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Tonight I went out to  to the Mustard Seed Associates House for a “conversation” on faith based cooperatives. It was the first stop by Andrew McLeod on his book tour in support of his book “Holy Cooperation.” I’ve brought a copy of the book home to read and will share more  once I’ve done some reading. Tonight you get impressions of the Mustard Seed House and details of my walk home.

It’s the first time I’ve made it to a Mustard Seed Associates event, though I’ve been recieving their newsletter for a while. They were one of local groups I ran across when I first started exploring Emerging Churches in 2006.   The event today looked interesting, was the right price, and the right time. I signed up online and made my way over. Sadly the bus system is still a little out of whack and I found myself arriving about 10-15 minutes late. I had a little difficulty determining quite how to get to the house  and which door was the way in. I got in and recieved the most enthusiasitc greeting from the house’s golden retriever Bonnie. She enthusasitcally helped me pick a seat and brought me a bone in case I needed a snack. But seriously she was an enthusaistic welcome when I just wanted to sneak quietly in.

A quick introduction around the room, and the discussion began. The Mustard Seed House was welcoming. Coffee and tea with real cups and saucers, snacks. Time to scoailize, an encouragement that we meet others in the room during our brief breaks. I only regret that the group was temporary as I’d love to have more of a chance to chat with those that attended the event.

I left to head home a little after 9. 9:15 or so I’d say. I decided to see if I could walk  over to 85th and Wallingford and catch a 48 the rest of the way. I headed up to 85th and over to realize that the crossing over i-5 for cars actually starts at 80th. And has no pedestrian walkway. So instead I walked up to 92nd, over I-5, then back down south. All told  it was about 2.5 miles extra into my day.   A little more then I had intended, but it was a good walk for me.  I wonder if there is a way over I-5 further south that is navigatable by foot.  Perhaps something to look into the future. Anyway I’m proud of my walk home and am glad I went tonight.

I walked in, unsure of what I was going to find.
<first the job>
You see, I’ve been offered a job, at UW Technology starting Monday, and before I start, I want to verify the earliest I can get into the Tower after dropping Miss Bit off.  Testing the buses this morning tells me if I drop her off right at 8:45, I can make it to the tower early enough for a 9:30 start.

I decided it made sense if I brought my laptop and picked a coffee shop to work in for a while. So I loaded up my Mac book and opted to come to Mosaic in Wallingford. i knew that I could ride most of the way to the tower to test the time, then get off and wander over for coffee.

<the coffee house>
Why Mosaic Coffee? Well I’d come across their “Den” for meeting space when I was looking for a place to hold my next session of Meal Planning and Grocery Shopping 101.  It’s a non profit , church run space. The price being free for using their meeting space is really attractive. (I looked into maybe using my church basement but the fee was out of my price range*).

<So? It’s that cool?>
First its a No price cafe, meaning you pay based on what you think your item is worth. I don’t mind paying what my drip coffee is worth and am glad to be able to try out a cafe that has that agenda.

Second, the space is big, warm and a strange but comforting mixture of cozy and bright.
I was worried when I walked in and the first thing that I smelled was patchouli, but the scent went away pretty quickly.

Third, they brew Fidalgo bay coffee. Local coffee from my favorite roaster. How can it be bad? 

<Geek>
I’m a church geek sometimes. I’m fascinated by this in part because it is a church coffee shop. Beyond the pricing thing, and some chairs scattered around that look like they belong in a church. Beyond that, it just looks like a nice coffee house. There are nice tiffany lamps, leather coouches, and jazz music being played. I wonder  if this works for them as soft evangalism or if they just consider it a service for the community.

Anyway, I’m in love!

*Yes paying for space goes against the Seattle Free School Mantra, I figured if I had to pay for the space I would either remove the free school name from the class for that session or I would just call it a personal donation.

On Wednesday I finally got out to the Taize service held at the University UCC church. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while. The idea of a chanted service followed by a communal soup dinner, sounds delightful. I arrived a little bit early, and initially had some difficulty  getting into the building.

