An Interesting Anniversary

So yesterday, Tuesday 1 September, we finished going through Brother Yun's book: Living Water.

It was a good study. Very thought provoking. And very challenging.

And very long. It took almost eight months to finish at about a chapter a week.

And we finished on 1 September which was the anniversary of Marie Monson setting foot in China in 1901.

Marie was a Lutheran missionary to China who often challenged the leaders of the Chinese church on their faith. She challenged them to repent and have more than head knowledge. They were to have heart knowledge of the Holy Spirit. And they were personally responsible before God for their own inner spiritual life.

Marie showed up in China one year after the Boxer Rebellion where over 150 missionaries and thousands of Chinese converts were killed. She stepped out boldly.

In faith.

When she arrived in China, the church was weak and there were few Christians. Today, millions of Chinese Christians hold her in high regard for they consider themselves her spiritual decedents.

And today we are challenged to step out boldly.

In faith.

Not in comfort.

In faith.

Not in security.

In faith.

It may not be to go to a foreign country to live for 31 years. It might be to just go next door and start building a relationship with our neighbors.

It might be to stand up in our congregation for what we know is right.

It might be to put our agenda on hold to help some stranger in need.

It might be to not give in to pressure at work to "fudge" the numbers a little and to take the consequences.

It might mean having to leave the church that you have been comfortably attending for years to go where you see God working and join them there.

It is to not live in fear of what others may think about us. But to live secure in the knowledge that we are doing what God wants us to do and we are where he wants us to be.

To live in faith and step out boldly is to live the Great Adventure, the only adventure that truly matters for time and for eternity.

And that is scary indeed. For we look about us and see what we have and then we want to hold on to it.

And the unknown can be pretty fear inducing. But if we believe that Christ died on the cross for our sins, we know how the story ends.

And let me never forget that...

Reimagining Church

I just finished the book Reimagining Church by Frank Viola (no, not that Frank Viola for you fellow Twins fans). It might seem like it took a while (because it did) to those of you who have been following this. But I have been ready several other books at the same time.

Frank's central premise is that we need to move to a more organic church than the current model of the organized hierarchical pastor based model that currently exists throughout the United States. I couldn't agree more. Think of organic church as a house church.

But I am struggling with the radical solutions proposed by Frank.

Two things. One is that I fear the kind of intimacy that an organic church calls for from its members. Part of that is my Norwegian Lutheran stoic reserved heritage. Not that it is a bad thing, it is just a part of who I am.

The other thing, is that making the move to an organic church is a totally radical step. I have been steeped in the culture of being a "member" of a church. Of being a part of an organization. Of having "worship" planned out. Of having a liturgy.

So this all goes into the pot. Just as I am struggling with what to do about the organized, corporate church, I am struggling with where we go and who we gather to worship with. That is not elitist by the way. The who we gather to worship with should more accurately be phrased as to where are we supposed to be worshipping?

So the pot gets full of unanswered (for now) questions that go up to God and a look to the inspiration from the Holy Spirit as to the answers. It may be that this is a process of many small steps rather than a big leap.

I look forward tot he seeing what the answers are.

And I hope for the courage to follow through on those answers...

Norwegian Blood

Twice today I have been reminded about Norwegian blood.

The first was an article about a woman in Duluth, Minnesota who fell and couldn't get up. She ended up crawling to her car but couldn't get up to get into it. So she lay in the driveway in subfreezing temperatures for over four hours.

Her body temperature dropped to 60 degrees (Fahrenheit) before it was all said and done. She will be fine after incredible efforts from the doctors.

The other reminder was talking with my daughter where I reminded her that she has Norwegian blood flowing in her veins. I grew up thinking that there is a stoicism that goes with that heritage. You don't want to get too excited about anything because people might think you are getting too uppity.

It is the classic Garrison Keillor portrayal of the Norwegian American.

Humility is part of it as well as enduring hardship without complaint and thriving on your won efforts.

Modesty also comes into play for if you toot your own horn you "don't know your place."

There is a problem with all this: it makes it difficult to ask for help when you need it. If I ask for help I am weak. Which is a load of crap! Part of living is being in community with others and helping others when they need it. Part of living is having the courage to ask for help and giving others the chance to help us.

I am reminded of the life expectancy of the mountain men of the 19th century. These men often had a string of horses and supplies with them but most were lucky to make it out of their 30's. Many lived alone and had to do everything themselves. There was no one to share the burdens of just living with them. So many died young. (Of course I know there were exceptions to this generalization so you don't need to point them out to me.)

But if anything I have to remind myself daily that I live in community with others and not in a vacuum. I need that community to truly live and help others to live.