In a recent interview with The Wittenberg Door, Rob Bell was asked how his church started (Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids, MI). His response follows:
"Seven years ago, a group of friends were just dreaming of something better. I guess the natural evolution of each generation is to explore what it means. How to live the way of Jesus here and now. So we started and it now feels like fifty years packed into seven. Mars Hill is an old mall. Our "architect"—I say that as a joke—says everything about the church should scream "Welcome to our church service! Now get the hell out of here." We say, "This isn't the church, this is a church service. It's just an hour where we have some teaching, some singing and you'll hear about things in the community." If there are 43 "one anothers" in the New Testament—serve one another, carry one another's burden's, confess to one another—you can only do a couple of those in a church service. Until you have a community that you are journeying with, please don't say you are a part of this church. You just come to a gathering. We are very intentional about that. The question is, "Who do you call when your brother ODs on cocaine? If your mom is in the hospital, who comes and sits in the waiting room with you? When you cannot pay your rent, who do you go to and say please help me out?" That's your church."
How does his response strike you? I'd really like to get some of your thoughts regarding this one, so fire away! I will respond to your thoughts!
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
What Do You Think?
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1 comment:
For me it's huge. It strikes to the heart of how I think and feel about church anymore. I really have become disenchanted with 'going to church' over the past few years. I go, and it's fine to hear some teaching (most messages are a rehash of things I have heard over my 40 plus years of 'going to church', nothing new under the sun) but what I have dreamed of for so long is belonging (again).
I had it once with a group of young men that I went to church with from about 20-23 years of age. If I needed something, was having a problem, just wanted someone to pour my heart out to, they were there. If I wanted to go fishing or just hang out, they were there, and vice versa. We were devoted to one another and devoted to God. (Mark, Terry, Drew, Mickey, Steve, Jerry: wherever you are, thanks)
I couldn't have expressed it this way then, as I was bound up by what I had been taught that church was, but that group of guys was the church to me. The other thing(Sunday/Sunday night, Wednesday) was teaching and singing and sitting in a room full of people, most of which I didn't even know.
That is not to say that 'going to church' didn't bring me anything, because it did. I needed the teaching, the verbal challenges. I don't think I would be where I am today without them. I think Teachers/preachers want/need to use their gift to teach and share truth, so the corporate gathering of believers is a good place for them to share truth and spark dialogue within the smaller elements/groups. But it is no substitute for the intimacy that we all long for with other people. I can't remember the last time I heard someone say that they longed to go to church. I have heard people say they can't wait to get together with their friends.
For me, I just want to be able to connect, share, belong, be encouraged and encourage others. I want to know I have someone to turn to when I can't seem to connect with my wife or children; someone who will pray with me and hold me accountable, encourage me with a word from God when I can't seem to hear Him either. Isn't that the 'love one another'?
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