Prep for Rev Steph's Visit!

This week the reading we were given, Ancient Faith, Future Mission: Fresh Expressions in the Sacramental Tradition, I was really quite interested in the scope we were given. (Also as an aside, I like to point out how many of our readings for this class have been, not "easy" reads, but not like staring at a brick waiting for it to open kind of reads. Granted I am pretty sure this is on purpose by the authors so they can reach a larger audience, but it really has been helpful to a newbie like myself in studying all these different approaches.)

Back to the reading, I focused primarily on the chapter dealing with The Crossing, both because it was called out, and also because I have attending their services. I purposefully did not read this before hand, as I wanted to be able to be open to receive the experience the best way I can. Keeping this in mind, the line, "What kind of church would be worth the trouble? One that compels us to follow Jesus with all that we are, body, mind, heart and soul" (145). To me, The Crossing does just that. I have been lucky enough to interact with their members outside of a service, and they truly take their one hour service, and use what they learn out into the world. I really appreciate when a group can facilitate this, The Crossing does not exist in a vacuum, but in downtown Boston, with all walks of life, and they ALL seem to be able to follow Jesus, right out the door into their community.

One last mention, feeding into taking Jesus out into the world, there was another line about the importance of "recognizing the sacred not just in all life, but in all of life" (151). Again, I am amazed at what should be a given in Christian communities needs to be articulated, but since The Crossing manages to do this, it also gives it weight. Many New England Christian churches have parishioners who come every Sunday, listen dutifully, and immediately forget everything as soon as they leave the church. Sometimes it doesn't even last that long, the barbs start flying during the coffee hour!

I mentioned it in my post on the immersion experience, but being in the presence of people who truly believe, and live, God's message is just so refreshing, and I was happy to see the feeling captured in the reading as well.