Being Church in Georgetown

It has taken me over a week to write this and even now I don't feel I have accurately conveyed the thoughts that are going through my head on being church, emergent churches and locations.  But I will probably never accurately convey these thoughts.  

I've been reading a lot of "emerging church" voices lately, Brian McLaren, Shane Claiborne, and Rob Bell to name a few.  Along with my readings, I've been participating in formal and informal discussions via facebook, ravelry and with other in the synod about this revolution that is going on in the church as we, as Christians, are trying to figure out what it means to be the Church and a follower of Jesus in this changing world. Overall, I am excited for the future of the Church.

These conversations have also been closer to home.  Bob has had the pleasure of being part of the St. Francis House community in New London this year.  At Bishop's Convocation multiple conversations occurred about starting a living-learning community somewhere in the synod.  And Bob and I have talked for a few years now about wanting to open our home (granted not the small two bedroom we currently live in) to college students and other young adults, especially those who are working with non-profits, as a intentional living community.

Among all these experiences, conversations, books and websites, one thing that keeps coming up, though never directly is location.  Many emergent churches and emergent communities like the idea about being in a city, in an area with a good public transportation system, in an area near the poor, in an area surrounded by the least of God's children.  Often this is for practical reasons, more people are in urban areas and therefore there are more jobs, more public services, and therefore also more places to volunteer and serve God.

The other option is to be in a rural area, set apart from society in order to focus on God, or in an area with a large enough plot of land to farm for the community that is created.  Or to be a place that is a destination, a getaway, a sanctuary for those in need of an oasis from their daily lives as people come and go for personal retreats.

But where does that leave the rest of us?

I have been called to Georgetown Connecticut.  And for those of you who do not know where or what Georgetown CT is (which is about everyone who lives more than 15 miles away), Georgetown is well, Georgetown.  The town/hamlet/village (whatever you want to call it) was built around a factory starting in the 1800's.  Georgetown never became a city, and many would say it is a stretch to call it a town in the population sense of the word and as it is at the border of 4 townships it is not a town in the political sense of the word either.  Being less than 60 miles from Time Square it is not really rural either (even by Connecticut standards, much less midwest standards).  So maybe "Metro North" (which is the name of the rail-line that runs near the house) is the best name for this area.  We are north of the New York Metro area but still close enough that many people do commute in daily, but yet it is not a suburb nor a bedroom community as it began before people ever dreamed of being able to commute to New York on a regular basis and most people do not commute to New York but to more local cities like Norwalk and Danbury.

So why am I going into so much detail to describe Georgetown?  Well because God is here even though it is not the city.  God is here even though it is not a place to get away from it all.  And even in this area, that is wealthy by not just the world's standards but the United States standards, the least of God's children are here too.

And yet I struggle with how to reach and connect them.  I don't believe that people in urban and rural areas are better able to experience God compare to those in the suburbs or towns.  I don't believe that some of the wonderful values that have come up (or in some cases been reborn) in the emergent church movement do not apply to those in suburbia. (you can find a nice list of those values here).  And please trust me when I say that I also do not believe that the emergent church is only focusing on urban or rural areas as many churches that have readily identified with this movement are located in suburbs.

My concern though is that we see the poor and the needy only in the city and we see places to commune with God through nature only rural areas.  That we are saying to people who live in suburbs or in towns that you go to the city to serve God and you go to the country to reconnect with God but in your everyday life you do not need to interact with God.

Yes the percentage of people who live below the poverty line in Georgetown and the surrounding areas is quite low.  But often I find that instead my neighbors can be poor in Spirit.  They are living the American Dream: a few kids, two (or more) cars, a big house with plenty of land and enough money to pay someone else to take care of it.

Yet they are also searching for something.  Their kids are over-scheduled, they work long hours, many feel the need to constantly compete with their neighbors for the latest and greatest.

But I don't sense that with the members of Bethlehem.  There is a sense that God is with them daily and they are able to connect with God in their everyday lives.  I have been blessed to be called to lead this community.

