sustain:if:able kiwi

are house churches biblical? part 1

I have always understood the following mantra: that the early church met in houses. So should we? But I was reading through Acts recently and I am beginning to question the mantra. I am wondering whether the choice to meet in houses might actually not be quite so simple. Hence my blog title. It’s slightly tongue in cheek, but I do want to work my way through the book of Acts, looking at where the early church did meet.

Acts 1:9 – outdoors-church, meeting outdoors in a public space. This included teaching and discussion. (Same again in Acts 2:14ff).

Acts 1:13 – Hired space. The disciples meet in an Upper Room. Probably the room used for the Last Supper. Perhaps part of a house. Perhaps a room to rent, like we have today in our local hotels.

Acts 2:46 – Religious buildings. They meet daily in the temple. We often think of early church as separate from Judaism, but that was certainly not the case in early Acts. They were still using a religious building, paid for already. They were still part of priestly (paid) leadership. So any move toward a house church was on the back of existing church buildings and existing paid leadership.

Next post in this series will be about Acts 3-5.

celebrity pastor match: taylor and tamaki

A few weeks ago I was phoned and interviewed by a Christian newspaper about people leaving the church. The article has now appeared. I get the first 2 paragraphs, and am then juxtaposed against TV info-gospel-man Brian Tamaki.

Taylor: “The worst thing we can do is call these people backsliders. It is not the function of the Church to draw these ones back into fellowship, but it is our responsibility to support them.”

Tamaki: “There is no room for the belief that you can be believers outside the Church… How can I watch over them as a pastor if they are not connected to the church? They have no accountability and are susceptible to mistaken versions of the Christian doctrine. They are like lost sheep and we need to have a sense of inclusion, to welcome them back if possible.”

Taylor is very happy to be quoted and juxtaposed against Tamaki (The full article is here).

A Scriptural reflection
The parable of the “searching shepherd” (a better name than Lost Sheep) occurs in two places in Scripture: In Matthew 18:12-14 it is in the context of searching for little ones, those who are struggling because of the actions of Christians believers. In Luke 15:1-7 it is told in the context of the prostitutes and sinners that hang around Jesus. Luke seems more outward focused on the oft-called “non-churched”, Matthew seems more focused on the “dechurched.” Both groups receive the care and support of the searching shepherd.

Practically, at Opawa we support and celebrate a group called Spirited Exchanges, which meets monthly and aims to provide a support for people struggling with church. We also work hard at providing spiritual resources (for example, Lent and Advent art postcards) so that people can be nurtured without having to turn up at church.

Place of technology in our contemporary landscape
The article caused me to ponder the place of technology in our contemporary Christian-scape. Here is a quote from an Ian and Phyllis Ford,who pastorally visit people who feel called out of the structured Church.

“I met a woman in the South Island who had been out of church for seven years, but she radiated Christ,” said Mr Ford. “You can’t tell me it’s impossible to grow in God outside the Sunday church.” He said many people he visited used Radio Rhema’s Word for Today devotional and DVDs to get their spiritual feeding.”

Help me with the logic here: So if you are visited pastorally by a pastor and attend church where you get input from a sermons … you are churched.

But if you are visited pastorally by Mr Ford and get input via sermon on DVD … you are unchurched?

Which leads to a multi-choice quiz for you to answer:
Are the resources of Christian radio being used to
a) sustain believers
b) keep the body of Christ isolated and fragmented
c) both
d) another option.

I wonder if we are seeing the use of technology to liberate practices – sermon listening – from a local, embedded community. 80 years ago you had no DVD and no Christian radio in TV, so was it much harder to survive outside a local, embedded church community? I wonder what the long-term place of embedded relationships will be in our increasingly technology-saturated world. I wonder if Rhema, when it was founded, would have been happy to see their resources used in this way. I wonder, when Steve Taylor produces Lenten and Advent resources, if he is happy to be used in this way?

