Something beautiful in my life this past weekend. The "official opening" of a new church building in a neighbouring town. Two years ago, the church was burned to the ground by an arsonist. It was a terrible trauma for the people of the congregation. It's bit like one's home burning. People stand on the street weeping, watching helplessly as a "place" they've taken for granted and loved for decades turn to ashes and smoke.
For the last two and a half years, the folks of Wetaskiwin have mourned, planned, struggled and designed, in order to have a a house they call "God space." They also went through a process of restorative justice with the young man who committed the crime. That was unsuccessful, as he withdrew part way through. However, it helped a lot of people resolve their anger and grief as they went on with the planning.
I'd been in the new building before, on the Sunday they held their first worship service there. It wasn't complete, but usable. On Sunday, it was "finished." Just in time. It' a completely 'green' building, with great fire protection and exits marked. Everything is open and movable, and there are TV cameras everywhere, so that worship experiences can be complete. You can even watch the Children's time" when everyone sits on the floor at the front. They have a "Godly Play" room, where all the equipment for creative story telling is housed.
Worship was rich and contemporary. Two pianos (one a gorgeous full-sized grand) and an organ provided the music. Their choir is about twenty strong, most under 40 years old. Simple music, but powerfully done. The songs we sang were all rich and relatively contemporary, upbeat and singable. The scripture lessons were read by an elderly man, a twenty-year old student, and a ten year old boy. His reading of the gospel lesson was powerful, the "Word" coming to us in the voice of a child.
I so often reflect on the number of churches we build, each to its own denomination and congregation, with little sharing between church families. During the long period when First United was without a home, they worshipped in four different laces. First of all, in the Funeral Chapel - how appropriate! - then in the Seniors Centre, then in a Lutheran Church, which shared time and space with the United Church congregation, and then in the Seventh Day Adventist Church, who don't use their building on Sunday. The Churches of the community came together in a remarkable way to support this homeless family, in a manner that I have seldom seen.
It was interesting to observe how the congregation's theology developed and changed during the process of deciding how to build. From Sanctuary to God space; from closed space to open space; from denominational to communal. It was fascinating to see all the folk from the supporting congregations gather on Sunday to celebrate with the First united folk in their new home.
The minister of the congregation, Ruth Lumax, is a woman I have known since she was sixteen. She is a remarkable mixture of her father (voice and manner) and her mother (sensitivity and beautiful eyes). She has matured, deepened and broadened through this time, and has given them marvellous leadership through the whole process. I am proud to know her and to love her.
Many times, when I attend worship, I find the time slow and empty, devoid of passion or even the presence of the divine. Not so on Sunday. Early in the morning, I worshipped with an Anglican congregation locally, and through the ancient and dated liturgy, I found warmth and light. Then in the afternoon, the time in Wetaskiwin was filled with grace and with joy! The place was warm with love, everyone was welcomed and blessed. It was a remarkable experience. Although part of me thinks it is too bad that a congregation like first could not come together with another church to share a space permanently, I have to admit that the process of deciding and bringing into being s new home has been a time of growth and grace for these people. They know what it is to be homeless, and they are gracious in sharing their home.
My reading of O'Murchu's theology of pilgrimage home, has helped me understand evolution as God's way of working, and understanding patriarchy and hierarchy as the way of the past, as well as understanding that organized religion may be on the way out, having fulfilled it's purpose in the evolutionary process. Yet here is a church that is new, and while proud of their new home, are free of it in some new way that is hard to express.
It's been a good weekend to be a theologian, to have questions that are huge, to live with few answers, but to be content to be on the road with the divine, whatever you call divine.
For the last two and a half years, the folks of Wetaskiwin have mourned, planned, struggled and designed, in order to have a a house they call "God space." They also went through a process of restorative justice with the young man who committed the crime. That was unsuccessful, as he withdrew part way through. However, it helped a lot of people resolve their anger and grief as they went on with the planning.
I'd been in the new building before, on the Sunday they held their first worship service there. It wasn't complete, but usable. On Sunday, it was "finished." Just in time. It' a completely 'green' building, with great fire protection and exits marked. Everything is open and movable, and there are TV cameras everywhere, so that worship experiences can be complete. You can even watch the Children's time" when everyone sits on the floor at the front. They have a "Godly Play" room, where all the equipment for creative story telling is housed.
Worship was rich and contemporary. Two pianos (one a gorgeous full-sized grand) and an organ provided the music. Their choir is about twenty strong, most under 40 years old. Simple music, but powerfully done. The songs we sang were all rich and relatively contemporary, upbeat and singable. The scripture lessons were read by an elderly man, a twenty-year old student, and a ten year old boy. His reading of the gospel lesson was powerful, the "Word" coming to us in the voice of a child.
I so often reflect on the number of churches we build, each to its own denomination and congregation, with little sharing between church families. During the long period when First United was without a home, they worshipped in four different laces. First of all, in the Funeral Chapel - how appropriate! - then in the Seniors Centre, then in a Lutheran Church, which shared time and space with the United Church congregation, and then in the Seventh Day Adventist Church, who don't use their building on Sunday. The Churches of the community came together in a remarkable way to support this homeless family, in a manner that I have seldom seen.
It was interesting to observe how the congregation's theology developed and changed during the process of deciding how to build. From Sanctuary to God space; from closed space to open space; from denominational to communal. It was fascinating to see all the folk from the supporting congregations gather on Sunday to celebrate with the First united folk in their new home.
The minister of the congregation, Ruth Lumax, is a woman I have known since she was sixteen. She is a remarkable mixture of her father (voice and manner) and her mother (sensitivity and beautiful eyes). She has matured, deepened and broadened through this time, and has given them marvellous leadership through the whole process. I am proud to know her and to love her.
Many times, when I attend worship, I find the time slow and empty, devoid of passion or even the presence of the divine. Not so on Sunday. Early in the morning, I worshipped with an Anglican congregation locally, and through the ancient and dated liturgy, I found warmth and light. Then in the afternoon, the time in Wetaskiwin was filled with grace and with joy! The place was warm with love, everyone was welcomed and blessed. It was a remarkable experience. Although part of me thinks it is too bad that a congregation like first could not come together with another church to share a space permanently, I have to admit that the process of deciding and bringing into being s new home has been a time of growth and grace for these people. They know what it is to be homeless, and they are gracious in sharing their home.
My reading of O'Murchu's theology of pilgrimage home, has helped me understand evolution as God's way of working, and understanding patriarchy and hierarchy as the way of the past, as well as understanding that organized religion may be on the way out, having fulfilled it's purpose in the evolutionary process. Yet here is a church that is new, and while proud of their new home, are free of it in some new way that is hard to express.
It's been a good weekend to be a theologian, to have questions that are huge, to live with few answers, but to be content to be on the road with the divine, whatever you call divine.
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