Why "rewire" the church? Church has been at the centre of my identity. It’s formed me, frustrated me, deeply angered and hurt me, guided me, and protected me. Some of the most challenging ideas I have ever met, far more radical than the lawn meetings of my student days, have come from the theologians of the church. There has been a sense of connection to the tradition and wisdom of millennia. And, inevitably, the frustration of tradition hide-bound. I remember singing the words of a hymn one Sunday morning, “nothing changes here...” and one of the youth group muttered sotto voce to his girlfriend, “God, you can say that again!” What worked for our parent’s church doesn’t necessarily work for us. I notice it often doesn’t work for them anymore, although older people are sometimes more gracious about their frustrations! Life changes, we change, and constantly need to reassess where we are going.
This little church on the web is modelled around the metaphor of an old and treasured house. It's the house our parents lived in and inherited from someone we never knew. The house is strong and robust, but needs rewiring. Our ways of thinking and being need to change to make the house liveable and practical. Otherwise it will be a burden, not a base camp for life.
Salaam!
I had a boisterous tail wind riding home yesterday- a three gear wind. I raced down the bike track to the wet lands, passing a Muslim mum. She collects her son from school. I meet them some days if I am coming home early, or he has after school sport. She wears the hijab, and a full robe.
She was running, and I thought she must be late meeting him. "Salaam," I cried as I raced past. "Salaam!" came the echo, full of life. I felt a surprised joy from the simplicity of our exchange; two believers affirming the Divine.
When I reached home I checked the time, even though I say I don't race the clock anymore. I realized she was not late for school. She was jogging.
It's good to be alive!
Andrew
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