And yet we still struggle with how to serve God.  Per capita this congregation collects more food, cleaning supplies and personal toiletries than any other congregation I know.  Whenever a natural disaster occurs, there is no discussion that a special collection will be taken over the following month to give to Lutheran World Relief or another worthy agency. But doing something hands on?  Well that hasn't happened so much, at least not yet.

That is my hope, that is my struggle, where are we being called to serve God with our hands and feet?  Do we help out at a already existing soup kitchen, homeless shelter, children's program and if so do we go north to Danbury or south to Norwalk?  Or do we find a way to feed the spirit of those around us?  And how do we do that?  And isn't that all really what being church is about?

Singing with Babies

One of the ideas I have for Bethlehem is to start a monthly worship service that is focused on very young children.  This idea also stemmed out of one of the presentations I attended at Baby Pastor School, which was about Godly play, a get on the floor and use props to tell Bible Stories to young children. So I have been toying with how to incorporate that idea into something that good for the members of Bethlehem and would reach out to the community as well. My mind then thought of Linda.

Linda was the music director/Associate in Ministry at my internship congregation.  She would do mommy and me music classes and at a previous congregation she started a birth to 3 year old Sunday school class for parents and children. So I contacted Linda to see if I could come and observe some of her music classes.  Well because of the economy the demand for these classes has waned. However the woman who got her involved in teaching young children is still teaching two Sally's Music Circle classes on Monday mornings. 

So within my 48 hour trip to Philly, I was able to observe two classes, receive some old material from Linda along with half a carload of musical instruments and other objects that she was no longer using, and pick her brain a little about what worked for her both in the Sunday School class and in the music classes.  And of course as long as I was in Philly, was saw a few friends and got my soft pretzel fix.

And as an added bonus, this week is also convocation week at LTSP, my seminary alma mater.  I did attended any of their special presentations since that wasn't way I came to Philly, but I was able to attend Easter Vesper, which is a special evening worship service featuring the seminary choir.  It is always a great time to be able to worship and not lead worship.  Plus the seminary chapel has wonderful acoustics so the singing is phenomenal!

Ohh so were does this new worship stand for now?  Well I need to inventory all the instruments that are still in my car and get a few more materials, but my hope is that starting in the fall I will be to start a "Worship Together" service on Saturday mornings.  I was originally thinking once a month, but Linda and others have said the repetition is good for children so I maybe it will be most Saturdays...still toying with the idea, but I'll keep you updated.

Blessing of the Animals

Yesterday was Bethlehem's First Annual Blessing of the Animals. I say first annual because it was a great success and I cannot see it not being repeated.

We were hoping to have the blessing outside under the cross, but the weather was not cooperating. After being threaten with a Nor'eastern in the weather forecast from Friday, it finally started to rain some on Sunday. While it was never full Nor'eastern force, it was drizzly, to slow rain all morning.

So after worship, Ellen and I stuck around, re-arranged the furniture in the community room, set up chairs, made coffee, put out the treat bags that the confirmation kids made the day before, and got the place ready.

And just as we were really starting this process, we got a phone call asking if the blessing was still on even with the rain. YES!!! Someone is coming, someone who was not at church that morning, someone who was not familiar with the church. ALLELUIA!! Community-outreach event it is.

And then when Ellen went to go get donuts and some other last minute stuff, another phone call came. WOO-HOO!

So all told we had about 30 people and 14 dogs in the flesh plus many other animals (cats, fish, lizards, hamsters) represented by pictures, drawing and just in name. And $86 was raised for ROAR, the local animal shelter.

30 people might not seem like a huge success to most churches, but that is more people than were in church that morning, and out of the 30, over half were non-members.

And what was the service like? It was just a simple service with a few prayers, a few readings, and then individual blessings of the animals. The individual blessing was pretty much mass chaos, especially considering we were inside and all the dogs wanted to sniff and smell each other.

I am also happy to report that Daisy was a very gracious host and very well behaved to all the dogs that invaded the church that she normally has the run of.

Bless O God, this your creature _____, and all who are involved in its care and protection. Bless the food that it eats, the place where it sleeps, the love that it gives and the caretakers who it calls their family