I told Greg

I told Greg that I think I am going to plant a church, too.

Not in the same sense that he is. Not in the "move to El Paso, dig a hole, drop the seeds of the Holy Spirit in, water it with sweat and tears until it blossoms into something amazing" sense. That's pretty dang cool... but not in that sense.

Right now, at least, my vision for being a church planter coincides with my current vision of being a christian. Of living out my faith, a follower of The Way, in a very common manner. Touching the common things of my life. Approaching the everyday with a mind for the sacred nature of every regular ol' dusty chunk of nothing.

I know a lot of people who are trying to "do church" and "do life" (re-occuring themes here, I know) in a different way. Some of you are breaking the yuppy church mold and doing an all ages-evening hang out-salsa eatin'-collection in a pan thing (still loving "this pan is our collection plate," Greg!).. some of you are getting together in a bar on an off night.. some of you are only loosely affiliated with a local body at all. And, I know a lot of you who are about living a transformed life, who are about the Kingdom, who are about being something physically and spiritually different from what you used to be--a lot of people who don't want just "a new law" to make them feel better, like they're hitting the mark, moving in the right circles, talking the right talk. People who would rather be unsure of all the answers but liberated from all the hoops.

Those ideas have both been banging around in my head, somewhat seperately (as seperated as anything in my head can be, I guess) for quite a while. I've had conversations with some of you about raising chickens and goats, and making a living from a combination of music, painting, farming, and writing. I've had strikingly similar conversations with some of you about the nature of our social interactions, as christians, and the nature of our chrisitan activities, socially. And now those two things are starting to converge more and more all the time.

Now I can see the room in my head.. I can see the place where we live, and I can see how we live. I can see a gathering of family and friends. I can see offering it all up as the House of the Lord. Of an open-door policy that invites everyone to come and be fed--sacramentally, socially, physically. Every time you walk in the door. Every time we are together, even, regardless of where it is. I want to stand up on a chair, and say it, and then do it. Live it. I think that's the church I want to plant.

I know it doesn't fit the definition/mold/preconception.. whatever.. of what "a church" is, or is supposed to be. (I think, though, that maybe it fits what "The Church" is supposed to be..?) I know that it doesn't fit "church planter," either. (Get the postmodern me, assigning random values to terms, based on vague feelings!) I know, even, that I don't have a 3 point, alliterative sermon with cross-referenced greek word studies to back me up. I don't have much at all, I guess. Just my experience and my God and the desperate hope that if I'm horribly wrong either the Spirit will slap me back to reality or at least I'll come out the other side of a terrible experience with the benefit of having kept my eyes wide open for the whole ride.

And.. maybe it's just some fru-fru artistic whim and it'll go away. But I'm going to stick to my current mantra of "be like Jesus", and we'll see if it (the fru-fru artistic whim) doesn't stick, as well. I'm not adopting it as my main objective in life. I'm not attaching any time-table to it. But I'm kind of holding it out there as a goal. It would be nice, don't you think, to just.. like.. live?

("be like Jesus" is working out pretty well, btw. I *think*.. at least.. that I am growing. I think I am making progress. Somebody feel free to let me know if that is not the case, and I am instead just headed toward Tinfoilhatville at breakneck speed..)

Sorry if this post stinks. I think I probably hate it. But Brant needed a reason to keep reading the blog, and I didn't have time to lovingly craft anything. So this is what you get. Words on a page. Uncultivated brain-fodder.

Anyway, you're all invited.