52 :: Where Two Were Gathered

 

In the spirit of "...where two or three are gathered," this post describes a unique experience where Beth and I felt called to take communion together. As we are wont to do, Beth and I had one of our lengthy discussions (they generally last four to five hours) during which we explored the meaning of communion. 

We pondered this question - does the commission to take the communion elements tell us that we must do so only in a church? It's actually a bigger question than one may think! People have strong opinions on this. Here is a [link] to some of the online discussions on this subject.

We settled on this being something that people are called to do in whatever setting they find themselves, with the sole prerequisite being a commitment to the gravity of the sacrament, as well as a dedicated relationship to Yeshua.

As we approached the act of preparing the elements, I said, "I am glad we are doing this. I don't see that there is a Biblical mandate for only doing this in a church."

"That stuff is all just the patriarchy," Beth replied.

We laughed.

As we sat down with our quinoa toast and red wine, she read Mark 14:22-24 [link]:

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to His disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.” Then He took a cup, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” He said to them.

We prayed afterward.

This is part of what we felt called to do as we prepare to join each other in life.

Neither of us have ever done this before, but we felt that this was right for us tonight.

We have been enjoying a new song in recent days, produced between Maverick City Music and Elevation Worship. It was released a few days ago. It shows the level of celebration that we feel when we have a chance to partake in communion. 

Watch the whole thing, it's deeply impactful and very uplifting.

The song asks many questions and it also makes some declarations. In the last four minutes, there are lyrics which contain two ideas that are very dear to Christians. 

"If He clothes the lily in beauty and splendor, how much more will He hold you?"

"If He watches over every sparrow, how much more will He love you?"

These are indeed the question that each person must wrestle with in life.

We took communion in the midst of Holy Week 2021. Tomorrow is Maundy Thursday, followed by Good Friday, then Resurrection Sunday, a.k.a. Easter. 

We look forward to breaking bread (eating the Body) and imbibing wine (drinking the Blood) in the future, both inside and outside of a church. 

All it takes is two or three...

51 :: Providence United Methodist Church

This morning we worshipped at Providence United Methodist Church. This is the second time I have worshipped along this corridor of immense and beautiful churches that line lower Providence Road. We have made few visits to these churches because they have been closed for the last year and are opening cautiously only now.

The United Methodist Church was Beth's denomination of origin, in which she was raised from birth through early adulthood.

This picture gives a glimpse of the scale of Providence United Methodist Church:

Today is Palm Sunday and we thought it was the right time to visit a mainline, liturgical church. We did so after attending the early service at Freedom House. 

Quite a contrast!

We zipped down Providence Road from South End on this overcast morning and got to the church just in time to sit down for the organ music.

It has been a long time since I have heard organ music.

The service was highly structured and followed a bulletin.

It has been a long time since I have attended a church with this type of bulletin.

There were two solo musical performances, one a black spiritual named Ride On, King Jesus and the other was the haunting hymn Wondrous Love.

It has been a long time since I attended church with such solos.

The service was abbreviated in duration, as they did not have a sermon and instead did a lengthy reading from Mark 14:1 - 15:47 [link]. All four pastors participated in the reading.

This service at PUMC was an excellent example of High Church, a category of worship that is majestic in approach, structured in methodology, and with a classical orientation in terms of music. High Church is how I have spent virtually all of my church life until the last year. 

Experiencing it again this morning generated a fair amount of thought.

First, a note on who these Methodists are. Methodism was founded in the United Kingdom in the early 18th century by a small group of theologians headed by a man named John Wesley. The denomination is large in the US, with more than seven million members.

A note about the United Methodist Church - it is going through a schism. Very recently, in fact. In recent weeks, conservatives in the denomination have announced their intent to split from the United Methodist Church over the question of same-sex marriage. Here is a [link] with more information.