Once in I was greeted by a small group of folks, a total of 8 ended up showing up for the service. They introduced themselves and  I got to listen to their small talk as we waited for the beginning of the service. As the start time neared we wandered into the chapel. There was some commentary that since so and so was missing  that I could fill in as cantor ?!? I kinda just shook my head and said, I don’t think so.

Luckily the girl who was the cantor showed up.  I fumbled through the service, having some problems finding my footing and trying to figure out what was going on. At one point during the silence I wondered if I was supposed to be doing something to break the silence, was it really supposed to go this long, had  I  missed something? We also participated in communion, with each person offering communion to the person next to them. Kind of nerve wracking as you try to hold the bread and the cup and remember the right words to say, plus to remember the name of the person next to you!

For a girl who is comfortable in really any sort of UCC service, I was really thrown for a loop. This was all new to me. Afterwards we sat down and had a nice supper of curried sweet potato soup wiith mushrooms.  We went around the table , talked about our days and what was new with us. They signled me out and asked about me and made me feel welcomed. It was the best community experience yet.

I’ll be going back, it’s a small service and I look forward to being part of the community going forward.

I was early to service this morning, no big deal. Sat and sent a couple of text messages complaining to my partners about twisting my ankle on the way. (Second time in a week. Ouch!) Leah chided me about being a bad girl and texting at church. Later in the service I texted her to let her know we were running behind, so she should hold arrive a little later to pick me up.
She messaged back that I was still a bad girl, but maybe the church i visited last week could use Twitter for service. (Turns out Aron was responsible for the latter comment) I giggled because it seems like that would be something that an on the edge church would do.

A little research shows me that churches are already doing it. Some churches are simply doing feeds, while others are incorporating it into the service.
The former application is understandable, but the latter application seems just a little out there, at least for me. Second Life Church, Twitter Church. Whats next?

The church that I went to last Sunday used powerpoint , amplified music and a drum kit. The UCC has a church in Second Life, it’s not the only church that does.   Broadview UCC has an updated website with sermons available via podcast. University UCC has a blog, and a facebook account.   All this technology. To reach people and to appear more conected with the modern world. It’s well meaning, but sometimes, it seems they are doing these things for the effect and lose the meaning behind the different technologies.

Powerpoint and the drumkit: Sure they’re great, except it gives you no idea how the music goes for the particular song you are singing.
Congregation in Second Life: Very modern, except when I tried to show up for service there was no one there.
Sermon’s via podcast:  Very trendy. Except that it had a 2 year hiatus.
Church Blogs: Only as good as the update frequency and the interaction in comments.
Websites: Only as accurate as the last update. If you can tell when that was.

I believe that if churches are going to engage in new technology that there needs to be a dedication to go above and beyond. You need someone to invest in the technology on a personal level, and hopefully you need them to do that with 2-3 people to back them up. New technology  is not sustainable if you are not personally plugged into it.  The problem is, if the technology is neglected, those that you are hoping to attract with it  will ultimatly be turned away. 

I don’t have the answer to fix this. I don’t know if Church blogs and podcasts are something the everday church can engage in successfully.  I just think that  churches making these moves need to be more away of the impact they have when they adopt this new technology but don’t maintain it.

So I can officially say I’m back to attending church, on and off. Last week was Broadview UCC. This week was University UCC. The contrast is pretty clear between the two congregations. Going back to Broadview, i did have some of the initial “Where have you been” questions. Thing is they were cloaked in hugs and care and I knew that folks genuinely cared about me and wondered where I had been.  Sure I shrugged it off, and made a point of not hanging around for coffee hour, but the worship and the care was real.  
University again felt fairly anonymous. I came in right as service was staring and opted to sit up in the balcony. Since it was a small group, we circulated during passing of the
peace and someone asked if i was new. That was nice.  After service I didnt run out right away but  had a cup of coffee afterwards during the reception. I wandered around and looked at the different things going on, but really  I felt like a little lost puppy.  i finished my coffee and popped out over to Trabant to wait until the library opened.

