Just finished reading Shirkey. Was determined to read it to the end, because there was so much to learn. And, the end was the best part. Consider this (lengthy) quote on page 320-321: “I’m old enough to know a lot of things, just from life experience. I know that newspapers are where you get your political news and how you look for a job. I know that music comes from stores. I know that if you want to have a conversation with someone, you call them on the phone. I know that complicated things like software or encyclopedias have to be created by professionals. In the last fifteen years, I’ve had to unlearn every one of those things and a million others, because those things have stopped being true.” And then Shirkey adds: “Meanwhile, my students, many of whom are fifteen years younger than me, don’t have to unlearn the thousands of things I do, because they never had to learn them in the first place.” Clay says we are in a time of epic change. And I agree. So when I look at the church, I think of all the things I (we) have to unlearn. That “church” happens in a building. That gatherings are face-to-face. That everyone has (and reads) a Bible. That people care about our story. That hymns and organs and sermons are the means of communication. That the pastor is the main source of information and implementation. That large church matters most. So much to unlearn. And exciting things to learn, where, really, the internet-social media-God’s-Mysterious-way-sky is the limit.

Reading this book sparks many ideas about how things continue to change while we continue to hold on to old patterns.  I was wondering what we would write if we had a similar title for churches:  “The Tyranny of Dead Ideas, Letting Go of the Old Ways of Thinking to Unleash a New Church.”

What ideas about church are already dead, but haven’t received a proper burial?  In what ways are we holding on to something that not only doesn’t work, it also isn’t productive to the mission of loving God and loving God’s people, or making disciples for Jesus?

Of course there is the obvious:  Music styles (anybody seen an organ piece on the top hits list lately?). While preferred music is defined by generations, are we only speaking to one generation, or are we open to generate into the future?  But also there is the less obvious:  are we communicating through social media?  Are we spreading the message via Youtube and internet?  Are we creating communities outside of buildings that are empty?  Are we going to the world or expecting the world to come to our doorstep?  Or, what about the need for interactive worship today?  Do we ask our members to turn off their cell phones during worship, or do we encourage them to twitter during worship?  Do we have avenues for online offerings?

And that is just the “how” of things.  But what would we do different if we asked pertinent questions about the “where,” “when,” and “why” of our practices?

It is easy to live in dead ideas because we haven’t noticed they are dead.  And that is a sad affair.  We need to wake up to what lives today, and connect with the world we are placed in, and be enthused about learning new ways to bring the old gospel to a new group of young adults and children.  Otherwise, our main idea (Jesus is Lord…love God…love neighbor as self) will also die.

How about another title:  “The Freedom of Alive Ideas” by Your Church!

CrossRoads United Methodist Church filed a complaint in court…going through the process to right a wrong.

The weekend services were great.

Saturday worship was over before the rain began.  A first time volunteer, young woman, looked over the whole thing and teared up.  A regular volunteer is figuring out what to do with our flower garden. Steve brought his trash can art (see photos). Ralph is back outdoors again and hoping to find a spot to stay dry today.  The sermon was fantastic (thanks Tom!).

Sunday worship also great.  Worshippers gathering together to focus on the Stations of the Cross and to go deep with God. Margarita, our young artist, put up pictures of the first three stations and we walked those stations during communion (great art work, Margarita!).  Looked at what to do “When You are Unjustly Accused.”

The thing I love about weekends is that people gather and focus our thoughts on God and on God’s people…moving beyond our narrow views to see the wider view of life.  Refreshing…  Ready for the week now.

Last Thursday we lost the appeal to the Board of Adjustment of the City of Phoenix.  What that means is we are still defined as a “charity dining hall” when we have a worship service with breakfast for the poor and homeless of our neighborhood.  How audacious to have the City redefine a church based on their understanding (or not) of who we are!  It really blows my heart!

But, no worry.  We go on.  We take the next step.  Conferring with our attorneys will make that clear soon. Step by step.  Inch by inch.  Move the mountain by standing, walking, continuing, pushing, plodding….and especially hoping…hoping for a new day where the words of Isaiah 58 are lived out by all:

No, the kind of fasting I want calls you to free those who are wrongly imprisoned and to stop                     oppressing those who work for you.  Treat them fairly and give them what they earn.  I want you to               share your food with the hungry and to welcome poor wanderers into your homes.  Give clothes to those     who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.  If you do these things, your                 salvation will come like the dawn.  Yes, your healing will come quickly.  Your godliness will lead you             forward, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind.  Then when you call, the Lord will                 answer, ‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply.

Sounds like “church” to me!

The decision has been made that we are operating as a charity dining hall, and therefore are breaking zoning ordinance. So, to feed the hungry and poor on church property, according to this ruling, is not an allowed function of the church.

But the process is not over. We can appeal to the Board of Adjustment, and will be able to continue our ministry during this time.

However, there’s still a lot of questions to be answered. Questions like, How hungry? What about our potlucks? What about our Christmas dinner or Easter Sunrise breakfast? When I eat that, I am pretty hungry…is that allowed? What about the coffee and donuts we serve on Sunday mornings? Can we eat that if we are hungry? And then there is the other question, “How poor?” How poor do we have to be to be considered a “charity?” Federal-poverty-guidelines-poor? Not-able-to-make-the-house-payment-poor? Or, how about not-able-to-pay-off-the-credit-card-poor?

Or, are we just discriminating against people who are poor and who don’t have homes, because we don’t like what we feel when we see them? The real issue, is not that there are hungry people out there, or that we serve food in church, the real issue is that we are afraid. Afraid to reach out a helping hand; afraid to see what the economy could do to us; afraid to face our worst fears…

We can minister to the poor…that’s a given. We can hold a worship service for them out on the front lawn. We just can’t feed them. We can’t fill their bellies with warm food. …We might as well just go to the street corners and start handing out money, in hopes they will make their way to some food, because you are not allowed to do it at church!

And since, when we give food to the hungry and poor, that somehow redefines us as a “charity dining hall”…who among us can eat at church? Can we put a donut or a sip of coffee in our mouths when we can’t do the same for the poor? In good conscience, can we eat anything on church property if we can only give food to the well-off and wealthy?

And I haven’t even asked the other questions about our freedom of religion…our country’s decision to let religious folk be free to act out our faith…

Too many questions bog down my heart….

Oh, but one more question that was pointed out to me a few weeks ago…I wonder if Jesus had a permit to feed the 5000, or to break bread at the Upper Room, or to turn the water into wine at the wedding in Cana?

My, my, my! What have we come to? Where’s the love? Will you pray with me?

Rev. Dottie Escobedo-Frank

Pastor

CrossRoads United Methodist Church

I’ve been reading statistics about our neighborhood…and seeing the amazing diversity and rich fabric of all God’s creation that surrounds CrossRoads.  And I’ve been talking with pastors nearby and people in the neighborhood, and have been so awed by our shared difference.  I say “shared difference” because we are each other’s neighbors, and what happens to one happens to all.  We sometimes forget that, but today I am remembering…

So when a young girl asks for help, I remember what it was like to be young, while at the same time feeling my age…

And when an elderly gentleman explains his viewpoint, I hear his cry for the past, while continuing to seek out our common future.

And when an immigrant says, “I just want to work, Pastor,” I lift my head up and cry out to God for change so that he can work and feed his family…all the while I am humbled to be able to feed those I love.

We are so different.  But we belong to each other.  We are all neighbors, no matter our diverse-ness.  So when Jesus said “Love thy neighbor” I’m thinking he probably meant all of us.