On the other end of the theological spectrum, there is a movement within Methodism named the Liberation Methodist Connexion [link], a liberation theology-based movement that declares that "...we are journeying toward a new way of being followers of Christ that refute the imbalance of powers, principalities, and privileges that has plagued Methodism: colonialism, white supremacy, economic injustices, patriarchy, sexism, clericalism, ableism, ageism, transphobia, and heteronormativity. We trust God’s presence and our collaborative labors will guide us toward a new, more liberative way of answering our calling and being in connexion together… LMX theology is not written in stone because our human understanding continues to evolve as we deepen our personal and collective understandings of God. We have been expanding our methodist theological heritage with various expressions of Liberation theologies, theories, and praxis."

Yes, the United Methodist Church represents a spectrum of theologies so broad as to no longer merit unity. When some people oppose same sex marriage and other people oppose "heteronormativity," there remains no further grounds for common worship.

And I support that fully.

Denominationalism may very well be a largely dying paradigm, and I feel that this is almost certainly a good idea that they now devolve. The world is one in which worldviews seem to be proliferating at breakneck speed. Societies are changing rapidly and there are fewer things holding us together across ideological divides. That these major societal changes would assert themselves within Christian denominations is expected. As this happens, unity is falling by the wayside.

PUMC seems that it would qualify as a church with a higher degree of conservatism within the budding schism that is dividing Methodism. 

In addition to the branching of theology within the denomination, there is also a change in the format of the worship style. PUMC has created a worship style named The Net, evoking Matthew 4:9 and Mark 1:17 when Yeshua told his followers that they would become "fishers of men." Here is an embedded video of this new worship event that PUMC hosts:

They seem to have got the right approach for this format of music and worship style. Not having experienced it directly, I cannot say what the experience is like. But I applaud them for making an effort to turn the page on the High Church format. Despite its undeniable beauty, it is antiquated at this point. 

What about the worship itself?

Beth made the most relevant point about the worship style. There is something to be said for sitting in a quiet setting and waiting for the Spirit. There is something to be said for having a chance to meditate in silence on the Scripture that has been read. She felt a deep sense of placidity during today's service, in large part because there was not a huge amount of sensory input. 

She is an introvert and can thrive in quiet places of solitude.

I am an extrovert and can thrive when there is blaring praise music and massive sensory input.

Of note is that we had just worshipped at Freedom House and jammed out to the great band as the Spirit washed wildly over the crowd. The contrast between the two services was interesting and provided fodder for pondering the nature of worship.

I asked Beth what she would do if she had to choose between the two worship styles (contemporary & charismatic versus traditional High Church) if she knew that she would never experience the other style again. 

She smiled and said, "Yeah, I think you know the answer to that. I don't even need to say, do I?"

No, darling, you don't need to say it.

As more people drift away from denominationalism and High Church, something will certainly be lost. There is definitely something that is sacred and special and intellectually gratifying in that format. With that said, it is not drawing younger people to the Body of Christ in compelling numbers. This truth, combined with the seemingly never-ending squabbling that seems to be inherent in denominationalism, reinforces that change is very much needed.

That PUMC is leaning into some of these changes is a hopeful thing. May they keep going boldly down this road of evolution.

Thanks to PUMC for a placid and pensive Palm Sunday experience.

50 :: Citizens Church

 

I am halfway through the one hundred churches! This has proven to be such an amazing journey, I am extremely excited for the second half that lies ahead.

This evening, we worshipped at a church plant in East Charlotte, on The Plaza. This was Citizens Church, a plant connected to three parent churches in Columbia, SC. This congregation is currently in a space at the Great Commission Center on The Plaza, which is affiliated with the Metrolina Baptist Association. This church is deeply traditional in its layout, which contrasts with so many of the spaces that we have visited thus far.

Some pictures:

Clearly a beautiful structure. This congregation was youthful, diverse and very Baptist. It is one of the many churches in the Southern Baptist Convention that is undergoing a re-invention of style and format, while maintaining the distinct elements of Baptist theology. 

It was really interesting to see yet another one of these churches undergoing this transformation, especially one that is in a church plant phase.

