So, if we are looking to reimagine Church, just what could we consider?
Firstly, where and when we meet? The trappings of the past offer significant portals into the past, displaying our roots but possibly, to those who outside of the traditional church, not the present. I’m trying to consider their perspective, not ours. Would a third place, somewhere which is inclusively accessible, comfortable, inviting, and warm be a focal point for sharing good news? We have grown accustomed to meeting together on a Sunday morning but has society elected to move on? With working arrangements in families meaning that we work ever stranger hours, can we look towards providing a better time to meet, even during the week?
For that matter, why does it have to be just one location where we meet? Furthermore, various groups could meet at alternative locations, at different times throughout the week, or fortnight, or month – the frequency of meeting up is not set in stone. If we considered multiple places then these specific centres could offer particular functionality which suited what was on offer. What do you mean?
What do we do when we meet up? If we are imagining 5 hymns and 4 prayers then perhaps we are still not seeing the issue from the other person. Yes singing has been instrumental in helping people bond – previously seen prior to #coronavirus at sporting venues – but what should we sing? The words of Wesley are foundational to my faith but are they understood by those new to faith or people intrigued by faith? What if a secular song was used and those words explored? But if people are seeking relationships, evident in the deep concern of being isolated, there must be more than singing.
What else could we do? Let’s be creative! Our hobbies vary so considerably already, so let’s consider walking, reading, painting, sporting and/or pubs as a possible means of being church. We already have Forest Church in various guises, we have a rambling church where nature is seen in all its glory; a pluralistic discussion ‘church’; an opportunity to interact directly with the public; so why not reflect on painting or reading and even sport as a means of developing relationships where those bonds clearly demonstrate what our faith means to us. Innovation could always reclaim the building as seen here.
What if in that exploration the wisdom was to be allowed to come from everyone, where the facilitator encouraged discussion from many quarters (can we have more than four?), where a Biblical view was given amidst the others. This would allow people to own their understanding – not talking to, but discussing alongside.
So we have looked at where and when, what we do, and how we do it. The question is where is your creativity going to be led by God today?
This post follows on from a longer post about Liquid Church featuring comments from Paul Blakey.