The Homeless Church

A "you are not alone" link.  Does your church fear for its future?  You are not alone.  The pic below is a link to a podcast about churches that are going through foreclosure proceedings.

What hope exists for a church after it becomes homeless?

• If the church members worship a physical structure, then no hope exists.  Once the members can no longer afford their reason for being and lose their building, the church will disband.  It will feel like a part of them has died, and they will grieve the loss a long, long time.
• If the church members worship a living Spirit, then every hope exists in Christ.  It will feel like a part of them has died, and in Christ they will experience a resurrection, a new life after death.

I currently worship in a coffee shop/book store.  I've also worshiped in a gym, a school cafeteria, a convention hall, as well as out-of-doors.  My experience shows me that worship does not require a certain type of building.  The Spirit will meet us anywhere we gather in Christ's name.

One possible benefit from this cycle of foreclosures-- maybe the experience will help us relate to others who have lost their homes.  If the homeless church can bear witness to hope in the midst of hopelessness, then maybe the source of that hope will become real for others.

Wesleyan Eco-Spirituality

The photo below is linked to an article that appeared in the July 23, 2014 issue of the New York Times.  The story of this farm/Jewish spirituality center got me thinking about all the church yards that could be used as a space to practice Creation care as a work of mercy.

Such a spiritual discipline would fit with the teachings in some of Wesley's later sermons:

"God's Approbation of His Works"
"The New Creation"
"The General Deliverance"

Do you know of a program that links a theology of Creation with practices of stewardship?