Contact - What if?

This is a bit of a different kind of posting. Just a warning.

What would be the impact on our religious faith if it were determined that there is intelligent life beyond our planet? Some of you might laugh, but we actually discussed this while in seminary for a week or so, and our professor, Ted Peters wrote about he subject.

So, while over-nighting at the Motel 6 ins Socorro, New Mexico, I suggested to Lisa that we drive out to see the VLA - Very large Array. She was happy to indulge her science and science fiction interested husband. (Did you know that about me, I'm a huge Sci-Fi buff. Took a class in both high School and College in Science Fiction literature. Bradbury, Heinlein, Ursula LaGuinn)

Anyway. I wanted to see the VLA, because it's the location of more astronomical discoveries than an other single Astronomy location. The VLA is located at about 7,000 feet on a high plateau in the middle of nowhere New Mexico. It is here that we've learned about the origins of our universe, the nature of Black holes, and many other discoveries. It was also a place I knew my Dad would have wanted to see, and not sure if he ever did, I wanted to make the pilgrimage for him.

It was a long drive but worth it. Today the VLA is undergoing a conversion from Analogue to Digital technology. You can visit their website at the link.

Another reason for going is the science fiction part. One of my favorite movies, Contact, was based at the VLA. I've posted the iconic photo from the film below, where Dr. Arroway, played by Jodie Foster listens to the faint signals of what will become schematic for the construction of a space ship (of sorts) designed to contact aliens. The film is based on a screenplay by Carl Sagan.

So what does a science fiction film have to do with this blog?

Answer, It deals with very interesting questions of science and religion, particularly in relationship to faith, doubt and conviction.

If you haven't seen the film, I recommend it to you. Click here for the trailer. And order it on Netflix or whatever way you get your films.

As one person described the films religion/science tension here: At the end of the film, Arroway is put into a position which she had traditionally viewed with skepticism and contempt: that of believing something with complete certainty, despite being unable to prove it in the face not only of widespread incredulity and skepticism (which she admits that as a scientist she would normally share), but of evidence apparently to the contrary.

Zemeckis (the films Director also of Forest Gump fame) stated that he intended the message of the film to be that science and religion can co-exist rather than being opposing camps, as shown by the coupling of scientist Arroway with the religious Joss, as well as his acceptance that the "journey" indeed took place. This, and scattered references throughout the film posit that science and religion are not nominally incompatible: one interviewer, after asking Arroway whether the construction of The Machine - despite not knowing what will happen when it is activated - is too dangerous, suggests that it is being built on the "faith" that the alien designers, as Arroway puts it, "know what they're doing."

Ecclesia - Houston

Who would have thought that Houston, Texas would be home to a truly progressive church. Located in the arts district of urban Houston, Ecclesia provides a unique ministry. A recording studio, a coffee house, an Art gallery and a church serving about 1,000 people in 4 worship services. You can check out their website here.

Ecclesia is a greek word which means "church".

We attended the evening worship service, after having been in Austin, TX in the morning. So who goes to two different worship services that are located 3 hours away from each other? Pastors on sabbatical - that's who.

Personally, I am really glad we did this. The worship service on Sunday evening was so rich. It was filled with everything from humor to great music to creativity to mystery. The art gallery has portraits from the TV show "Lost." And their lead Pastor has just written a book called "The Gospel according to Lost."

Here are some photos of the site. A simple place. They bought the building from a previous congregation that was going out of business.

Lisa and I made a brief video of several of our visits, and popped it in the mail to be shown in worship during the next week or so. You'll have to come and check it out - as well as my new look. :)

.

Church Under the Bridge

On Sunday morning we were in Austin, Texas for the Church under the Bridge. It was freezing, I mean we were freezing. But, then again, all those homeless people were either in shelters or on the street in the below freezing weather. Apparently, the cold weather also affected the attendance, as there were fewer people than usual.

We had a nice chat with a man (pictured with Lisa). He was originally from Honduras, which was a nice connection.

Each week a different church takes a Sunday to host the worship service, make a Lunch or serve coffee and hand out anything from sleeping bags to hygiene kits.

On a sad note, we learned that the main Pastor who had served as a Street Preacher for years, died suddenly about one month ago in a car accident.

This is clearly a wonderful ministry to a small portion of the 6,000 homeless in Austin, Texas. It requires a tremendous amount of organization and volunteer commitment. Once again it's great to see what is happening across the country in the name of Christ.

Lament for Haiti

This video takes a while to load. Give it a minute to load, then hit play.

Saw this in worship today and wanted to share it with all of you.

Healing Place Church - Baton Rouge

We's passin' through Leesiana, or as they say in Rhode Island Louisianner.