The band that played was good. They are in an initial state and will need to grow over time. An acoustic guitar, backup singer and a keyboard comprised the music offering, with the obligatory lyrics cast on the screen overhead. The songs were very solid and well-performed. This is almost exactly the format and style I have seen at the PCA churches that I have visited - Hope Community, Christ Covenant and Uptown Church.

Here's some of that:

The sermon that followed the music was the highlight of the experience. Multiple times during the sermon, I pivoted over to Beth and whispered something like, "Wow. This guy is really solid." To this, she whispered in reply multiple times with something like, "He's really, really good."

His name is Tim Olson, you can see him on the leadership page for Citizens Church [link]. He is a young guy, he mentioned during his sermon that he and his wife have a one-year-old baby. I'll go so far as to say about Tim that he may have been the most engaging speaker I have seen during this experience. He is certainly among the top five. He was GREAT! 

What made his sermon so fantastic was rooted in well-delivered content... but there were also stylistic things that contributed to the excellence of the sermon.

Tim was extremely enthusiastic in what he was saying. His body language was emphatic, and he moved around the stage a great deal. When he would make a profound point, he would stick his hands in his pant pockets. And everything he said was filled with deep emotion and belief. The combination of all of these unique factors added up to an exceptionally interesting and effective message.

They also had really robust hand outs that gave the attendees more information on the Book of Ephesians, as well as some context around the history that goes along with it.

These videos capture a bit of what made Tim's message an exceptional one.

Tim unpackaged the first chapter of Ephesians, digging deeply into the rich content of this epistle's important lead-in. He summarized this chapter into eight points.

They are:

1. You are chosen by the Father.
2. You are holy and blameless before God.
3. We are adopted as sons.
4. We are redeemed by the Son.
5. We are forgiven of our sins.
6. We are part of God's redemptive plans for the whole world.
7. We are heirs to a forever Kingdom.
8. We are sealed by the Holy Spirit.

Each of these points were elaborated on deeply. One point that showed up in Beth's notes on the sermon was - True forgiveness always comes at a cost to the one forgiving.

Another profound point Tim made related to a conversation he had with a friend years earlier, during which his friend said, "If you could lose your salvation, you definitely would." I laughed out loud at this point.

Then his friend reminded him of the most important point of all - "But you can't. Tim, we can't lose our salvation. That is not how it works."

Excellent points to ponder. Plus, we got to share communion, something I love doing, especially with Beth.

After the sermon, the band knocked out a few extra tunes. I noticed that the congregation was warmed up at this point. More hands were raised up than before. There was more movement in the people. The place had something different in it now.

Yup.

That was the Holy Spirit. It was now settled on this new congregation that is currently in its budding phase in Charlotte.

I believe this church will flourish and grow. It also looks like it will do so in a part of town that needs a healthy church that can serve that young and multi-racial, multi-ethnic part of our city. Citizens Church is clearly positioned to be a vibrant and healthy church in Plaza Midwood.

This was an excellent experience overall, I have only good things to say about this place. Plus, we got really awesome mugs! And who doesn't love that?

I will be watching this congregation as it grows. I see a bright future for this youthful, interesting and vital congregation headed up by an exceptionally talented pastor.

All the best, Citizens Church - Keep going!

49 :: Overflow South End at Pritchard

Tonight, we worshiped at Overflow, a contemporary gathering at Pritchard Memorial Baptist Church. Beth and I were returning from a few days of vacation in the beautiful Highlands area in western North Carolina. We decided to stop off for some worship. We had seen the sign for Overflow earlier in the week and were intrigued.

By way of background, Pritchard Memorial Baptist Church is in the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, it's one of seven in Charlotte. It is located in South End, one of the city's young and hip areas that has undergone a dramatic wave of gentrification in recent years. South End has transformed from a tired section of the city filled with old cotton warehouses into a place with vibrant pubs, restaurants and a seemingly endless sea of new apartments. Because of its location in South End, as well as the format re-invention that many churches are undergoing, this congregation at Pritchard is also changing. Prichard Memorial Baptist Church has become "Pritchard South End." In their worship services, they have included a Saturday night event called Overflow. 

