A week into May 2012 and I feel like I am "chasing my tail". The busyness is good but I lament not keeping people connected in a more timely fashion. April was filled with special events at New Wine. We began with Holy Week where this year I tried to take communion to each of our small groups that met that week. Communion in a "house church" always seems to emphasize the communal nature of the sacrament. This sacred meal is always a community act of worship and is not meant to be primarily a private experience. When we share it in our homes with our friends it has a special significance. Much like when we have friends over for dinner it really helps build our relationships and bonds us in a different way. I am particularly moved when the group is small enough that we pass the elements around helping our neighbor receive. This simple gesture is powerful as we hand each other the bread and the wine, proclaiming "the body of Christ" - "the cup of salvation".
Easter was another joyful gathering as
we broke out the "Alleluia's" in song and shouts of praise.
We used the Anglican Kenyon Order of Service which requires a great
deal of "call and response". No sleeping during this
liturgy! I always feel a deeper connection with other believers from
other parts of the world when we use this order of service. The
music was excellent and helped us kick off this joyous season.
The following Sunday we had the Covenant Players proclaim the Word to us through drama. Their main presentation was a contemporary skit similar to Pilgrim's Progress called "The Upward Path". The picture is of being a radical servant because you have been served. The skit portrayed a picture of how compelling "unconditional service" can be. The next Saturday a few of us practiced what they portrayed by joining Central Park Neighborhood Association (where our Sunday gathering space is located) for their Spring Clean-up day. I was also able to invite the AFS International Student Exchange Group I have helped with to join us for their annual day of service. That meant we had over a dozen international students from around the world raking, picking up trash and serving our neighbors. I can safely say all were blessed at many levels including those of us from New Wine.
The next day Mike and Amy Cupp, one of
our newest Church Planters in Michigan, visited us. We officially
sponsored Mike during his discernment process and Mike will soon be
ordained in the Mission. But because "performance often
proceeds position" in the AMIA, they have already begun meeting
with people in Grand Rapids and hope to move there in the near future
as the Lord opens up doors. We officially laid hands on them and
sent them out with a blessing April 22. But just as we sent them
off, our daughter Katie returned from her 6 month YWAM mission. It
has been a joy to hear how she has grown and found further direction
as she hopes to serve full time overseas someday.
Finally, the last Sunday of the month
we had Brian and Amy Wolthius from Holland, Michigan share with us
their vision of being missionaries to their neighborhood. They
intentionally located their family in the heart of the city to help
revitalize their neighborhood. They have organized community
gardening, rehab projects similar to Habitat for Humanity, and are
now offering a community gathering space above their garage as a
start up for a house church type fellowship. I love their heart that
has led them to build relationships first and now as a natural out
growth a church seems to be forming. Not your typical strategy and I
love it!This month has already started off strong with our Spring Listening Day. You can check out our blog to hear more about that at: www.NewWineMission.blogspot.com
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