Ok, so we've talked about it many times, but never done anything about it. So, here it is. Very basic, but functional.
I just finished reading "Jim and Casper go to Church" by Jim Henderson and Matt Casper (forward by George Barna)
Jim Henderson is a 50 something former pastor now house painter, and Casper is a 30 something copywriter/musician, and oh yea an atheist. Jim recruited Casper to go to some of the biggest most famous churches in the U.S., and to give an honest opinion about what they do. They went to Saddleback ( "the Rick Warren church"), Mosaic (the Mayan and McManus), Willow Creek (Mega in the Midwest),Imago and Mars (Emerging Church weekend in the northwest), Lakewood (Osteen Live!), and the Potter's House (Keeping it Real?), among others.
It was really interesting to hear from an atheist's perspective.Instead of ripping on some churches ( and he did rip on most of the aforementioned churches for various reasons) I'll hightlite the churches that the atheist found good in.
Lawndale
Located in downtown Chicago, Jim specifically planned on his order (Willow Creek, First Presbyterian, then Lawndale all in one weekend)to provide some serious contrast. I really like this part, so I'm going to quote here (I know it's long, but so what)
"Casper said ,'there's Lawndale! Oh forget it, it's a dental clinic or something.' I smiled and told Casper we were here. We were standing about 200 feet from the front door, but Casper couldn't see it. Cars whisked by as he scanned up and down the busy street in front of the church.
'Is that it over there?' He was pointing toward a three story brick and glass structure that appeared to be the newest building in the neighborhood. That building sure looked like a lot of the mega churches we'd visited - modern, clean, multistoried - but then Casper read "Lawndale Health Center". All right, so we're in the right neighborhood at least. ' Actually Cas, that's part of the church, or better yet, evidence that the church has been here. Lawndale Community Church started a free medical clinic on this street.....'Well done! Now that's what I'm talking about! If you're going to be a "community church", then serve your community. So, where's the big building itself?'
Long story longer, after seeing the clinics, and everything else that the church had started (including the pizza restaraunt where kids in the community can get a job), they finally found the very non-descript front door of the actual "church". Lawndale's goal is not to grow a big church, but to do church big. The guy who started this place is Wayne Gordon and he has a great quote, " I realized that 'get saved' evangelism was designed for suburban folk. It had little meaning in an urban context...People in the city are not encumbered primarily with feelings of guilt. Their deepest feelings are of hopelessness." GOOD STUFF!
The other chapter I'll tell you about was titled "the Drummers Church" He called it that because it was a church at Jason's house. Jason is the drummer in a band that Casper is in. Yes, Eric, this chapter is for YOU! Two sections here:
" There were babies, kids, young parents, young men with their girlfriends. Hands were joined. Heads were bowed. Eyes were closed. And, unlike my families tradition, this was not a tribute to long-gone friends, or something to be done before dismantling dinner. bread was truly being broken. I sat at the table with a beer in my hand, hungrily eyeing the grilled tuna when suddenly out comes the Bible and then a verse is read (Matt 20) and a humble piece of bread somehow 'magically' becomes the body of Jesus for them. And a glass of wine becomes his blood. The casualness was a bit surprising. But, then I remembered 'Hey, I am in church after all.'"
And here is my favorite quote of the whole book, from the same chapter:
"But, though they prayed, they mostly spoke to each other. So, jim, what do you think? Are they communing more with each other or with God? And does that matter?
I think that the best way to start a conversation with an outsider is to talk to that person first. Don't leap right into talking to the man upstairs. It seems like most churches are not communities at all because there's hardly anybody 'communing' with each other. There's a pastor talking at them, and occasionally they bow their heads while he prays at, or for, them."
I think both of you guys would enjoy this one I give it a big thumbs up, or five stars or whatever rating system you guys want to use.
