First Church of the Blob

Earlier tonight (when it was still Friday) was our third “ekklesia” meeting. It’s hard to believe that we’ve only been at this for three weeks; I’ve already seen an increase in the depth of relationships and sharing and caring. We’re learning and making adjustments and remembering to be patient and flexible and not expect too much too soon. One example is that we figured out that by using paper plates and cups for our community meal, clean-up would go a lot faster, thus leaving more time for fellowship. It’s little things like that that we’re learning; some things very practical, some very spiritual (although who says spiritual isn’t practical or vice versa?).

We’re also beginning to experience the leading of the Holy Spirit upon us as a community. By taking our time and giving everyone the opportunity to share we’re starting to see how the Lord is speaking to us as a group. For example, we’ve collectively discerned that we need to focus on exploring who Jesus is. As a result, our teaching and dialog in the coming weeks (and maybe months) will be on various aspects of who Jesus is. Our desire is to keep Him at the center of what we’re doing.

Over dinner tonight, some people shared about what God had been speaking to them during the week. The subject of the Marysville teacher's strike came up, which led to some impassioned discussion and, ultimately to prayer for reconciliation between the teachers, the administration, the board and the parents & children. We prayed for one of our members who is a school teacher and also prayed for one of our young people, who has an important test tomorrow. This was followed by an extended time of musical worship and then more prayer and some great sharing. It’s so exciting to see and hear people “coming out” and sharing, praying, singing, asking questions, offering viewpoints, caring for one-another, etc. We see more and more how valuable and precious each individual is to the Lord and to our little community.

In a post from last week on this blog, there is a recollection by Carol Wimber about the early days of the Vineyard, when they still met in a house. She described how the presence of the Holy Spirit was like a “sweet heaviness”. I can remember feeling that "sweet heaviness" back in the mid-80’s at the Denver Vineyard and have wondered what ever happened to it. Why did it eventually lift? Lo and behold, tonight we had an extended time of musical worship and that “sweet heaviness” of the Lord was there. One of our members shared a vision about the Lord being like a “big blue blob of love” that was seeping through all the cracks and enveloping everything (imagine the movie, “The Blob”). Another compared it to honey. Wow.

It was so cool tonight to be playing worship songs and seeing how people had found their own place and way to worship. Some sat at the dining-room table, others on the sofa, others on the floor. Some stood. Some played shakers and other percussion instruments that we had strewn about. Carla put a stack of musical charts of all the worship songs we know out on the dining-room table so that if anyone wanted to sing a particular song, they could dig out the chart and hand it to us. We would then play that song. It worked really well.

As we sang, the thought struck me that anyone who walked by on the sidewalk in front of our house would be able to see into the large living-room window. They would see a group of people with hands raised, worshipping. It was a dry and pleasant evening outside, so I hope there were a few "onlookers". It's going to be really good this Summer, when we can open the doors and windows and let the sound of worship waft out into the neighborhood.

All of this tonight reminded me again of the words to a Dutch Anabaptist hymn that was written in the 1600’s, called “What Is This Place?”:

What is this place where we’re meeting?
Only a house, the earth it’s floor,
Walls and a roof sheltering people,
Windows for light, an open door,
Yet it becomes a body that lives,
When we are gathered here,

And know our Lord is near,

Words from afar, stars falling,
Sparks that are sown in us like seed,
Names for our God, dreams, signs and wonders,
Sent from the past are what we need,
We in this place remember and speak,
Again what we have heard,

God’s free redeeming word,

And we accept bread at His table,
Broken and shared,
A living sign, here in this world,
Dying and living,
We are each other’s bread and wine,

This is the place,
Where we can receive,
What we need,
To increase God’s justice,
And God’s peace.