Why Church on a Blanket?

Why Church On A Blanket:

So for those of you who may not know how or why church on a blanket got started I will give you a brief history..  Almost a decade ago my then wife Cammy asked me if I would help her do an event in our yard during the pause. Its purpose was to gather our friends and family from the church for a backyard picnic style event. It would be open to everyone and we could put signs out then invite our neighbors, which we did. As we shared our idea with people from the church the desire of people to be a part of it increased and boom we had our volunteers for the day of the event. The first year we had Blake Paine a then AC3er preach a message. And we played minute to win it games At the tail end of it.

 At the close of the day when the last guest had left  and the last paper plate had been thrown away we sat back at the fire pit and talked about how good today was. We met people we did not know, and we made new friends. It seemed as though people connected on a level that we hadn't seen before It was as though the cliques that do exist were thrown away for the day and it felt like family had come to visit. The day left its mark on our yard and our hearts. 

A lot has changed in my life since then but the reason I  Continue to do church on a blanket is still the same. It feels like a family reunion, It feels more personal than inside the building, and it blesses the lives of those who come, and it certainly continues to bless my life. 

This year its location changed because my friends wanted to make it easier on my physical body, due to my struggle with ALS.  So new spot same gig. Come as you are, invite a neighbor or family member or a friend. Bring food you like or something to share or nothing and enjoy the abundance of the food that comes. I hear there's secret stuff brewing behind the scenes.. but i won't pry (YET).
Wayne-o

Why Pause?

Here's a fun question: When was the last time you heard anyone - better yet, a Bible-believing Christian - openly brag about breaking a commandment?

I'll wait while you think.

Nothing?

Normally I'd say, "Never". Never in my life have I walked into church or into a small group and overheard anything like, "I am the best at dishonoring my parents - I dishonor them all the time. "I'm a parental nightmare!" or "You call that a lie? That's nothing! I've lied WAY more than you" or "Guess who coveted their neighbor's ox today? THIS GUY!"

That would be silly.

And yet...

Christians of all generations, denominations, and lifestyles (especially those of us in the 21st Century West) basically do this all the time without even realizing we do it.

Guess which of the 10 commandments we love to brag about -even celebrate and reward - breaking?

It's the 4th one.

"Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy." - Exodus 20:8

"Sabbath". That's a weird word. A little vague, right? Antiquated. After all, the Sabbath in the context of this verse was only a special rule for the Hebrew people, not necessarily their Christian descendants, right? On this side of Christ's death and resurrection, we understand that no one particular weekday is any more or lesss sacred than any other. And besides, I go to church every Sunday! Well, most Sundays... Sabbath is meant to be holy. Going to church is holy. Most Christians consider Sunday "the Sabbath"...so.

There! I remembered it. I'm keepin' it holy. What's the problem?

Well, like many of God's rules, we often miss the forest for the trees, so to speak -getting lost in the minutia, the technicalities, and ultimately missing the whole point of the rule itself. And if God's people love to do anything, it's arguing about His rules!

"Sabbath", the word itself and what it means, has been argued about by God's people since the word was first written down. It was a VERY big deal in Mosaic Law (after all, it made the Big Ten), but it was also a HUGE source of controversy amongJ ewish people in Jesus' day. Jesus Himself ended up getting involved in several debates regarding the nature of "Sabbath", often ticking off the religious leaders of his day. It was such a controversial topic, in fact, that the amount of hysteria andc onflict surrounding the "Sabbath debate" was not dissimilar to the modern American church's current debate over sexuality and gender politics. The debate over "Sabbath" incited physical fights, bred factions, and even cost people their positions in their religious communities if they didn't adhere to the correct definition...which was different depending on who you asked.

It was a big deal.

"Sabbath", I submit, is no less of a big deal for us today than it was then. Jesus had alot to say on the subject, and His words stand forever. However, as people of the New Covenant, our approach will be (and ought to be) different than it was for our Jewish predecessors. It is not confined to an hour of a day, or even a day of the week. Sabbath is an ongoing process, a heart posture, if you will; and it is much more essential to the Christian life than most of us would ever have guessed growing up in our fast-paced, 24/7, 40+ hour work weeks.

"Sabbath" might simply be called "intentional rest". Exodus 20:9-11 goes on to state explicitly that one day out of every week (basically, one seventh of your entire mortal life) should be set apart ("made holy") as a day of "intentional rest". This was not a suggestion. It was a command. By virtue of being on the Big Ten roster, "intentional rest" is just as much of a moral priority to God for you as not lying, not stealing, not cheating on your spouse, and even NOT KILLING PEOPLE.

Wow!

