The Need for Mystery

The word mystery can have different meanings. First, it can indicate a puzzle that demands solving. Not long ago I was in London and, like thousands of tourists before me, I went to Agatha Christie’s classic “the mousetrap.” The play, as you might imagine, centers on a who-done-it murder dilemma. Ironically, two things were certain as I watched the play: (a) the “mystery” would be solved and (b) it would not be the person you expected. The only thing mysterious was the “who” and “why” – mysteries that demanded an answer within a couple of hours! 

A second type of mystery is the classic enigma. Here there is something of the first type but with a nuanced difference. While the former suggests an answer is needed to solve the problem, it also indicates that the dilemma is itself solvable. If someone is murdered, for instance, one looks for clues because implicit in this “mystery” is the notion that full knowledge is obtainable. With the classic enigma no answer is forthcoming because there are not enough clues to connect the dots. At some level even scientist must defer to the classic enigma. Such as when one asks: Where did the universe come from? What existed before time? Where does gravity come from? How is it possible for bees to fly? (Bees are an aerodynamic impossibility!)

This leads us to a third type of mystery, what I want to call blessed mystery. In some ways it is like the classic enigma but in other ways it’s not. You see with the classic enigma the absence of clues and incomplete knowledge is frustrating. With blessed mystery the only knowledge necessary is found in enjoying and embracing the lack of categorical data. Blessed mystery is so anti-Enlightenment, anti-science, anti-reductionistic. Why, you ask? Because God is too big for us to understand. But, thankfully, God is not too big to be enjoyed.

Part of the problem of the church since the Reformation, in my estimation, has been the lack of blessed mystery. God has been reduced to the classic enigma or – worse – to the solvable puzzle. Theologians have created a god they can understand. A god that can be concentrated into a human-sized portion, wrapped up with tissue paper and fitted neatly in his little box. Nowhere, has this been more true than in our approach to the Lord’s table. We hear the call to remember Jesus (“do this in remembrance of me”) and we unwisely think this simply means that we are to conjure up a mental image that warms our hearts. But what if “remembrance” does not refer to a mental recollection but to a “reliving” or a “spiritual recognition” of the risen Lord’s presence in the community? How, then, would we respond to this blessed mystery?     

If this is your first time to MissionSpringfield this is a blog that is exploring the concept of a new church plant in Springfield, Ohio.  The entries, while independent, are somewhat progressional as I seek to lay out a vision for this new community.  In other words, it may be helpful to look at previous entries if you want to get a full grasp of (or contribute to...yeah, that'd be good!) the vision.  Blessings, Joe + 

An Unstoppable Force 

  I spent the entire day on New Year’s Eve Day reading Missional Church - start to finish.  I finished about six o’clock in the evening and straightaway joined some friends, at whose house I was staying, to watch a DVD.  The film was taken from an actual event that took place during WWII in the Philippines when the American forces were polishing up the end of the war by liberating those peoples who were being occupied by the Imperial Japanese Army.  The movie was called The Great Raid and it centered around the event of an Army Ranger unit liberating a POW camp just before the prisoners were to be executed and just prior to the American invasion inland.

    The thing that amazed me as I watched this movie was how it seemed a perfect metaphor for what Guder and others (editor of Missional Church) were trying to convey in their respective works.  In the movie I found several features that related analogically to the idea of a mission with a church (as opposed to a church with a mission).  Now, it is important to me that one not read more into this analogy than I intend.  In this case the Americans are the virtuous liberators whilst the Japanese represent the vicious perpetrators of evil.  The fact remains that in real wars (as in WWII) the distinctions between virtue and vice are slim at best.  Thus, I do not see the Japanese as evil nor do I see the Americans as virtuous; the movie simply set the parameters of good and evil for the context of the viewers and I’m co-opting it for analogical purposes only.  Here, then, are the parallels I see:

1.  A Moral Imperative: Inaction was not an option.  Something had to be done.  Likewise, the church cannot sit idly by and do nothing while the world longs for reconciliation to God.  (Romans 10:13-14)

2.  A Clear Objective: In The Great Raid the objective was to save some people who thought they were forgotten.  The unit knew what the mission was and refused to allow anything to distract from the mission – including their own safety.  How would that look in the church?  (Matthew 28:19)

