Symbiosis

What started years ago as a blog for a new church plant has, over time, become my personal blog, while the church has grown into its own website. As this blog has become mine, there’s been less reason for its place on the church site. And so, it’s time for me to move out. Thanks so much for following my musings, and for making the jump to the new site! I think you’ll find it a great improvement. Make sure to update your feeds, because no new posts will appear on this site. Here’s the link.

The New Symbiosis

Please pray for Tapestry church planter Jason Wilks and his family in Medicine Hat. Their son went to hospital today, and has quit breathing several times.

Calgary has a new Device to Root Out Evil. Apparently all the evil had been rooted out of Vancouver, and they no longer needed this artifact, and so it’s come to us. Does this make us the second most evil city in Canada, or is it working its way up from easiest to hardest? Surely it is the latter, because we’re obviously better than Toronto.

A controversial sculpture rejected by the City of Vancouver has a new home in a Calgary inner-city community that’s in the process of being transformed from an industrial site into a mixed-use neighbourhood.

Device to Root Out Evil, a work in steel, aluminum and glass by New York artist Dennis Oppenheim, looks like an upside-down New England church with its steeple planted in the ground. From CBC | Inverted church finds a home in Calgary

It was ousted from Vancouver because some felt it was offensive or blasphemous. Turning symbols upside down, whether crosses or flags, has often been done as a sign of contempt, and some have apparently viewed this piece as a commentary on the futility of the church’s efforts to perform this daunting task. Also, it makes a rather interesting use of the pointiest part of the church building. I haven’t been to see it, yet, but for the now I’m glad to have it in our city. Here’s why.

1. By turning the church upside down, it becomes active. A right-side-up church might be seen as a fortress: a bastion against the onslaught of the world’s evil. An upside down church is no such thing; rather it becomes a device to root out evil.
2. Mission comes with a price. The church that shapes itself first and foremost around mission will pay that price, and often that price is the disintegration of establishment positions of cultural privilege: a consequent clearly illustrated here.
3. God has been working His will in the church by turning it on its head ever since Saul of Tarsus persecuted the first Christians out of Jerusalem. This flies in the face of staid and sensible Christianity, and rejects the institutionalism to which it clings. So does Revelation 1-3.
4. Have the church’s efforts been futile? Yes and no. If you’re looking for us to usher in the kingdom gradually and progressively via hard work and activism to engender social change, then we’ve not done so well, because the world’s not all that much better. If, however, you see all our hard work, prayers, and sacrifice as a part of the future Kingdom that will one day break in on the world, then we’ve better success to report.
5. Let’s face it: it is an original and creative use of the pointiest part of the church building. You’ve got to like that.

Anyone care to make a pilgrimage with me? It’s bound to be more enlightening than the auto-toilet was, even if the video we bring back lacks music and automation.

I’m at clubs week today, gettin’ the word out on TT@TP. Free candy and free muffins have our table hoppin’. We’re hoping that an early morning, more muffins, and a couple pots of Tim’s will help us connect with the breakfast crowd tomorrow.

Today starts welcome week at the U of C. Thanks to Christina’s artistry, the whole group’s creativity, and no thanks at all to Jef and I, who were in the back sniffing glue, the banner is ready to go, and we should have a great time at clubs week starting today. If you’re anywhere on campus 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, make sure to swing by Mac Hall, tell us hi, snag some info, and pick up a free snack. TT@TP will meet at the table, and no Friday Bible study this week. Starting next week we’ll have TheThing@ThePlace every Monday at 3:00 pm, we’ll be volunteering together on campus, and Bible study every Friday at 10:00 am, among other things.

See all my photos from the U on Flickr

Original artwork, creative interaction, Sigur Rós playing in the background, and devoted disciples reflecting on the sacrifice of Jesus. Today’s stations of the cross were really good, and our communion meal was as much fun as it’s ever been. What a great day to throw open the back door and make the patio a part of the living room, or, for awhile, the Garden of Gethsemane.

I must admit that it’s a bit disconcerting, as a pastor, to find that everyone’s favorite Sunday was the one when you were out watching the kids. Hmmm . . . Actually, it’s thrilling. How can it be anything else to find that the effort of sustained meditation on the work of God in Christ produces an amazing encounter, and a deeply moving morning of worship? If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me (Jeremiah 29:13).

Fall is in the air, and I am the most passionate of autumnophiles. Long may it last. For those who share my passion, a poem.

Leaves Compared with Flowers

A tree’s leaves may be ever so good,

So may its bark, so may its wood;

But unless you put the right thing to its root

It never will show much flower or fruit.

But I may be one who does not care

Ever to have tree bloom or bear.

Leaves for smooth and bark for rough,

Leaves and bark may be tree enough.

Some giant trees have bloom so small

They might as well have none at all.

Late in life I have come on fern.

Now lichens are due to have their turn.

I bade men tell me which in brief,

Which is fairer, flower or leaf.

They did not have the wit to say,

Leaves by night and flowers by day.

Leaves and bark, leaves and bark,

To lean against and hear in the dark.

Petals I may have once pursued.

Leaves are all my darker mood.

-Robert Frost

It’s never easy to say goodbye, but I want to wish a fond farewell to the Adams, and to Kyla, who have been a part of our church since we first started. They all put in a lot of hard work and made real sacrifices over the years. We’re a small crew, and pretty tight, so we feel the loss when people aren’t here, just as we feel the weight of their presence when they are. We will miss having them all as a part of our church. Nevertheless, we, as a church, were able to affirm their leaving last Sunday. For various reasons, the timing was right, and we see God’s hand in their departing. May they be blessed, and be a blessing, wherever God takes them.

Lots of changes going on here, with us getting ready to enter into a two month time of dreaming and preparing for the future. It’s an exciting time, to think about what could be, and wonder just what God has in store for us next. Who knows what we’ll be doing, and how we’ll be doing it, by year’s end? One thing’s for sure: we’ll be right here, trying our best to live out the way of Jesus in the Ridge.

I’m just setting up for tomorrow’s stations of the cross, and looking forward to a creative and meditative morning of prayer, and a communion meal with fellow disciples. Dave has lent us his original artwork for the morning. These pieces will form the scaffolding around which we will create tomorrow.

I went out to the seminary in Cochrane today for a church fair to promote the coolness that is Tapestry. With Kelly and Steve there, I didn’t actually have to do much promoting, which was nice, as it left me time to hang with the church starting prof, reconnect with old friends, and drink tea and talk books with Elaine. This was probably for the best, since Steve and Kelly are both much nicer faces than mine to present as the face of Tapestry.