Thirdly: the practise of a individualised faith
What is the place of the practise of an individualised faith (whether sustaining by lighting a candle in a cathedral or reading blogs or listening to Christian radio or TV), in a Christian understanding of God as Triune and relational? and for being church (ecclesiology)?

emerging church postcards 2006: Aotearoa New Zealand 3

a helpful Scripture in the formation and life of your church community: We’ve spent a bit of time playing around with Genesis 1:26-28 & 1 Corinthians 12:12-26. Looking at how we were created from the community of the Trinity, and how we should function together as a community. We found some pretty darn challenging stuff in there I tell ya…

learning about spiritual formation: We’ve been trying to break down that invisible wall between everyday life and our spiritual lives; sacred vs secular and all that. Hearing each other’s stories about where we find God throughout the week; in the music of Jeff Buckly or Trinity Roots, in traffic etiquette – How exactly WOULD Jesus drive a car? – and in text message blessings.

movie (or scene) might sum up your year: This might just be me, but Fight Club has some pretty clear resonances. A small group of people, brought together by word of mouth, meeting in strange places, but feeling strengthened in their everyday lives from the experience. Take out the explicit sex, violence, fascism and mental illness of the movie, and I think you can sum up The Kitchen quite nicely.

best mission moment in 06: We haven’t been going long enough to have any wild stories of mission prowess yet, but merely the bringing together of 20 people (most of whom were disconnected from a faith community) and starting something after so much talk is probably the grand champion of mission moments for us. More specific moments would include the Christmas food parcels we made for those in need – you try taking 8 men and 1 woman into Pak n Save without a shopping list or a clue and exiting with a coherent food parcel and tell me that isn’t God at work! Also, seeing people who were total opposites in every possible way meet each other, and a few months down the track are now genuinely praying, caring and talking God with each other.

To visit this community go here.
For more emerging church postcards 2006, go here.
For emerging church postcards 2005, go here.
For information on how your emerging church can send a postcard, go here.

spirited exchanges starts in Christchurch

Jenny MacIntosh stayed with us last night, here to help birth a Spirited Exchanges (an umbrella name for groups, seminars and resources for people who have left church or are struggling with their faith) here in Christchurch.

“Spirited” : something lively, energetic, and robust; with the reality of the Holy Spirit as an integral part of faith-development and the faith-journey.
“Exchanges” : the “exchanging” of ideas and experiences, learning from each other, honouring the importance of that mutuality and sharing.

A good start was made in the foyer of Opawa Baptist last night and there was enough energy and interest to commence monthly, 1st Monday in the month (except for Queens Birthday weekend). Good stuff.

Further resources:
Spirited exchanges website here.
Interview with Jenny about Spirited Exchanges here.
Podcast interview with Jenny in which she describes ministry to those outside the church. Download file: ethos of Spirited Exchanges: 2 mins : 600K.

Presbyterians don’t clap

I spent this evening with about 60 Presbyterians from around Christchurch. A very enjoyable evening. I was asked to provide some stimulus in terms of mission. So I talked about:
: the diversity of our contemporary cultures
: the diversity of response to Jesus at the resurrection (Peter ran, Mary loved, Thomas questioned and experienced, John thought)
: which raised the question; if Jesus met these people at their point of experience; what does it mean for us to be part of communities and spaces that similarly meet people at their point of experience?
: i then talked about the multi-congregational model we’ve developed at Opawa

and concluded with two concrete examples:
: espresso and
: take a kid to faith services.

Afterward they all clapped. I was then informed over a pleasant cup of tea that Presbyterians very rarely clap. So a good sign of an evening well spent.

Resources I used tonight, for those interested include:
: the multi-congregational model
: spoken words from the Lenten 40 visual resource.
: take a kid to faith services.
: espresso
: my out of bounds church? book.

(The above is quite similar to what I did with about 35 Baptists in Dunedin on Thursday evening.)

layering advent journals

The good thing about pastoral ministry is the chance to build layers. You do something one year knowing that a year later you can perhaps re-do it, building, layering, deepening. This week the Opawa Advent Journals start to circulate in the community.

The concept is simple;
1. Locate 8 blank journals.
2. Place some Advent “resources” (art pics, Bible verses) in the front.
3. Hand them out to people in the community, telling them to keep them for 3 days and to journal what Advent means for them. After 3 days they are to pass it to someone else in the community. If they have it on Sunday, bring it along so that people can flip through.
4. And so quietly, simply, I as pastor encourage people to engage with the Christmas story, in their time, in their space.

I introduced this last year and it worked well. So this year, a second time around, their is a 2004 “layer” of Advent art, a 2004 “layer” of people’s reflections a year ago. To this I have added a 2005 fresh “layer” of art and will be offering them into the community this week.

For information on the first appearance of the Advent Journals last year, go here.

