Holiday: Talking Church

One of the things I've been looking forward to with my parents here is Talking Church. Dad pastors a cool, young church in Sydney - the kind that makes other, more conservative churches nervous, so much so that they may occasionally send out nasty letters and articles, condemning things like "neo-penticostal worship styles" in un-named (but rather obvious as to who they are) congregations... :)

One can't really chat effectively on subjects like this by email or even MSN. It's always better done in person, and I had a good few things I wanted to chat about!

But before I could even get going, my parents surprised me with some comments they made to married-in family at the big get-together meal after my nephew's dedication. As much as I thought we weren't on the same page, we not only are but we're thinking radically in the same direction.

Words like "emerging", "congregational incorporation", "experiential", and "risky" were thrown around with abandon and relish. Words I didn't even think were within my parent's radar.

There's a lot going on in their lives and in the church they pastor. There's so much positive stuff happening. My dad would dearly love to bring out a group from his church to South Africa to help inspire the churches here - but is coming up against the usual this-is-how-we've-always-done-it wall. In order for the group to be effective in helping, a mindset change is needed. I don't know if it will happen.

Yesterday my mom and I got talking about creative worship and the arts. She heads up the Visual Arts section of the church, but they're not doing all they could, all they want to. I've put together a list of websites and articles she can check in on to gather inspiration for her team.

Although we haven't even scratched the surface, I've been left feeling very positive about what my parents are doing for God and for the group they serve. I've also been left heartsore over those stuck in a system/routine that isn't working, and unwilling to change. I know I can't MAKE people see things differently, but I hope and pray that my experiences and journey may serve as a little light, a tiny spark, that may help someone in need see things differently and be willing to take the risks to change and discover what God can do when we let Him work.