SUNDAY IN THE SHED

This morning we walked across the parking lot and entered The Shed! The Shed is the home of Mars Hill Church, the home of Rob Bell and his congregation. When I booked the accommodation I had no idea we would be able to see the church from our hotel window, but that is what happened. We had planned to attend the church all along, but it was a surprise when we were so close. The church has no sign outside and you can still see where the previous owners of the building had their sign, but once inside the doors there is life and energy as you walk through this former shopping mall. The previous shops are now rooms for the children's work, offices and meeting places. The mall was filled with people leaving the first service and coming for the second - no we didn't get up in time for the 9 o'clock - the smell of coffee and pastries filling the air. People of all ages milling around pleased to be there.

Walking into the Shed it is simply a box of a room. About 3000 chairs are arranged around a central platform where the band played and the preacher preached. Four large screens above the platform ensure that everyone can see the words and the bible verses used but no projection of the preacher. The worship was a mixture of older songs and new (Sing to the Lord, Even though I walk through the valley, and some 'hill-billy' style), some liturgy from the book of common prayer and simple statements of faith. All God-focused and simple. Then Shane Hipps (the new teaching pastor) spoke for 25 minutes on 1 John 4:18, fear and love. Good solid stuff with plenty to think through. He had a stove (cooker) on stage as his prop - you can work out why for yourself! At the end of the preach, some moments of reflection before the end. Joy boxes available as you leave for the offering!

And that was it! A vibrant congregation who leave to make a difference during the week in their every day lives. And looking around, what a powerful force for good God's people are when we live every day right where we are in the way God wants us to. That will change the world.

Last night we ate at a local restaurant that is between the hotel and the church. When I asked the waitress about the church, she told us that she went there regularly and you could see in her face and hear in her voice the impact it was having on her. She was 18, had been away from church for a few years but now had found something fresh and vibrant, a living faith. Is that the purpose of a church?

Sunday in the Shed has given another perspective to think about. Of course it is only an hour of seeing the church together, but it is clear that the life that God has breathed upon this place has eternal consequences. If a church keeps that in mind then I believe nothing can stop it.

Just one gripe from the Shed, why do they leave 'u' out of Saviour, surely u in Savior is what it is all about.