Overflow is what we attended.

The Overflow gathering was in the gym. There was a really good band up front, bathed by the expected purple accent lights. In advance of the formal start of Overflow, the band jammed in a free-form fashion, flowing out praise songs. They were really good! Their singer, Kaley Thompson, was exceptional. She clearly carries a heavy anointing. She was a pleasure to watch and listen to. Between the songs, she interspersed observations about why we were gathered, and her excitement for the fact we were going to take communion was infectious. If you link to the Overflow webpage [link], there is a video interview with Kaley.

Simply great.

The Reverend Kristen Tucker appeared on the screen during the announcements section. She then came to the stage and gave a great message. You can see her on the church's staff page [link]. 

The sermon focused on a multiple themes, two of which stood out for me. The first was the pre-figuration of the Cross and its salvation in the time of Exodus while the Hebrews were enslaved in Egypt. The second was when Mary of Bethany broke an alabaster box and anointed Yeshua with precious and expensive oil.

On the first theme, Rev. Tucker reflected on how the spilled blood of the Cross was a sacrificial event in which the Lamb of God offered an atoning sacrifice to God and as God. This great mystery saves its adherents from death. This reality was pre-figured in the Exodus story. In Exodus, the Hebrews sacrificed lambs to God and then marked the lambs' blood on their doors. When the Angel of Death marauded through Egypt, killing the firstborn of the Egyptian families, it passed over the homes that had the blood on their doors.

Thematically, these are the same story. The same idea is signified and depicted consistently in both Old and New Testament. Death passes us due to the presence of sacrificial Lamb's blood. Each Christian believer is promised their own personal Passover, in the fullness of time. 

I have always loved hearing about this. Rev. Tucker depicted it in a compelling way, she is very solid in her delivery style.

Then, we explored Matthew 26:6-10. In these verses, Mary of Bethany takes a very expensive perfume and anoints Yeshua corporeally with it. 

While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.” Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me.

Mary anointed Yeshua on His head, then proceeded to do so across his body. She even let her hair down and used it to spread the oil on His feet. For the ancient Hebrew world, this was an act of great intimacy.

The anointing signifies many things, chief among them the reality that He was soon to be anointed with embalming elements, after He had submitted Himself to death on a Cross. Once again, this was a pre-figuration of what was to come. In this case, Mary's act of anointing Yeshua happened only a few days before the real thing that it depicted. Death was close to Yeshua when she anointed him with the oil.

Rev. Tucker's message led us to reflecting on the importance of communion, in which we participate in the flesh and blood of the ultimate Sacrificial Lamb, and are reminded of what He did for us.

We took communion.

The last thing that Rev. Tucker did was told a quick history of the church. Founded in 1901, Pritchard Church has been growing and evolving on their plot of land in South End. In 1981, one of their sanctuaries burned down in a fire. After that fire, one of the members took the door from the building and made a table from it. That table sits in the room that the staff now meets in. 

To Rev. Tucker, the door signifies the resilience of Pritchard Church, but also its openness. She stated that when she was interviewing for her position at Pritchard, she told the board that she wanted them to think of this door as a signifier of the openness of the church. The door represented an openness that exists for anyone and everyone who is seeking New Life.

Inspiring!

Her delivery style was capable and engaging. I reflected afterward how few female pastors I have seen as part of this journey. I was glad to receive this well delivered and powerful message from Reverend Kristen Tucker.

After the message, the band got back on stage and performed a few last songs. Beth knew them, I did not. At least one was from Hillsong, perhaps both were. Really beautiful music.

Upon departing, I reflected on a few things.

First, where church is on - where people are gathering in person and worshiping together - it is virtually always on fire these days. There is a qualitative difference between those churches that are open and those that have been shuttered and online for the last year. Pritchard's band and message showed us that fire.