Driving down I-10, we saw this Methodist Disaster response truck towing a trailer. The guys in the front seat looked like Roger Stedman and Kenny Piquette. Made us think. Hmmmmmmmmm. Not a bad idea.

Why is it that we seem to hit some of these churches with Dream Center's on days with pouring rain?

Healing Place Church, Baton Rouge, Louisiana is a huge church, I mean HUGE. They are building a brand new sanctuary that is nearly complete. Looks like the Ryan Center at URI, you can see the photo above. Well, in the south there are lots of Big churches, but what makes this place unique is that they have built there entire ministry around Service. Service to their community, to their neighbors, to people of various ethnic backgrounds. This is also a Multi-site church, with a Spanish language site, two other locations and a Dream Center based in the very economically depressed town of Donaldsville, LA which is surrounded by Oil refineries, and as a piece of history, served as a temporary Capital of the confederacy in 1861, before it was moved to Montgomery.

We drove by the Donaldsville site. It's very basic, an old brick building. But it serves as a resource center for the community. Again, like the Seacoast church in South Carolina, Free medical services, and dental services to those without insurance, Pro Bono legal help, counseling, job training, homework resources for children.

I'm really surprised at what I'm finding on this trip. A lot of churches are going multi-site and all out on service ministry. And the service ministry is serious stuff. This is not just handing people something, these churches are going deep in to people's lives. They are getting inside families with serious problems. This is impressive, and inspiring.


.

Alabama - A History Tour

After we left Atlanta, Lisa and I headed toward Alabama. Heavy rains forced us to find a hotel sooner than expected, so we spent the afternoon watching the NFL playoff games. A heartbreak for my wife the Minnesotan.

Alabama afforded us the opportunity to dive deep into the History of the Civil Rights movement. We downloaded the audiobook of Taylor Branch's Parting the Waters and Pillar of Fire. It's a History of America in the King years 1955-1963 and 1963-65. As we drove into Birmingham, Selma and Montgomery, visiting the churches and locations of some of the key events of the Civil Rights movement - we had an audio tour of the history thanks to Branch's excellent, and Pulitzer Prize winning books.

What struck me so in revisiting this material, is the role of the Christian church in the movement to secure voting rights for Black people in the south. Churches both Black and White were deeply involved in this controversial struggle to secure basic rights for all American citizens. It may be hard for us to recall, but the period of 1898 (after the Supreme Court's Plessy vs Ferguson decision, in which they said that separate but equal was ok, this allowed segregation to expand in the south) until the Voting rights act of 1965 - Black people were not allowed to vote.

Charles Morton, in the photo above, was a young man in the early 1960's. We met him in Selma, where he should us the jars of cotton balls and jelly beans that were used as a voter registration test for Black people. When you went in to register to vote, if you were Black, the clerk asked you to tell him how many jelly beans were in the jar or how many cotton balls. You had to guess right, just looking at the jar. Of course, no one ever guessed right, so you failed. Mr. Morton spent some time with Lisa and I telling of his own participation in the March from Selma to Montgomery.

The last couple days have been a profound reminder of the witness of the Christian faith when we embrace the teachings of Jesus. I've been reading some of Martin Luther King's sermons, including "Loving your Enemies." King reminds us that it does not say, "Like your Enemies", which is sentimental, but Agape (the Greek word for Love) your enemies, which is understanding, redemptive goodwill for all people - even those whom you don't think deserve it. Hmmmm, that's powerful, whether you are facing a sheriff with a night stick in Alabama in 1965 or a bully in your 7th grade classroom.

In the Photos above, the statue of King outside of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, AL, which was the center of organizing. Birmingham was the site of those brutal images of firehoses and dogs used against protesters. The red brick church of Dexter Ave Baptist church which was King's first church in Montgomery, AL. Mr Morton holding the jars, and a tribute to Civil Rights at the Southern Poverty Law Center designed by the same sculpture who designed the Vietnam Memorial in Washington DC.

elevenofive

So what do you do if your a historic church with a long history of traditional worship, fine intellectual preaching in an upscale neighborhood, but you've got young families moving in to your neighborhood?

This morning we worshipped at elevenOfive (i.e. 11:05 a.m.) This is the contemporary worship service that Peachtree Presbyterian Church started. They moved the service to a location across the street from the historic church. What we experienced was a contemporary worship with a great sermon delivered by a gifted young Pastor. They had a wonderful announcement with a brief video of their Global Mission trips. This church has taken people to Palestine, Malawi and Pakistan in recent years.

What I'm taking away from this trip so far is the diverse ways that the Christian church is manifesting itself, especially through multiple locations, multiple worship services and a commitment to both local and global mission.