Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ

January 28, 2007

This is the first in what I hope will be many posts throughout the year reflecting on some of the discoveries and insights from our intentional “exploring.” At our annual meeting, we adopted the report of the Next Generation Mission Team which invited us to see 2008 as a year of exploration and experimentation. While we are creating four Explorer Teams to examine our program life in the areas of music, spirituality, faith in action, and children-youth-and-families – I hope we will all keep our eyes and ears open to what the Spirit is doing around us – in our lives, in other churches, in other communities we value, etc.

Last night I went to a fascinating church in Grand Rapids, MI called Mars Hill Bible Church (www.marshill.org). I learned of it through the videos they have produced called “NOOMA,” which we have used in Java and Jesus for three weeks. Because I had a free evening between a workshop in Kalamazoo and Indianapolis, I decided to drive an hour out of my way to see this church in person. Let me tell you what I saw and heard. I do this without prejudice, but just as a way of sharing how another congregation seems to operate.

In his book, Velvet Elvis (2005, Zondervan), pastor of Mars Hill Rob Bell, writes about an incident shortly after he and his wife founded this Mars Hill church ten years ago: “I remember being told that a sign had been rented with the church name on it to go in front of the building where we were meeting. I was mortified and had them get rid of it. You can’t put a sign out front, I argued; people have to want to find us. And so there were no advertisements, no flyers, no promotions, and no signs.”

Sure enough, had I not had MapQuest instructions to get to the church – I would never have found it. It consumes the vast majority of an old shopping mall (think Westgate only a bit more run down), between a YMCA, a local steakhouse, and a Napa Auto parts store. While I knew I was on the right street, the only way I knew the church was there was that there were too many people driving in for the YMCA alone.

Once inside the mall, I wondered into a huge auditorium that was completely in the round. Because I was among the first attendees, I really had no idea if there was a front, if there was a side that would allow me to see the preacher more often than another side. On the elevated stage were a few bar stools, a huge cross and a harp. We were handed bibles and a sermon outline as we entered. By the time the 6 p.m. Sunday evening service started, it was mostly full – I would guess 1500-2000 people.

When the service started, I immediately thought the “stage” was modeled after a TV talk show. The two pastors and their guest sat in an open circle talking about the church’s involvement in a local tutoring program – essentially a 15-minute mission moment.

After this, the pastor immediately began preaching (about 35 minutes) a bible lesson. He worked his way through 3 verses in the letter to the Philippians. Apparently the church is taking the whole year to go through the letter. Bell shared the Greek meanings of words, parsed each sentence and seemed quite comfortable and fluid with both the text and his message. He held no notes, used great illustrations with guitar hero, a hundred dollar bill, and the uneven “floor” of the stage he was walking around. He usually walked around the stage, but occasionally sat on one of the bar stools. I suspect the Sunday evening service is a “teaching” service only – as I am pretty sure there is singing at the morning services. We ended with communion – although he offered no words of institution, just an invitation to come and help yourself. They did offer anointing of oil or a chance to pray with another member, or the chance to come up on stage and sit at the cross and pray. As we concluded communion we did sing one song, led by a solo voice and the harp.

The whole service took about 75 minutes. He used phrases like “holy nudge,” “wisdom to know what the next right thing to do is,” “serving the God of the oppressed,” “the greatest resource of all is love.” His language for God was masculine and personal and his sermon focused on our personal relationship with God but he in no one came across as a political or social conservative. He invoked ancient Christian practices and had a great knowledge of biblical and church history. He affirmed questioning one’s faith, searching for truth, affirming tough questions and above all that the most important thing Christians can do is love others. (As I left the church, I saw many cars had a simple black and white bumper sticker that said, “Love wins.”). The communion song’s lyrics included all who are thirsty, all who are weak, come to the fountain. Dip your heart in the stream of life…as deep calls to out to deep.

While the church attracts about 10,000 people a weekend, they had fewer written announcements than we do. It appeared that Sunday school is held at their two morning services, and they too needed volunteers to work with kids of all ages. Offerings were taken at “joy boxes” at the back of the sanctuary. While there were some older adults, most at the service I attended appeared to be college aged or slightly older. They call their sanctuary the “shed.” They are offering two As Wednesday services, classes on the parables of Jesus, retreats for men and women, tutoring for children, a support group for military families and people going through divorce, as well as a centering prayer group and training for house church leaders.

As I drove away (by the way, no one talked to me) I was grateful for the fact that so many folks wanted to learn about the Bible, grateful that this church unleashed all sorts of volunteers into public schools to mentor children one on one, grateful for the chance to share in communion and intrigued with their style. I loved the idea that people have to want to come and ponder what that says about church life. I have found the NOOMA videos creative, if limited by their masculine language for God and their rather personal approach to living out faith in the world. I am grateful to know about this intriguing and clearly important church.