The Lord's Supper...the remix.

I once asked my professor, Charles Ringma, what a group of friends could do in order to start becoming a Christian community. He said, "take the Lord's Supper together." That's what we did last Saturday.

There were four of us sitting around a table. We had loaf of bread and bottle of wine in the middle. We decided to read the passage from 1 Corinthians and before we partook of the bread, Dave raised it up and gave thanks for the body of Christ. In the same way, I lifted the bottle of wine and gave thanks for the blood that was shed. We then took turns tearing pieces of the bread and drinking the wine.

What happened that night was nothing short of marvelous. I personally, had never encountered communion in that way. Unlike the small flake and the shot glass of grape juice done once a month at church, this was an abundant meal with no shortage. I could partake as much as I wanted to. This reminded me that Christ is abundantly available for us. And as I ate more of the bread and wine I was mysteriously bonded to Christ. His suffering, my forgiveness, and the hope I have in him became more tangible through each bite and sip. The physical became the spiritual.

We naturally started sharing about what the cup and the bread meant to us. While some of us had developed a theology through the years that one needed to be "right" with God before taking communion, our dialogue led back to the abundant grace of God and the security of being His children. We agreed that the partaking of the body was perhaps for all of us. After all, who would need Christ more, the sick or the well? Some of us shared that we had never been sure if we were ever "right" with God and that our brokenness required us to be in a continual process of restoration.

The elements then became a point for fellowship. During the week I wanted to share a song with them so I busted out the guitar and started singing "Faithful Father." Dave knew the song and started singing harmony! It was great! That sealed the deal. It was the most meaningful Lord's Supper I ever had during my twenty plus years of being a Christian. I loved the participatory nature and the time we gave for sharing, fellowship, and reflection upon Christ's death and resurrection. I think it's safe to say that all of us will never see the Lord's Supper in the same way again.

To forgiveness...to grace...to hope...to life...to Christ...cheers!

The vulnerable man

The title of this entry is taken from one of my favorite songs from the new Alanis Morissette album. The words "vulnerable" and "man" rarely go together. We're supposed to be macho, closed-off, and mysterious. We're not supposed to open our inner-selves allowing others to see our softer side. Earlier tonight the vulnerability from two of my closest friends was in full-force and it was a thing of beauty. To me, it was ultimate connectedness as we listened to each other's stories of brokenness and past pains. It brought us to a deeper understanding of what it means to be a bit more fully human as we practiced compassion and entered into each other's suffering.

This made me realize that I am not alone. Through common experiences and solidarity, I have brothers to journey with me. We all realized that the journey would be challenging and the path to wholeness would be an uphill climb. So we naturally posed the question of whether we could ever get rid of some of our dysfunctions. Reluctantly we agreed that it was unlikely, that we would have to constantly grind the axe and keep churning the wheel of character development, while maintaining hope for a better future. It's a tension and it is one of many that mark our Christian journey.

It's All Business

I decided to start a group among business owners and entrepreneurs in our church. I started it for two reasons: 1. As I begin the process of taking the cafe from concept to reality, I needed encouragement and support, 2. I began to see the potential for businesses to make a positive impact in their communities. "Integration" has been my word for the last couple months. So the natural question was how can we integrate faith with everything else we do, including business?

As all first meetings go, one is never sure what to expect. I started with the meeting with a basic overview of why I needed them and how we could encourage and care for one another. With those broad ideas I came in with the same mindset as our Saturday community: expect the group to participate so that ideas and goals naturally emerge. After all, if I impose my own agenda then it becomes harder for the group to own the concept. It was great! Maricar, owner of a flight agency and talent agency, suggested we reach out to the community, the poor in particular. Though we have challenges of our own, she reminded us that we had been blessed and that it's time to bless others who are less fortunate. We all agreed. Piel, her husband, mentioned that he wanted to invite his other entrepreneur friends to join but may be turned off by something preachy. He said, "Let's focus on developing relationships first." Awesome! I was all for that. Francis of Assisi said it best: "Preach the gospel at all times, and when necessary use words." Preaching and teaching are important, but caring for one another and loving each other penetrate deeper than words ever can. It's the gospel in action.

Confession: I like the old model

I had a vision where the Body of Christ would be redefined. Words like organic, emergent, and participatory were thrown around serving as guiding principles. We decided to throw out the highly program-driven, pastor-centered model of the institutional church that created radical followership in hopes that we could inspire people to participate and truly become a vital part of the living Body of Christ.

What I realized after the past few meetings was that I want the old model. To be honest, I like the program-driven church because it's predictable and controlled. But in a deeper sense I like it because I am prideful and yearn to say (or report) we have actually done something. It's easy to quantify bible studies, songs, and prayers. It sounds impressive and looks good in pictures. It's harder to measure deepened relationships and the care we develop for one another. It's easier to tell people solutions to their problems. It's a bit harder to journey alongside them in empathy and compassion.

Then I woke up in the middle of the night and sensed God telling me something: "Focus on loving people and allow the Holy Spirit to shape your group." I felt so much comfort after hearing that. It's not for me to shape. It puts me in my place and defines my role. It gives me freedom.