ok... so here it is.
We are a people that almost gave up on church.
Seriously. We're tired of playing church. We've grown weary of "church as usual". We're not looking for a new program, model or style. We're wrestling with a fundamental shift in how we view our purpose as Christ Followers and how we live that out in our daily lives here in the Delaware Valley.
We're not looking to slap some new frosting on the same cake....we need a new recipe for the cake. We seek to return to something ancient, tried and true. We seek to discover what the Kingdom of God is all about and how to live it in our city, among our neighbors.
Our desire is to make the Kingdom of God tangible. We should be able to reach out and touch it - taste it - sense and see it - and Be it. We want to live the "Good News" (The Gospel) wherever we find ourselves in our daily lives - work, home, shopping, driving, resting... We seek to be part of the rhythms of our city, to be good neighbors, good friends and good servants.
The idea is to be a part of peoples lives because we truly care for them rather than to fulfill a religious duty; to walk together through life with them through all our struggles... to be people of love, joy, kindness, and truth.
Church should not be the focus of our efforts or the banner we hold up to explain what were about. Our Saturday gathering is a time of worship and celebration but in the scope of things, it should be the least of what we do. not the pinnacle of our spiritual experience. We meet on Saturday simply due to the time and place being open... for many they do this Sunday Morning instead - there is no improper time to worship.
We seek to live out the dangerous stories of Jesus. We must take the Gospel story seriously and allow it to define us. Just as Jesus was sent into our world, we too are sent to be the God flavors and God colors in the Delaware Valley. We should go to the places Jesus would go and be with the people Jesus would be with. It's not about us and It's time we stop acting like it.