent road in the area, and the church is literally thirty feet from roaring traffic. But crossing the threshold brought Hannah and I into a place of tranquility and worship. Gentle rays glimmer through blue stained-glass windows, softening the atmosphere and calming the heart in preparation for worship. And amid the storms and stresses that life brings, peace in the presence of God is precisely what we needed.
Personal greetings by the pastor and several members of the congregation were followed by a pleasant array of musical numbers—worship choruses, hymns out of hymnals, choral performances and a special music, all of which spoke strongly of God and his being more than we could ever need. Again, I find it necessary to mention how encouraging it is to see a church striving to balance that liminal space of upholding a timeless heritage yet becoming relevant to a rapidly changing society. Since this topic, however, has been touched on numerous times throughout this exploration, I'd like to hone in on a different aspect of Sunday morning's service.
As with many sermon series across the American church, two weeks ago was a message about the empty tomb. Pastor Elden continued this series, as he has been preaching through the Bible since last fall sometime. This past week we ventured into Acts, and I must say I saw "Church" laid out in an entirely new fashion.
Acts 1:8 explains how "Church" is going to get started, which comes about in the next chapter, during the celebration of the Jewish festival called Pentecost (or, Shaubuot). In short, this is the plan. "Power of the Holy Spirit comes on you twelve guys sitting in the upper room, and then you go." That's it. The next verse, Jesus is gone from the face of the earth. He doesn't leave any directions for a contingency plan. We, the Church, are the conduit of the grace and truth of Christ to the world.
In the scope of this semester-long exploration, then, it seems fitting that this simple definition can succinctly sum up the purposefulness and effectiveness of the Church. In what practical ways is a local church channeling the grace and truth of Christ? How can local churches strive together to channel Christ's message of grace and truth to their neighborhoods, communities, and world?
Cleveland Avenue is a prominent road in the area, and the church is literally thirty feet from roaring traffic. But crossing the threshold brought Hannah and I into a place of tranquility and worship. Gentle rays glimmer through blue stained-glass windows, softening the atmosphere and calming the heart in preparation for worship. And amid the storms and stresses that life brings, peace in the presence of God is precisely what we needed.
Personal greetings by the pastor and several members of the congregation were followed by a pleasant array of musical numbers—worship choruses, hymns out of hymnals, choral performances and a special music, all of which spoke strongly of God and his being more than we could ever need. Again, I find it necessary to mention how encouraging it is to see a church striving to balance that liminal space of upholding a timeless heritage yet becoming relevant to a rapidly changing society. Since this topic, however, has been touched on numerous times throughout this exploration, I'd like to hone in on a different aspect of Sunday morning's service.
As with many sermon series across the American church, two weeks ago was a message about the empty tomb. Pastor Elden continued this series, as he has been preaching through the Bible since last fall sometime. This past week we ventured into Acts, and I must say I saw "Church" laid out in an entirely new fashion.
Acts 1:8 explains how "Church" is going to get started, which comes about in the next chapter, during the celebration of the Jewish festival called Pentecost (or, Shaubuot). In short, this is the plan. "Power of the Holy Spirit comes on you twelve guys sitting in the upper room, and then you go." That's it. The next verse, Jesus is gone from the face of the earth. He doesn't leave any directions for a contingency plan. We, the Church, are the conduit of the grace and truth of Christ to the world.
In the scope of this semester-long exploration, then, it seems fitting that this simple definition can succinctly sum up the purposefulness and effectiveness of the Church. In what practical ways is a local church channeling the grace and truth of Christ? How can local churches strive together to channel Christ's message of grace and truth to their neighborhoods, communities, and world?
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Unprecedented Charm and Unchanging Heritage
Sandy Valley Baptist Temple is, in a word, bold. The charm of the building and the quaintness of the sanctuary is mirrored by that of it's surroundings: Magnolia, Ohio, the archetypal American small town. The sanctuary is small, between 10-15 rows of pews stretching from a center aisle out to windowed walls, which glowed with spring's sunlight on the houseplants in each window sill. A painting of a tree on a hill behind the baptistry was reminiscent of the growth and renewal coming from a changed and transformed heart. A cornflower blue spills over the entire room, from the pew-coverings, to the carpet and the small stage, where the standard of heritage stand unchanged for who-knows how long; piano on the left, organ on the rights, pastor in the middle leading hymns from the hymnal. Everyone knows everyone (not a difficult feat when the congregation topped-out at 40 in attendance), so there was no "sneaking in the back" as visitors. Pastor Matthew quickly asked us to introduce ourselves and expressed his gratitude for our joining them. "Visitors are God's way of showing us He loves us," he said, "so you're being with us this morning is His giving us a hug."
His sermon was fiery, boldly challenging his congregation to not let troubles and burdens wear us out, but to see them as "exercise equipment," meant to strengthen and stretch us. He preached powerfully, passionately. With an openness and honesty to be admired. So honest, in fact, that he wore his brokenness on his sleeve, so to speak. It breaks my heart to think about the wounds that must exist within a man who rails against larger churches with "rock bands" and "gimmicks." Are they not, also the body of Christ? And is Pastor Matthew not also an equally called leader of the body of Christ, alongside others who have chosen to do things another way? I left challenged by his words, his strong biblical preaching, but also hurting for his heart, and the hearts of his congregation, who seemingly refuse to reach out to their community, to the body of Christ around them, or those lost living withing their neighborhood, simply because they do things a different way.
To put in in a word, Sandy Valley Baptist Temple is bold. They refuse to give, even an inch, on any one issue. And as stated on their beliefs page, they "make no apology for their conservative beliefs in many areas."* They gather boldly, dressed like "citizens of heaven."* They sing from hymnals, read the KJV, and preach the Word of God boldly and unabashedly, and are not afraid to offend or upset those around them. Many contemporary Christians would find their service uncomfortable, especialy with vendetta preaching against outside "liberal" churches, but then again, Christ didn't call us to be comfortable, and perhaps a reminder of the way things used to be is exactly what the church in America needs.
As a member of the body of Christ, Sandy Valley Baptist Temple boldly gathers and worships, just like they have since 1961. They're venerable, like a grandparent. You can't tell them they're wrong and nothing is going to change their minds, and that's okay!
*Both are references to the "What we Believe" page on SVBT's website, here
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