For my daughter

Before I left for maternity leave, Scott gave me an assignment.  He said, "As you hold your little girl think about what you want the church to look like when she is 25 years old." I realize my answer is the same as what I want the church to look like today.

The first thing I imagine is interconnectedness - a church where people know each other and care for each other. Maybe in this church the role of a pastor is primarily to help connect people.  Maybe there is no pastor.  I imagine that each one's gifts, talents, skills, etc. are a benefit to others and to the kingdom. A place where people are encouraged and free to use these skills.  Where teachers teach, those gifted in speaking speak.  Builders build, artists make art and all are blessed by each other. It is a place where faith and life are fully integrated and where people eat together.

Interestingly, so far this description has nothing to do with worship services, music, buildings, or sermons.

I want my daughter to be a part of a church where she can be herself.  A place where healing happens.  A place where people reflect Christ.  A place where justice is sought, mercy abounds, and charity (christian love) is pervasive.

Of course, the church would be messy because it is full of messy people.  People would disagree and wrestle with how to help each other. 

I imagine the church as a web of interconnection with each other and the world.  It is a safety net for people when they need it.  It is family.  I imagine so many of the things I grew up with - conversations in the home, worship in the living room....

I think of WPCC.  How can we become more interconnected?  Do we want to know each other? How do we engage each other in a way that lightens our burdens (time commitments, family obligations, etc) rather than adds something new to our overfilled plates?