We are heading off from the state of Michigan towards Niagara Falls today. The bit of the Michigan State we have seen is beautiful and would warrant a much longer stay, but off we head East.
As we have travelled around this small part of America there has been much to ponder, especially the question; Who or what do people trust? On the dollar bills it says, 'In God we trust', and there is a great deal around to say that this is true. We have visited three large churches, Willow, Wheaton and Mars Hill and all are full of vibrant, excited, God-followers. We have passed many very big churches with car lots that hold thousands and architecture that makes a statement in the community. We have seen First Baptist churches (is there some league table in the US for Baptist churches - we haven't found the second and third ones!) Reformed Baptists, Reformed Christian, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, United Methodist (are there disunited Methodists?) Salvation Army, to name a few. It seems that we have come a long way from the Day of Pentecost when the church was the church and the people were recognised and known because they had been with Jesus - and that was it! Is God pleased with all this? Does the number and size of the churches show that there is a God?
And reflecting on the experiences of being at Mars Hill (they deliberately don't use the word church or have a sign outside) they see themselves as a gathering in a place, just like Paul met the people of Athens on Mars Hill. Mars Hill was a place for debate and I think that Rob Bell and Shane Hipps want to simply provide a place for debate. In fact Shane Hipps on Sunday said quite clearly that the person with the microphone (the preacher) is not necessarily right, there is a debate to be had that goes beyond Sundays. They see Sundays as a time for people to gather, meet together, worship, remember and listen but it is not the last word, the conversation continues on Monday, Tuesday....... The people go to Mars Hill as a place of beginning not end. Just another observation, they refer to the Old Testament as the Older Testament, which does change how you view it. It connects the two (Old and New) together rather than the danger of discarding the Old and replacing it with the new.
The Mars Hill building reminded me of what MFI would have looked and felt like, work in progress. It also said, we haven't got all the answers, we haven't sorted it all out, but we would love you to join us in the journey. You are welcome, no pressure, you don't have to be right before you come in, we are still working it all out but we are committed to seeking, finding and revealing Jesus to you.
I think that is what it is about.
In the midst of so much competition for 'trust', In Money we Trust, In Shopping we Trust, In Sex we Trust, In Possessions we Trust, In Church we Trust, I wonder if we could help people to discover that the only place to put your trust is not in the church or any of these other things, but simply to live out the American dream, IN GOD WE TRUST.
Off we go now to Ohio State and then to New York State. I'm putting my trust in the Sat Nav to get us there but I wonder what people trust over there, I wonder where my trust lies?
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