I find University to be appealing because of the size of the Congregation and what a Congregation of that size means. There is a young adults group for those beyond youth group, a parents group, family events, a LGBTQ group. (Broadview does have one, but well.. I was never invited, and didnt want to push my brand of Q on them) There is an alternative style service held on the occasional Wednesday nights. There is a lot going on. I find it appealing because it reminds me of growing up in Downers Grove. I’ve said that before and don’t want to sound like a broken record but, it’s true.

Anyway, i need to figure out where i fit and where i want to be. i think its going to be a long process figuring it out. On the other hand, As i told  someone in the house hold this morning. “It’s ok if I go to the other church, after all God is in both places.”

Went to COTA tonight, for the second time. Aron stayed home to suprivse the half dozen teenage girls running rampant at the house, so I was on my own.

Again , I’m going to save my comments for a week or two to simmer on them and to  then post about both services I went to.

I do want to say that the group is extremely welcoming and friendly. I was recognized and welcomed by name, and invited for Sushi afterwards.

I’m looking forward to the Learning Party  next weekend.  I have more thoughts on the emergent church thing overall, and why I’m doing it. Those I’ll share later.

This entry is all about leaving you in suspense isnt it?

One of the changes I’m making this year is to change up my volunteering. I’ve been a fairly active volunteer since 2002, and have stayed steady with the same sort of events. I’ve worked special events like Bumbershoot, Summer Nights Concerts and Octoberfest. I’ve also done a little work for the Zoo.

I’ve been looking for something different though, something that would help people. While I am planning on ramping up my Church work as well, I wasnt looking for something explicitly Church related. It was mentioned at Church a few weeks ago that we were going to be making a donation to the Church of Mary Magdalene Dan mentioned something about serving by cooking them breakfast some Saturday morning.

I googled them Tuesday morning, sent off a quick email and got a quick response. Next Saturday I get my first chance. We’ll see how it goes.

As the new year starts, I look forward to seeking out  balance in my volunteer opportunities. It doesnt all have to be fun and games. Some of it can be serious work as well.

Christmas is just around the corner, a few days away. I’m the coffee hour host for Christmas  and will be bringing a small assortment of delightful treats. I was thinking about bringing cupcakes, because after  it is Jesus’s birthday right?

On a more serious note, I think I’m going to make a Christmas resolution. As Christmas is our celebration of the savior, similar to how other religions celebrate prophets, I’m going to take time in the next year to learn more about the historical jesus, and to  read more into his teachings in the bible. To spend the next year in a concentrated bible study of the gospels. It’s a nice goal and hopefully will help me give more depth to my beliefs.

Maybe this Christmas will mean something more.

Maybe this year, love will appear, deeper then ever before. – Ron Sexsmith

The meaning of Christmas can be deeply personal on a religous front. On a secular front Christmas and the  surrounding holidays are about love, forgiveness, and being kind to everyone, friend and foe. Christmas time is not a time to hold a grudge. Of course we should then have Christmas all year long?

Why should we only be at our very best for 6 weeks out of the year, From Thanksgiving to New Years. Why can’t we hold the Christmas spirit all year long?  Why do we let ourselves get so wrapped up in the trappings of the holidays and not in the meansings of them.

The Daily Om for a few days ago had the following suggestion:

"When exploring the true meaning of the holidays and getting back to the true spirit of the season, allow yourself to alter existing traditions. Even a blessing before a meal or a walk under the stars can help you reconnect with the holidays. Do what fulfills you and then stop before your celebration becomes more of a hassle than a happy occasion. Get back to the basics of generosity and goodwill, and your holiday will certainly be a rewarding one. "

This year we are having a fancy dinner on Christmas Eve, then a relaxed Christmas day. Perhaps we’ll start a new quieter tradition,without all the hustle and bustle for our family at home.

“Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.”  Leviticus 19:18