CHURCH FOR THE NIGHT 'pic gallery link'
Some folks in our town of Bournemouth, some post congers and some not but all working for the city and some working in night clubs............. opened up the biggest Anglican church in town from 10pm till 3 am on Friday night. All were totally taken by surprise as a steady stream of over 100 people came and walked around, sat for a long time and posted prayers on the walls which would cut you to the core. Were all still in shock - opening up a big building associated with inherited religion in the middle of clubland, wasnt meant to gather a crowd, it was just a 'fools hope'.
From drunks to punks, from foreign students to clubber. There was this really uncool chicken wire sculpture which was lit internally and had mary joseph and jesus and coldplays 'i will try to fix you'............ people kept having their picture taken with them - very odd.
Almost every single person that came in INITITIATED conversation about Jesus or Church. One guy - one BIG guy slapped me on the chest and said ' F$c%ing Awesome Mate - We Need Night Church All Night Every Night - And I Mean That'.
GREAT PICS BELOW
http://www.flickr.com/photos/19047354@N00/sets/1596051/
posted by al bino at 7:52 am
4 Comments:
Wow. Better a 'fool's hope' than a lost world, eh?
I'm praying for your work and mission.
6:09 am
Awesome! Simply love this.Thx for encouraging story.
3:36 pm
Thanks Sam,
The thing is, much of the emerging aspects of church are repeating a historical cycle. In truth, much of what is occurring is with people on the margins of mainstream nt culture of church. Few of the stories out there are of the mainstream moving to the margins of society (although there are some great stories where some have).It has generally been the case that people who have had their own distinctives, their own culture and thier own worldview have either lost this by becoming assimilated. or have begun to find connections with others who have some holy frustrations with not actually wanting 'that kind' of inclusion which often comes at the scarifice of ones true self, and the very real 'version; of Jesus that you are seeing and holding onto. I say this because i do not know the Jesus that some are folloing or that some are preaching in these days. The Jesus i am trying to hold true to takes you out of and elaves you out, he does not take you into a new kind of as some do with their doctrines, but mostly not doctrines in fairness, mostly their over spiritualised culture which has become scared.
Sorry - im ranting - a good start to the day, a bit like a mental jog.
Always worth remembering that most of the mainstream now, used to be the margins. We need the margins, church is the margins, and that why its so sad that every time it ends up the centre. 'head of the church - which is His body, the fullness of Him which is in and through all things' eph 1
Its great to be able to connect through diversity and to a degree through cultural compromise as i feel this has a small part to play in unity.
But we need to find our tribe and our family, its nice that we have to be able to cross over as isreal into the promised land (metaphor of unity and outlook), but we live life in distinctive tribe and family, each to his own. Im overstating there of course.
My best regards
gaz
12:11 pm
man i really shouldnt type so fast or before breakfast: my reply should read
The Jesus i am trying to hold true to takes you out of and leaves you out, he does not take you into a new kind and subdigation as some do with their doctrines, but mostly not doctrines in fairness, mostly their over spiritualised culture which has become SACRED.
sorry
12:19 pm
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