Public Dancing

This video shows a coordinated public dance stunt conducted at Belgium's Central Station. Allan Roxburgh gives some background,

"Over a couple of hours, 200 people were given instructions in a simple dance routine, then, let loose in the Antwerp railway station without any warning or preparation for those walking through the station. See what happens to the ordinary people passing by. At first they want to ignore the silliness of a few dancers who start to engage the music; they’re breaking the rules of propriety by dancing in a public place. But as the music continues and more dancers (all kinds - not just the lovely people with great bodies) enter the dance, the crowd changes, the atmosphere becomes different."

I encourage you to read the rest of his reflections on how this video might inspire and inform our practice of leadership in the church. I think the video also carries implications for the church as a whole.

What if we regularly engaged in simple practices that were peculiar? What if people saw what the church was up to, and couldn't walk any further without stopping to take note of what was happening, to reflect, and maybe even participate themselves? What if our actions stirred up unexpected joy in people?

Theologically, this is the basic idea behind the word 'witness.' Our life together, our lived out beliefs, give witness to Christ's Spirit working in us. This is why Paul calls us the "body of Christ." This doesn't mean we just try harder to get along with each other, it means we have to trust that Christ is actually working to join us together for the purpose of showing the world how the reconciliation and redemption of God operates. The question the church seeks to answer is not just, 'How does one find salvation?' but also, 'How does the salvation of God look when it gets worked out in a group of people?' Did you notice all the people in the train station that were starting to participate in the dance? When our faith gets compellingly lived out and embodied in a community, the onlooker/seeker is much more prone to ask 'How do I get in on this?'

More on the New Homeless

Here's yet another story on how people are losing their homes; this one from Tuesday's New York/Region section of the NYTimes. If you've been keeping track, New York has lost a huge number of jobs in the last several months, and this (homelessness) looks to be one of the many repercussions. In New York, Summer Brings a Wave of Homeless Families.

Knowing Your Neighbor

Maybe you've heard about this story. Maybe not. A pastor in the suburbs of San Diego is hosting a Bible study in his home. Parking space within the cul de sac becomes an issue (can we relate?). Neighbors complain. The county investigates and suddenly the government is being accused of shutting down Bible studies. This blogger says there are larger issues and themes at work in this story. I tend to agree.

Where Do I START?

It always sounds so significant to read about the benevolent exploits of others who are much farther down the road. Getting started, however, always seems to take so much more energy. There is no momentum. Little creativity. Much resistance to new and undeveloped potential. Could it be that starting this engaging process that leads to significant opportunities is really all about ... engaging? What if each person on the team pledged to have one conversation per week with someone outside this church regarding their real needs that seem to be shaping their destiny. At the very lest we can pray for those we encounter and possibly those conversations (engaging) may lead to other more tangible expressions of God's overwhelming care.

Isn't it true that the tongue is often what leads the body? Well tongue, do your thing, get us started.

The Family Camping Out Back

Another story from NPR's Planet Money blog about how families are becoming homeless. And more questions about how we (the church) respond?

Public Art 2

Not only can public art beautify neighborhoods. This talks about a project that was intended to actually make the street safer for kids by painting it.

New Urbanism

The idea of new urbanism has been around for a while. New urbanists focus on the need for communities and neighbohoods that are conducive to human interaction (walkability is important) rather than just ease of automobile traffic (i.e. suburban sprawl). Eric Jacobsen is a pastor in a new urbanism community and has a great book "Sidewalks in the Kingdom" that addresses how Christianity speaks to these kinds of issues. The video below is great.