The Salvage Yard
MISSIONLIFT: The Salvage Yard
Eric Spangler; Director of Mobilization, FMWM
Jun 08, 2006
The Salvage Yard
There's a new church on the corner near our home here in Indianapolis. It's called "The Salvage Yard." The sign also says: "A Christian Church -- No Traditions, No Politics, No Baggage."
Virginia and I were thinking about the 'no's' as we made our way to the airport one morning. 'No' is so ...well, 'negative.' Wouldn't it be better for a church to be known by what it is for rat her than by what it is against? I think I get what this church is after, and I admire it; or at least appreciate the effort. And, since I don't know the leader or the folks who attend, this is not my attempt to analyze, pass judgment, or be critical. It just got me thinking. I mean, no traditions? Really?
I like traditions. A tradition is a custom or a belief or a practice that is passed from generation to generation (according to the dictionary on my MAC). Something that we do over and over to reinforce a belief or feeling. We have a number of family traditions that I'm confident has served to bring our family closer together. Watching Alastair Sim every 24th of December or so. Praying together every evening. I have traditions as I travel: the seats I choose on an airplane, stopping at Starbucks, where I work best while on the road. For me, these traditions help me develop a rhythm in life. Could it be so with tradition and a missional faith?
When are traditions not good? Perhaps when they are used as a divine endorsement of spirituality. When the traditions of men become a measuring stick. When the tradition becomes an end in itself rather than the means to the end. When traditions become so dry and repetitive that we forget what they were intended for.
And what about politics? MAC says of politics: 'activities within an organization that are aimed at improving someone's status or position and are typically considered to be devious or divisive.' I think it was Brian McLaren that recently suggested we in the church need to have people that were 'purple' instead of red or blue. A little more both/and -- a little less either/or thinking would do us all some good; and not just in the area of politics.
My baggage follows me around pretty well, except when I went to Pittsburgh last week. It stayed an extra 24 hours in Chicago. There's plenty of baggage I'd love to lose for good, however, but losing that kind of luggage is often an ongoing process. Do people really leave their baggage at the door of the Salvage Yard?
I propose a new slogan for the Salvage Yard: "A Gathering for Those Who Love Jesus. Grace for the Journey. Acceptance. A New Perspective."
What do you think?
Eric Spangler; Director of Mobilization, FMWM
Jun 08, 2006
The Salvage Yard
There's a new church on the corner near our home here in Indianapolis. It's called "The Salvage Yard." The sign also says: "A Christian Church -- No Traditions, No Politics, No Baggage."
Virginia and I were thinking about the 'no's' as we made our way to the airport one morning. 'No' is so ...well, 'negative.' Wouldn't it be better for a church to be known by what it is for rat her than by what it is against? I think I get what this church is after, and I admire it; or at least appreciate the effort. And, since I don't know the leader or the folks who attend, this is not my attempt to analyze, pass judgment, or be critical. It just got me thinking. I mean, no traditions? Really?
I like traditions. A tradition is a custom or a belief or a practice that is passed from generation to generation (according to the dictionary on my MAC). Something that we do over and over to reinforce a belief or feeling. We have a number of family traditions that I'm confident has served to bring our family closer together. Watching Alastair Sim every 24th of December or so. Praying together every evening. I have traditions as I travel: the seats I choose on an airplane, stopping at Starbucks, where I work best while on the road. For me, these traditions help me develop a rhythm in life. Could it be so with tradition and a missional faith?
When are traditions not good? Perhaps when they are used as a divine endorsement of spirituality. When the traditions of men become a measuring stick. When the tradition becomes an end in itself rather than the means to the end. When traditions become so dry and repetitive that we forget what they were intended for.
And what about politics? MAC says of politics: 'activities within an organization that are aimed at improving someone's status or position and are typically considered to be devious or divisive.' I think it was Brian McLaren that recently suggested we in the church need to have people that were 'purple' instead of red or blue. A little more both/and -- a little less either/or thinking would do us all some good; and not just in the area of politics.
My baggage follows me around pretty well, except when I went to Pittsburgh last week. It stayed an extra 24 hours in Chicago. There's plenty of baggage I'd love to lose for good, however, but losing that kind of luggage is often an ongoing process. Do people really leave their baggage at the door of the Salvage Yard?
I propose a new slogan for the Salvage Yard: "A Gathering for Those Who Love Jesus. Grace for the Journey. Acceptance. A New Perspective."
What do you think?