T h e . R i s i n g . B l u e

Rethinking Ecclesia (by Sean)

Rethinking Ecclesia
By Sean

Ecclesia: called out ones; St. Paul’s term for the Church.

What would it look like if our churches began to rethink what it means to be the ecclesia, the “called out ones”? For many of us Christians, this concept of being “called out” has led to a seperatist mentality of the sacred verses secular, “us” verses “them” and has distanced us from those most in need. For many it has led to the Christian “bubble” or little world of safety far removed from the broken and hurting. It has led to the mentality of “I don’t hang out in those types of places” and “I don’t associate with those types of people”. What if we have missed the point of ecclesia altogether?

Being the ecclesia means that we as Christ followers are not just ones “called out from” something. It means we are “called out to” something. In Jesus, our focal point for God-like living, we find one who is deeply interwoven in the lives of the broken, the outcast. We don’t find him trying to escape them. Jesus engaged the culturally embarrassing people like the lepers. We don’t find him judging them and leaving them to their misery. He actually risked his reputation for them. He went against all cultural norms to embrace them. Jesus befriended the corrupt tax collectors and brought change in their lives through friendship over the dinner table. Jesus stood up for the adulterers when others accused them. Jesus was the friend of sinners.

We are called out ones. We are called out to live the heart and passion of Jesus here today in our cities. We are called out to bring beauty to the most broken, hope to the most lost, comfort and healing to the diseased. We are called out to serve the lowly. We are called out, like Jesus, to be the friend of sinners.

And we are called out from something as well. We are called out from a life of self-indulgence. We are called out from a life of self-destruction and sin. We are called out from mediocrity. We are called out from looking the other way. We are called out from ambivalence. We are called out from our little “bubbles”.

What if instead of isolating ourselves, we began intentionally bringing beauty to our neighbors and coworkers on a weekly basis? What if we invited them over for dinner? Like Jesus, our friendships with them could form in sincerity and humility and not out of false pretenses or “salesman” tactics. What if we served at the AIDS hospice? Like Jesus we could risk our reputation on them. What if we began to hang out where “those” people hang out and befriend them to the point where we realize that they are just like us: broken people in need of Jesus.

Picture if we did this not only with those who don’t know God, but also with our spiritual family. Picture a faith community full of people actively seeking ways to bless one another, opportunities to care for one another while enjoying deep friendship and meals together. A faith community who know each other intimately enough to see each other’s needs, meet those needs and love each other enough to do so. Imagine a community knowing each other’s personalities and tastes well enough to be able to bring blessings that are surprising in their timing, generosity and personal touch.

Like Jesus, we could pour our lives into being agents of beauty and reconciliation and we could do this out of a connectedness not only with each other but also with God himself. We are called out to be still and listen to the voice of God - not done in a “get-it-out-of-the-way” quickie quiet time, but in a genuine desire to commune with our God, our life source. And in hearing his voice we can allow our minds, hearts and actions to be shaped and changed, refreshed and refocused. We are called to this communion.

We are called to crave Jesus, to need him, to learn about and fill our lives with Him. The Bible is our food, nourishment, and an exciting heritage and story that we feel privileged to find our selves and our own stories within. We are called to hunger for more of this story and the person of Jesus and to study his life as seen in the Gospels. We are called to welcome the whisper of the Spirit that brings enlightenment and impact from the pages. Words that burst off the page. Words that captivate our thoughts and passion and creativity. Words that cut through hidden sin and bring life and joy back into our journey.

Picture our churches so committed to living this way that we set ourselves up to succeed by entering covenanted friendships that bring real accountability. We find the friends that God has placed in our lives who will speak the truth to us even when it is hard. And in hearing the truth and trusting the person, we choose to change. We grow. We break up the hard ground in our souls and reorient our perspectives. We continually encourage each other to live as ones sent from God and “called out to” be his passion lived out in our cities, “called out to” be his heart expressed in exuberant love to the unlovely, and “called out to” be his unafraid hands that reach deeply into the very lives and souls of the most untouchable.

We are called to be this kind of Church, this kind of community. We are called from anything that keeps us isolated from and aloof to the needs of those around us. So as we move forward together, may we hear the Spirit’s whisper, open a new chapter in the Kingdom Story and move on in our journey be the friend of sinners, Jesus’ ecclesia.

Recommended Reading:
“A New Kind of Christian” by Brian Mclaren
“The Shaping of Things to Come” by Michael Frost

Redeeming Faith History in a Piano (by Julie)

When we first moved to Bellingham almost 7 years ago I found out that my great-great grandfather was a minister here at a church that is still standing and going strong. My heart leaped with hope as I envisioned a handsome Scotsman donned in a black robe delivering moving sermons to the Faithful.

