Practicing the [unconventional] way of Jesus together

I still remember the reaction of a colleague when I told him about The Well’s practice of pausing each 5th Sunday to encourage everyone (even the pastor) to receive the gift of rest.

What if people show up and you’re not there? What if someone is having a crisis and the doors are closed?

What I heard him say was: You can’t do that! That’s not what churches do.

I’ve thought about this reaction a lot over the past 10 years of sabbath Sundays, and the many other times we’ve changed courses or meeting places. We have had people show up and find no one there. We’ve had people forget or not get the memo, but these little disruptions have highlighted the need to pay attention, to challenge assumptions, and to reflect on why we do what we do in the first place.

Is the church here to provide a service & fulfill expectations or is our purpose to practice the life-giving, love-centered way of Jesus together?

According to this recent blog post by my colleague, Ryan Bonfiglio, “Choosing to be unbound by convention isn’t easy and might feel scary as hell. It certainly will result in criticism. It absolutely will put you face to face with uncertainty.” Yet, if we remain bound to convention, “we will forfeit something vital about Jesus’ ministry. Virtually everything Jesus did was unconventional with respect to the established religious, social, and political systems of his day.”

I don’t know that sabbath Sundays will remain the best way for us to reinforce the importance of rest as a spiritual practice, but I do know we must continue to dare being unconventional if we are to be true to our mission.

If as you rest this Sunday, you miss this community of friends that gathers most Sundays , perhaps you can reflect on what exactly you miss and on how you are being shaped and challenged and invited through our unconventional life together. If departing from a more conventional church routine is still disconcerting, perhaps wonder what that feeling is all about for you.

And if you show up at Hyperion expecting to find us there, remember to pay attention (& read your weekly update!).

Enjoy the rest,

Susan