3.  Strategic Planning:  In The Great Raid not only did the Army Ranger platoon act – they acted in a calculated, well-reasoned way.  Although they were bold and daring they were not reckless.  While the church has had a long concern with being “as innocent as doves” (some more innocent than others!) how often have we really lived as if we wanted to be as “wise as serpents” when it comes to mission?  (Acts 13:1-5)

4.  Well defined roles:  In The Great Raid leadership was critical to the success of the mission but it was not about power for power's sake.  At one point the colonel in charge has to defer to the captain who plans the mission and at another point the captain has to follow an order he thinks unwise.  Furthermore, the soldiers have parts to play in carrying out the mission.  Their roles are assigned to them but they are no less important to the overall mission than if they had made the plans themselves.  The ananlogy here is that the church needs good leaders.  That is it needs leaders who can lead and it needs leaders who are good.  Nowhere in my ten + years of studying church history have I found a community that did not have leaders.  What made all the difference in the world was what kind of leaders it had.  (Ephesians 4:11-12)

   Finally I see the whole analogy through Jesus’ words to his disciples that hell’s gates would not stand against the church.  Remember, gates were the last line of defense.  That is, if someone breaches your gates the city is destroyed.  Therefore, what Jesus is saying is that his church is going to be an attacking army that marches on the fortress of hell’s dominion.  Moreover his words are also a promise; namely, that this attacking army will indeed conquer its enemy!  (Matthew 16:13-19)

So, are you a soldier?

Do you want to be a soldier?

Are you looking for the right unit?

for those who have already read the post from dec. 20 – this is installment 2 of the vision.  if this is your first time to missionspringfield you might want to see the 12/20 post first.

the liturgy

for a long, long time christians, who gathered for public prayers have followed a fourfold pattern in their worship.  there have been many variations within this pattern, but the basic structure has generally looked something like this: the gathering, the service of the word, the service of the table and the dismissal.  this has certainly been the case from as early as the second and third century!  one of the first names for the christian worship service was from greek speakers who called it “the liturgy,” which meant the “work of the people.”  later the latin church (the roman catholics) started calling the service the “mass” which, ironically, comes from the words of dismissal.  recently a lot of the postmodern churches have been taking names for their worship derived from the first part of the service – e.g. “the gathering.”  whatever they call it, one thing is for sure – worship has always been an important part of the church’s life.

so, as we look to this vision i am trying to share for a new church plant in springfield it is important that you not assume that what you “saw” when you first peeked in was the final “product.”  in other words, this isn’t about individual religion – it’s about a faith community that allows for and celebrates the individual parts that make the whole.  moreover, this vision is one that holds in tension the modern expressions and the ancient ones.  not one over the other, or one in competition with the other, but always a comfortable tension that recognizes both ancient and modern expressions as important.

the gathering: what you saw in post one is a part of the gathering – the informal gathering, if you will.  the worship space envisioned allows for (and kind of expects) people to come early and prepare themselves to meet with god (prayerfully: focusing on icons, walking a labyrinth, smelling the incense, having conversation, drinking coffee, whatever…)  but there is also a “formal” part of gathering too.  this is when the girl playing the guitar is joined by a guy pounding gently on some bongo drums and another girl playing a flute and some dude leading a song like “all creatures of our god and king” or “here i am to worship” or “how great is our god” as the words appear on the screen that flanks the altar.  the people who were scattered all over the room begin to take places among the chairs before the altar in a very relaxed but confident way (most remain standing as they sing).  more people arrive during the singing (we might sing three or four songs) and eventually they all seem to be there.  no one is dressed up here…well maybe some people…but most are in jeans and tees.  you think the monk guy even has jeans under his robe!

the word:  the songs lead us to a point of expectation and prayer when, on the screen, some words to a prayer appear and everyone prays them together.  these words seem familiar but you’re not really sure why…have you been here before?  next someone stand up and says something like, “a reading from isaiah” and they begin to read from their own bible.  after they’re done the little band start playing again and words to a song appear on the screen again – you’re singing a psalm!  as soon as that is over someone else stands up and she’s reading another passage from her bible – it’s from st. paul’s letter to the romans.  when she sits down the little band starts up and we’re singing “alleluia” while someone walks up to the front and takes a book from before the altar – they are about to read again but this time seems a little different.  as the alleluia song ends the person with the special book says, “the holy gospel according to luke” and read some more; this time a jesus story.  after this the guy in the monk garb stands up – you forgot he was here! – and tells a story.  suddenly, you realize this isn’t just a story – it’s a lesson that relates to what the person just read from the gospel.  he adds some other insights that link his story with the jesus story and there is a point that you completely understand.  “oh, that’s what jesus meant when he said…” you think to yourself.  “that really hits me where i live!” 

