Website News!

That title is a little more positive than I felt this morning, when I realized that the Church is Alive website was broken in Chrome and Safari. The method I was using to mask the blog was broken by an update to web kit (I think), so for the time being we'll be on blogspot. Don't cha worry though, you can still send your friends to thechurchisalive.com! Sorry about the mess!

Grace and Peace - Josh.

[UPDATE 11/21/09] Everything should be A-OK now, including any image caching issues you might have had. Things still look wonky or did you find something I missed? Shoot me an email: joshutk(at)gmail.com

What If? A (Very) Open Question

"What if...?" is one of my favorite questions, it really allows you to move into the wonderful land of the hypothetical and daydream a little bit. So I was intrigued by a video from the PC(USA) that popped up on YouTube last week and made its way around the offices of Montreat Conference Center, where I work...


The video poses some great questions, and I think we're best served by taking this to the comments.What do you think about the PC(USA) office teaming up with institutions like Montreat to offer special programs? Are camps and conference centers connected to the denomination at large as closely as they should be? What would you like to see camps and conference centers do more of? Less of? Start doing?

For the record, one of my favorite answers is "Why not?"

Generations of Christ - Carol Howard-Merritt

One of our elders, a twenty-something law student, explained recently, “Living in D.C. as a young woman, I could live my whole life and never talk to someone who is older.” She went on to tell us that the reason why she attends Western Presbyterian Church is because she has a chance to be with people from all different generations.

And it is wonderful to see—we have Christmas Pageants with responsible college students working as stage director, making sure that the costumes stay on. We have Easter hunts, with young professionals stuffing eggs. And all throughout the year, recent graduates learn from young parents, how to juggle the challenges of careers and raising children. Men and women who are getting their first “real” job have a chance to talk to retiring people, and learn what they need to negotiate now, in order to be prepared for the future.

The Sacred Space of Life

I do a good bit of traveling these days for work, and last week found me in the great state of Illinois. I’ve recently become a huge fan of audio books. Being able to actually get some reading done while driving is well, perfect. Though there is always the issue with the narrator. I have a slight admission, on long driving stretches, I really enjoy the sometimes corny, and over eccentric voice of a narrator. Last week though, I found no such voice, but rather Barack Obama’s voice as he narrated, Dreams From My Father. Now I know there may be some of you out there that are rolling your eyes at the fact that I waited to listen to this particular audio book until I was in “the great state of Illinois”. I understand that, and I honestly thought about this fact, but my inner nerd only reinforced my decision. As I drove the highways of Illinois, through her corn fields, and around her wind turbines, Barack’s voice boomed in the rented Prius as he told the stories of his life.

Are Our Congregations Eco-Friendly Enough?

God saw all that God had made, and behold, it was very good.

My front porch offers quite a view. I live on the side of a mountain, and looking out offers a great view of brightly colored tree tops (I love fall) and various mountaintops that surround Montreat, North Carolina. This valley is beloved by many Presbyterians for its beauty and tranquility, the intangibility of “getting away from it all” presents itself clearly here. In the US, we’re fortunate to have places for solace and sabbath close at hand, but that proximity also blinds us to the fact that our consumption is killing us.

An Open Question: Who Are We? No, Seriously, Who?

A few days ago a Divinity school friend and I were strolling down a dusty, red-bricked sidewalk. As the greens, golds and maroon-browns of fall spiraled down from the trees around us, we started commiserating about a church service we had just attended. Naturally, we - being Presbyterians - jokingly hyper-analyzed the sermon and highlighted the theological conundrums brought up by the pastor. I had enjoyed the service, but my friend felt otherwise - she just “wasn’t a fan.” She explained that it had been a “somewhat unorthodox” Presbyterian service, complete with boisterous musical numbers (Johnny Cash) and a slightly-less-than-organized order of worship (I still have no idea what happened during the Children’s Sermon). As such, she seemed displeased and uncomfortable with the overall feel of the service. Given that I, admittedly, really like organic approaches to worship, I started to press my friend for a specific reason for discomfort.

Risking and Trusting

Book of Order
G 3.0400 Called to Risk and Trust
The Church is called to undertake its mission even at the risk
of losing its life, trusting in God alone as the author and giver of
life, sharing the gospel, and doing those deeds in the world that
point beyond themselves to the new reality in Christ.

There's always a precarious balance between tradition and newness. A community of faith MUST remain grounded in the reformed tradition which calls us to continually be guided by God-inspired scripture that has led our church fathers (and mothers!) to establish what we have today. However, a community of faith MUST also be continually committed to the NEW things the Holy Spirit is calling us to each and every day.