We visited a very interesting church today, Christ Church in the Valley. It is a non denominational church located in Royersford, PA. In an age when many mainline denominations are dying a not so slow death, it was refreshing to attend a service that dared to shake up the status quo. When you drive up to the church, it actually looks like a movie theater. Out in front, there is a box office, which looks like a place where you would buy tickets to enter into an old fashioned theater...
Once inside, you feel as though you have entered into the lobby of a theater, and are ushered into the sanctuary, but not before you receive a program, study materials and an ink pen. Inside, the sanctuary looks nothing like a church. There is a media control center in the rear, and a stage at the front. The stage is lined with 5 electric guitars, drums, keyboards and mics. Just over the stage are 3 projection screens. As service starts, the stage fills with musicians, and a few very young praise and worship leaders. The music sounds like a rock concert, but the words of the songs are deeply theological and wholly biblical. As songs are sang, the words cascade across the 3 projection screens with picturesque images behind them. After a few songs, a brief word of prayer is shared, and the offering is taken. In an age of prosperity ministry, when the offering can take nearly as long as the praise and worship, the quick announcement and collection was refreshing. After the offering, the preacher for the hour came forward and shared a thoughtful message, which was bolstered by images from the Internet and pictures which were projected on the screens above the stage. There was also a video testimony played along with a video of a recent baptism service.
Although I liked the message, it wasn't well developed. It could have used a little more exegesis... BUT, perhaps that was the point. Maybe it had gaps because they wanted the people to go home and study the Bible passage on their own. My best teachers were the ones who didn't give me all the right answers, instead they gave me ALL the right questions... The right questions may lead one to find the right answers...
OVERALL, I thought it was great. I am becoming increasingly frustrated with denominational life. I find myself held in bondage by tradition that is stale and irrelevant. My love for God and service to God's people is choked by pomp and circumstance, and ritual rhetoric. Church often functions as a placeholder in believer's lives. At it's worst, church is just a group of people who meet at a particular time, in a particular place... devoid of the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. At it's best, it is the power of God brought to fruition amidst the fellowship of believers, who dare to stand up and stand out for God. I don't know about you, but I want power today. I want the power of God to show itself in my life as never before, and I will not allow tradition to stand in the way of that... 
Having said that... in addition to denominational boundaries, churches are still some of the most segregated institutions in America... This church was scantily multicultural. I would aptly describe it as a non denominational, mostly white congregation out in the suburbs... It lacked some of the cultural elements that are important to people of color, and people who live in more urban contexts... My feeling is that, with a little cultural adaptation, and a few traditional elements, I could do great things with this model in an inner city setting.
Ah!!! Pray for me!
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7 comments:
Thanks for you kind words about our church. If you visit again it would be great to meet you. It seems, from your review of our Sunday service, you picked up on exactly what we are attempting to do at CCV. It is my hope that God blesses your efforts and I will be praying for his hand to move in your minsitry.
Thanks Frank. I very much enjoyed the service, and discussed the church at length. It is a great model.
Dear Pedagogical critical, I really enjoyed your comments about the church you visited and was even more intrigued about the concept of church that you outlined. I feel your pain about "church" as usuual. I grew up in the "tradition" of the church but only now am I beginning to question some of that tradition and the stronghold that it can have on the people of God and more importantly on the work of the gospel. Pray for me as I take this journey to a new place in my faith. I don't think I will ever get to the place that I totally reject the traditions in which I grew up but I do believe that there will come a time when I can comfortably question some of those traditions and the place that they hold in my future.
I would like to leave you with a thought regarding the comment you made about the lack of diversity in the church you attended. As an AA woman, I can appreciate your observation that people of color might enjoy a slightly different twist to what you experienced on Sunday at CCV. I think sometimes we can get caught up in our own culture and forget that other people, including those of the majority race have a culture and a context as well. It is quite possible and sounds like the church you attended was very much designed to meet the needs of the people who live, work and worship in Rayerford, PA. It sounds like the church did a very good job of bringing the gospel of Jesus to the people in that community in a way that truly met them where they are. I don't think you were saying anything different, I just think it is important to make note of the fact that the church did exactly what it was supposed to do and to examine the cultural context of the gospel for the community in which they serve....just my thoughts!
I agree totally. CCV was totally relevant in it's context... which is of the utmost importance. I think they really got it right.
Its an interesting church model - we have several here called seeker churches or church without walls or sandals church. They all use the same general format you described.
Why can't we have a model that incorporates Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, etc.? or what about the Trinity UCC model that Jeremiah Wright uses (check out their website) - very Afrocentric - that would be a better model for inner city ministry -- my cousin Freddie Haynes has his own version of the Trinity UCC model in Dallas (Friendship West Baptist) -- because its also very articulate, deeply analytical and embraces the teaching of the seminary trained. Trinity just finished reading one of Dr. Emilie Townes' (Yale) books. That's the model I would follow.
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