Secondly, I am completely convinced that what we think of as church needs to transform. Organ music, Victorian-era hymns and coat & tie culture are simply not going to carry the church into the future. There is an aesthetic that is changing in society and the Body of Christ must continue to evolve in kind. 

A band playing contemporary music in a gymnasium is one way that the church can evolve to be more like the culture around it, while maintaining the fundamental difference between the World and the Church that reflects our reason for existing. This World is our location, but it is not our home.

Finally, I reflected on Pritchard Church in particular. As is the case with so many churches I am encountering on this journey, I have been aware of Pritchard for many years, but never been there. I have always had a clear sense that this is a very healthy and tightly knit community. Based on what I saw at Overflow, I am convinced that they are evolving in a way that ensures the gospel is fresh, evident and accessible in South End. It makes me happy to see such an evolution.

Pritchard is moving in all of the right directions. May it continue long into the future.

48 :: Christ Lutheran Church, Providence

Today I worshipped briefly at Christ Lutheran Church in South Charlotte. As previously mentioned, there is a corridor of massive, beautiful mainline churches along Providence Road in South Charlotte. Most are closed, as well. Christ Lutheran is open! For noon communion every Wednesday during Lent, they are hosting a series of sermons, as well.

I joined.

By way of background, the Child Center at this massive ELCA church is where Mariel Charlotte attends daycare. So, I have an "inside connection" to this community through this one:

I have seen this church from the road for decades but never been inside of it (a bit of a theme on this blog). Consistent with what I expected, this is a church with a significant wow factor in terms of scale. From the time I pulled in until the time I was seated, big was everywhere. Of note, this is one of three physical campuses that Christ Lutheran has in the Charlotte area.

I believe Calvary Church here in town remains the single largest church that I have visited, but this felt awfully close. It is a structure intended to impress. It is also tastefully designed and decorated, without a doubt.

As a Wednesday afternoon, Lenten communion service during Covid, the assembled faithful were in modest numbers. There were perhaps fifty of us in the cavernous sanctuary. An unknown group of people were watching from cyberspace as multiple television cameras live-streamed the service. These cameras can be seen on the video embedded above. These camera also ensure that the church's YouTube channel will stay well-fortified.

The sermon started shortly after I sat down. It was delivered by the very capable Melody Simpkins [link].

Luke 10:38-41 was the focal point of the message. It reads as such:

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Despite its obvious brevity, there's a great deal in these few verses. 

The idea expounded on in the sermon was that both women can be seen as archetypes of the two imperatives that exist in every Christian life... as well as the tension that results from our need to do both. 

Martha is the depiction of Christian faith in works, as she prepares a meal. Christians building communities. Expanding the flock by spreading the Gospel. Creating families. Fighting injustice. Speaking truth to power. Working, fighting, striving, improving, healing, consoling, worshipping.

Faith in Action. 

Mary is the picture of Christian spiritual inner-life, sitting at Yeshua's feet. Contemplative and peaceful. But we could also suppose that Mary also may have been invigorated toward brief moments of spiritual ecstasy. Other moments may have been filled with release from trauma, breaking of deep inner bondages and patterns. Self-introspection of the highest order may also have been her experience. All things are promised in a Christian life. 

Faith at Rest. 

Melody exhorted the attendees to keep these two imperatives in balance to achieve the most meaningful Christian life of all.

Good sentiment, and well-delivered.

The section that followed was musical. It included a picture of Yeshua, Martha and Mary during a specific verse about the contribution of women within our faith.

Eventually, communion was served. From my times at the other Lutheran churches I have visited during this experience, there are some border skirmishes within Lutheranism on who exactly can and cannot take communion in their churches. While the ELCA may not feel as the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod or the Evangelical Wisconsin Lutheran Synod churches do, I decided to sit it out.

I enjoyed seeing my brothers and sisters in Christ eating the sacred elements.

And then I departed.

Brief, interesting, thoughtful sermon... all in a beautiful sanctuary. And a Lenten investment that will surely pay ongoing dividends.