the table:  after the monk guy finishes (you know he’s finished because he says “amen” and goes back to his seat in the front row next to his beauuuutiful wife!) there is a time of silent reflection before the instruments start playing a festive tune.  someone goes up front and mentions that they are going to take up an offering – but that the “visitors should feel free not to contribute,” she says.  after the offering some people bring up these big cups (they’re called chalices), a pitcher of wine (and, yes, it’s real wine!) and a couple loaves of bread.  once these things arrive and are placed on the altar the monk guy stands up and leads everyone in a conversation of thanksgiving.  people respond to his leading by starting to spontaneously tell of how grateful they are to god for all his benefits (we really do serve a great god!).  the conversation continues less spontaneously but not less enthusiastically as ancient words of a prayer appear on the screen.  after this part the people are invited to come forward and take and eat of the bread and either drink wine from the cup or dip their bread in another cup of wine (they keep the drinking cup and the dipping cup separate).

the sending:  finally, the people having all taken of the bread and wine, pray, they are blessed by the monk guy and are encouraged to into the world as women and men filled with the good news of jesus.  then the monk guy invites everyone to hang out and have some coffee (on the house!) as we hang out to talk – we can even has some lively debate about the monk’s interpretation of the jesus story.

this is my vision for a worship liturgy that is christian, anglican and postmodern.  it does not take in all that the church is or does – those ideas will come in later posts.  but what it does is begins to allow you to see something of the culture of the community.  so tell me, what do you think?

your first impression

picture this:  a friend invites you to a “strange” new church – but not a church, really – more like an odd christian gathering.  they meet in an old factory or on the second floor of an old downtown dept. store.  once you get there you try to figure this place out because the images are so disjointed and yet, somehow, they’re so very compatible.  your first sensory impresions are that the place is dimly lit – lots of candles – you smell coffee (it smells great!) but there is also a hint of incense or something.  “yeah,” you think to yourself, “this is some ‘20 something’ rave party place.”  but wait, you suddenly see a collection of chairs facing what looks like a roman catholic altar and someone is talking to a guy who is dressed like a franciscan friar – you think maybe he is a friar!  and then you notice people all over at these stations around the perimeter of the room that have candles and icons or crosses who seem to be praying.  while still some others are walking through a maze (actually, it’s a labyrinth!) muttering under their breath…are they praying too?  there’s a girl sitting close to the altar playing an acoustic guitar and singing a chorus – it’s the same chorus over and over (later you learn it was written in france at some taizé community…whatever that is!).  well, whatever it is, it is mello and soothing and strangely hopeful.

so what is this?  a coffee shop?  a church?  a party?  some mystical experience?

well, yes, it’s a coffee shop – but not really.  they sell coffee here because coffee is a great way to start conversations among strangers.  besides, buying this coffee helps third world farmers.  but the coffee is cheap here, so it is plainly not a way to make money.  so, yes, it’s a coffee shop, but not really.

and, yes, it’s a church – but not really.  the new testament word for church originally meant something like gathering.  far too often today it means closed club.  these people are different because they are a gathering of both those who are interested in following jesus and those who are already committed to doing so.  it’s not a closed club it’s a hospitable, christian, worship gathering.  so, yes, it’s a church, but not really.

and, yes, it’s a party – but not really.  parties are usually celebrations of nothing in particular or are just ways (and excuses) to “have some fun.”  unfortunately what’s considered “fun” in our world is usually self-destructive behavior.  this place you’ve come to certainly is festive – these people are ready to celebrate – but it’s an intentional celebration.  these people gather to celebrate the fact that god is alive, reconciling the world to himself!  so, yes, it’s a party, but not really.

and, finally, yes, it’s a mystical experience – really, it is!  the gathering is mystical because there is great mystery here.  not a mystery like an agatha christie novel – but a mystery like the beauty of a sunset or the birth of a new baby.  this is a mystery to be embraced not uncovered.  and it is a mystery to be experienced.  god is not simply a precept or an article of faith – god is real and god is here!  so, yeah, it’s a mystical experience, really it is!

so, what’s your first impression?