And for those interested, these are the Guidelines typed in the front of each Advent Journal …

(more…)

future church conference

Just about to fly to auckland for the future church conference. Check out the conference blog, (which I will be able to develop, if blogger will just remind me what my password is!) I am leading the gathering ritual this afternoon. Then there is a book launch of my out of bounds church? book. Later this evening I then help “animate” (Dic: bring life to, enliven) a conversation around the theme Disconnected from our traditions. I am bringing the movie Whale Rider, and two animating Biblical texts.

I’ve been in bed for 2 days with a head cold, so I’m not the best. And my laptop powerpack died on Saturday. 2nd time in 18 months that my Acer 290 powerpack had died.

evangelism as process part 2

On Sunday at Opawa I laid out my stall. I asked the question: what would a church committed to evangelism-as-process look like? I used the image of lounge and kitchen and offered about 5 concrete ideas that I thought could work out Opawa.

The sermon is here and is part two of a two-part series. (The first one is here)

Note some things:
The aim: to allow the Biblical stories (of Peter and Paul) to release missional imagination among the people of God.
Us not them: I wanted us to take seriously the issues in our community. I want the church to be a resource for people reaching their friends. I have been wondering if mission as radical discipleship, while a wonderful ideal, actually disempowers us from reaching the people in our networks and workplace. So I wanted to sow “us” ideas not “them” ideas.
Could not should: practical suggestions not finger waving guilt.
We not I: possibilities that would suggest people working together.
Grounded not pie-in-the-sky: and so on Sunday I brought with me a Further Reading Handout for those interested. I was delighted to see all 10 reading handouts disappear. As a concrete next step I am planning to hold an “evangelism as process” brainstorming time Saturday, 29th October, 4-5:30 pm in the church foyer.

Richard Peace’s book, Conversion in the New Testament, has been very helpful.

what dreams may come

arrived today … View image: 48K

Note for all Opawa people – come on down to church Saturday 21st (morning best) and learn how to make your own ….

can’t comment

if anyone is having trouble posting comments on the blog, please email me;
steve at emergentkiwi dot org dot nz

roger – i have sorted the problem with your comment and “posted” it for you … last week i had unwittingly blacklisted the letter “m”; so any word starting with “m” was considered out of bounds!:) sorry.

national calling

I’m away until Tuesday at Bible College of New Zealand (Auckland) at an Academic Staff Retreat. I doubt I will be in a wi-fi zone!

Sunday was a beautiful autumn day. I pray the warmth, peace and grace upon each of you who read this post.

How often do we meet in the forming of community?

How often does “church” need to meet to be church? Here at Opawa I’m tossing around the birthing of another emerging congregation – expresso101. One of the questions is timing – how often do we meet? Here’s part of an email I sent a friend. Any web wisdom out there for us?

for a number of months I have been wanted to start something a bit different at Opawa. Sunday morning is a singing monologue. It’s got some really good things, but Q/A and discussion will never sit easily with the majority of Sunday morning punters.

People could also still be part of both Sunday and Espresso (or Side Door or Digestion), but I am reluctant for espresso101 to meet less than weekly.

first sunday in advent

Two years ago, I learnt to walk again. I used to walk from A to B. Fast. That was the Steve Taylor walk.

Kayli, who was two at the time, taught me to walk again. For a two year old, a walk around the block is never getting from A to B, fast.

For a 2 year old, a walk around the block
is to walk at a new pace
to balance along a block wall
to jump off the block wall to investigate a snail
to backtrack to chase a leaf
to pause because her legs are sore
to sprint for the corner yelling “race yah”
walking with a two year old is learning to walk at a new pace.

To walk with a 2 year old around the block
is learning to listen to the detail
to ask, Dad can I walk along the wall?
to ask, Dad how did the snail die?
to ask, Dad can you carry this leaf home for me, and this flower, and this stick?
learning to listen to the detail.

Two years ago, my 2 year old taught me to walk again. This Advent, we face the choice, to walk from here to Christmas fast, or to learn to walk again, with a new pace, and listening for the Christmas detail.

colin mcahon

Did anyone video the TV programme on Colin McCahon, New Zealand’s most famous painter, on Saturday? I missed it and am keen to watch it.

(For a online interactive presentation on McCahon, go here. For an online Colin McCahon: I am study guide go here.)