It was a hopeful image to me because I have been devastated by the religious exposure my family was subjected to. It's something that has caused me so much pain, so I clung to this image as a sort of catalyst that could possibly redeem for me the stories of my family's faith history somehow.

So, as you could imagine, my jaw dropped to the floor when, after inquiring about the beautiful piano that stood in a friend's living room, was told it was bought by her parents from the same church where my great-great grandfather served. Again came the images of this man of God I had descended from, and added was the image of my great-great grandmother plunking out some glorious hymn, sending hearts soaring with praise...

And as you could imagine, I about burst into tears when our friends called to tell us they wanted to give this piano to us because of the family connection for me, because Sean is a musician, because they are generous and thoughtful and loving.

Unfortunately, but not surprising, I have since discovered contrary qualities to my sanguine fantasies. I guess this guy was the source of a lot of pain for his daughter and her daughter, my grandmother, and consequently, my dad (which explained a lot).

So now this piano has taken the place of my shattered fantasy as a catalyst. It is a monument, a symbol, an emblem that reminds me that something has remained true and pure and untainted and has survived in spite of abuse, misinterpretations, legalism, divorce, addictions, disparagement, ignorance, pride, and other horrors that my family has seen and done in the name of a religion.

That pure and untainted something is the life and message of Jesus Christ who by His grace broke through all of that and allowed me to experience an encounter with Him that has changed my life.

This beautiful instrument now stands proud in my living room and sings the song of grace with each note that's pounded and plunked and plinked on the very keys my ancestors have touched, redeeming faith for me and my children by the power of the message of the Cross of Christ, that will always prevail.

Ode to Susie, Ode to Grace

My To Do List:
(not exhaustive)

Marriage

Parenting

Politics

Faith

Church

Children's Education

My own Education

Friendships

Family

Work

Art

Money

Philosophy

Morality

Theology

Health

The Environment

The Poor

"It's not about getting it right," says Susie.

"For above all else, the Christian life is a love affair of the heart. It cannot be lived primarily as a set of principles or ethics. It cannot be managed with steps and programs. It cannot be lived exclusively as a moral code leading to righteousness. In response to a religious expert who asked him what he must do to obtain real life, Jesus asked a question in return:

'what is written in the Law?... How do you read it?'
He answered, ' "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind;"' and, "love your neighbor as yourself."'
'You have answered correctly,' Jesus replied. 'Do this and you will live.'

"The truth of the gospel is intended to free us to love God and others with our whole heart. When we ignore this heart aspect of our faith and try to live out our religion solely as correct doctrine or ethics, our passion is crippled, or perverted, and the divorce of our soul from the heart purposes of God toward us is deepened."
-J. E. The Sacred Romance

I read my "To Do" list again.

And I remind myself,"It's not about getting it right."

It's just not.

Then I take deep breath and let it out slowly.

It is about Love. Period.

"To be interested in the changing of seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring." -George Santayana

Going outside to get the morning paper and feeling the warmth of the sun on your back... the blues and greens of sky and water, grass and trees... the smell of suntan lotion and rubber beach balls and salty seaweed air... feet free in flipflops -or better yet- barefoot and calloused and dirty... the sound of children laughing and shouting as they whiz by on bikes through the neighborhood... lemonade and watermellon and grilled hamburgers and s'mores... campfires and sun-dried laundry and picnic tables at parks... cold beer and lawn mowers and sprinklers and laziness... sunsets and hikes and tanlines and driving in the country with the windows down...

Goodnight, summer.

HOME AGAIN... (by Julie)

I haven't been in a blogging mood. Lots is going on in my head... just not sure it's blogging material. Especially when random people google random things like "sex change" and they get MY BLOG and come check me out. Kinda creeps me out.

I will say that I'm glad we're back home. We were gone on "sabbatical" (that word conjures up a picture of an old Southern Baptist preacher with a bad comb over and big glasses and an ugly tie using the fancy official sounding word to make himself feel better about taking a vacation and to make it sound more impressive and holy to others...) for almost 2 months... it was nice, but that is a long time to be away from home, folks! And I like home!

I also will say that I've just experienced the BEST SICKNESS EVER. Seriously. The kids and I have been fighting this thing for a month, but none of us feel that bad... no grumpiness, no cabin fever even. We just feel more sleepy so we've been coloring, watching a lot of movies, taking naps, staying in our pajamas all day, reading the Boxcar Children series. It's been a really sweet time.

So, nothing earth shattering, nothing deep. Just home life. Peaceful and content.