Another Q day down. Another half to go... Tonight, Rob Bell shared (yes, more than 18 minutes...) and then led us into a time of communion. As usual, Rob was excellent and challenged us with some great thoughts on the Eucharist. Here are a few notes:
EU (Good)
CHARIS (Gift/Grace)
EUCHARIST
The Eucharist is usually thought of as a ritual in which we acknowledge and reflect on this good gift of God. It's seen as a "thing" you do... But what if the Eucharist were to become a whole way of life?
A leader's life is an endless process of constantly being broken and poured out.
The Eucharist is not just a ritual - it is a whole way of life.
A church is invited to be a Eucharist to its community - broken and poured out...
The church is the only organization that exists for the benefits of it's non-members.
Does the church exist for its own ego or as a good gift for the world?
Luke 22:18 - "Do this in remembrance of me."
What if Jesus was using this in a broader sense of saying, "Do this (what you see ME DOING) in remembrance of me?" ...an invitation to be a living eucharist for the world we live in.
Too often, we try to reproduce another church's Eucharist without being broken or poured out. The reason it worked there in the first place was because SOMEONE poured out. So we need to ask the question: What does it mean for me to be a Eucharist to these people (in our communities/culture) here and now?
A question they have been asking at Mars Hill: If our church was removed from our community, who would protest?
What does it mean to be a "good gift" to our community?
There is always a cost... If Eucharist is "pouring out" you must allow time to pour back in.
Where are you in the Eucharist rhythm?
Really interesting post, Scott. Especially for someone who's tribe is The Salvation Army.
Blessings
J
Posted by: Johnny Laird | April 27, 2007 at 05:34 AM
Scott-
seems like amazing can't quite describe Q. man, i'm already chewing on all the stuff i can get from you and others. this is where it's at. the future of church and where we need to be.
you going to Catalyst this year??? it's 20 mins from where i am. maybe we can meet up. holla.
Posted by: Flaviu | April 27, 2007 at 07:20 AM
ooh man rob bell is another one of my heros!
Posted by: Bekah | April 27, 2007 at 07:23 AM
Scott...good stuff. The Eagles have a song that says every form of refuge has its price.
What price are we willing to pay?
Posted by: Michael | April 27, 2007 at 09:27 AM
I love Rob Bell's perspective, and it's so exciting to see Mars Hill extending their emphasis on outreach even further. He shared some of these thoughts to the church in a recent sermon, too.
Posted by: Jon Sampson | April 27, 2007 at 09:49 AM
Oh, wow.... I'm almost in tears after reading that.... I've got to share that with our church this evening. Thanks, Scott, for giving us a glimpse into this meeting.
Posted by: Chad Payne | April 29, 2007 at 04:55 PM