Got Grace's photo drawn by a cartoonist at Valleyfair. Considering the guy had to work with a digital photo, he did it ok la.. Just can't wait to be part of 'welcome back' party at Bethlehem Baptist next week, as John Piper will be flying back from UK on Tuesday. Oh boy, Oh boy!Continuing my pilgrimage in the 'land of the free and home of the brave', I decided to visit a Vineyard/Emergent church called "BLUER" on Saturday nite. (bluer than true blue?) They were interviewed by Nightline before, and one of the first churches to have podcast of their sermons online.
Pastored by Ps John Musick, Bluer is (according to the official site) a church with a desire to help this generation experience God in a difficult and confusing life, to connect with God and other sojourners.
The church should not be a destination, but a vehicle for people to experience God in Community, in Worship, in Teaching, in Prayer and in serving one another
Sounds great to me! So this lone Asian finds his way to an 'underground' church, literally at the basement of a Baptist church. There's a heatwave going on in US, it sure feels hot like home here! The boiler at the back is not helping... so not many people turned up...
But the brothers and sisters here are warm and friendly, we chatted about the church/faith/geography; the pastor sat down and asked me about life in Malaysia...
So how does it feel like in a Vineyard church? An Emerging Vineyard at that?
I pick up some Vineyard distinctives - the more laidback atmosphere, careful not to 'over-spiritualise' things, being supernaturally natural and naturally supernatural kinda idea, the worship leader also 'doubles' as a guitar player, and sounds like Matt Redman, exercise spiritual gifts, and eating together after passionate singing etcOn the emerging side, the furniture looks like a dimly-lit pub, a mosaic picture of Jesus made of 'puzzle' pieces, a prayer request corner lit by candles, works of arts by church members on the walls, a communion table with offering basket at the back where anybody could walk up and partake (maybe the idea is you dun need the pastor to administer the bread/wine, very 'egalitarian'?), community-emphasis, sang U2 "Where The Street Has No Name"
I wanna run
I want to hide
I wanna tear down the walls
That hold me inside
I wanna reach out
And touch the flame
Where the streets have no name
You could tell that the heat is getting to us though, though the music was great and all, the 'flow' was just not there. In charismatic parlance, no 'anointing'(?) as the motley turnout seem tired and looked more like a concert. I felt the most uplifting song was a modified "All Creatures of our god and king" (St Francis asisi)
It's OK, really, I know of times when even the best music team is so 'into' the flow and doing everything right but the congregation somehow doesn't 'flow' along. It happens...
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