And yet, we love to break it. All the time. We feel proud of ourselves for it, expect it from others, and are even rewarded with money, prestige, and respect as a result of breaking it. Christians may not brag about all the cash that they stole or the times they looked at pornography, but we have no shame going on and on about how busy, important, and subsequently, how exhausted we are - ESPECIALLY those of us in vocational ministry! Often I find myself making the false equivalency between doing" the Lord's work" on a weekend (and throughout the week) and thinking that counts as Sabbath. It's actually pretty funny, when you think about it. And it's an easy mistake to make.

But it's still a mistake.

In the 24 years that Allen Creek Community Church has existed, we have set apart (made holy) the month of August as a month of "intentional rest" for our congregation, volunteers, and leadership. We call it the PAUSE. Not a year goes by where we are short of strange looks or confused questions regarding "Why?" we do this. "You take a whole month off from church?? Isn't that, like, immoral?"

We would say no, actually - just the opposite.

It is right. It is moral. It is very, very good. And, it is necessary. Oh, so necessary.

Personally, I've learned that Sabbath as an ongoing, intentional spiritual practice is non-negotiable. It's not even going far enough to simply call it a "rule" or a "command". Sabbath is like gravity in that we can't exactly "opt out" whenever we want. Or, more accurately, it is like oxygen - humans can't just "go without it"; no matter how much church work needs to get done; no matter how many events we're expected to squeeze onto our calendars; no matter how busy and important and essential we think we are; no matter how healthy we appear or feel. The consequences of not resting will eventually catch up with you physically, mentally, emotionally, and CERTAINLY spiritually.

Humans need rest. Even in Eden, before the Fall and sin and all of that junk, Adam and Eve rested on their very first day on earth. No really. In fact, God Himself rested, for our benefit and example, even though He didn't (and doesn't) have to. Some theologians have even made the argument that the 4th Commandment was technically the very first commandment, because it predates the Mosiac Law*.

So, if humans need rest by design, if Sabbath was expected of us even before the Fall, and if GOD HIMSELF RESTED...who are we to say we get to break this commandment? Are we holier than God??

I sure ain't.

So, I'm planning to make the most of my PAUSE this August, and I hope you will join me in this month of "intentional rest", whatever that may mean for you, your family, and God.

And by the way, if you are looking to learn more about "Sabbath" in general, or are looking for some cool, practical ways to begin practicing Intentional Rest, consider this blog post my official commercial for the book Subversive Sabbath by A.J. Swoboda. Great read. Changed my life. All the stars.

Shabbat Shalom, AC3!

*for more on the theological implications of Sabbath and Genesis, check out Subversive Sabbath by Dr. A.J. Swoboda

-Written by Kellie Ade

AC3 VB183 Step Into the Pause

Check out this weeks video blog with Pastor Dan! Enjoy :)

AC3 VB182 Pause for the Cause

Should AC3 Pull Out Of The WCA Leadership Summit?

As you know, AC3 hosts the Willow Creek Association Leadership Summit every August.  And if you haven't heard by now, the whole WCA (of which AC3 is a part) has been reeling since Bill Hybels was accused of sexually inappropriate gestures and overtures during his tenure as pastor and leader of the WCA.  He has denied the accusations, but has resigned from his all his roles at Willow.

This week, we received a couple of appeals for AC3 to suspend hosting the Summit in order to stand in solidarity with the victims of sexual abuse and the #metoo movement.  In case you have been wondering about that yourself, I thought I should show you one exchange I had which reveals our reasons for continuing to host the Summit this year, despite the scandal surrounding Bill Hybels.

Dear Pastor Rick,
I am the personal friend of one of the victims of sexual harassment by Bill Hybels at Willow Creek Community Church. I would gently request that you might consider pausing on hosting the Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit at Allen Creek Community Church later this summer, to show solidarity with the multiple victims at Willow Creek Community Church.
Christ Church of Oakbrook https://www.cc-ob.org/glsupdateand
Grace Church Indiana: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNQLNs-6RS0have set a really beautiful example, as the leadership at both these megachurches have already withdrawn from hosting the Global Leadership Summit in solidarity with the victims.
Thank you so much for taking the time to consider my request

My reply:

Thanks for the email and for voicing your request in this way.  I really appreciate the spirit of your appeal.

I have viewed both the sermon you posted below from Grace Church and the PSA from Christ Church.  There were very touching in places and I understand why those churches are deciding to Pause the Summit at their locations this year.  We’ve considered doing the same.  However, to this point, the elders have decided to continue to host the Summit.

We talk about what happened at Willow and our decision here:

http://allencreekcc.blogspot.com/2018/04/ac3-vb173-willow-creek-part-1.html

and here:

http://allencreekcc.blogspot.com/2018/04/ac3-vb173-willow-creek-part-2.html

The question before us, is whether a pause is required to advance the cause against sexual harassment in the world and in the church, or needed to express solidarity with the victims of sexual abuse overall, or those specifically involved with Bill.  I’m not certain there’s a direct correlation.  In fact, as I’ll mention below, I’m not sure all the victims would want us to make this boycott for their sake and the #metoo cause.

Of course, the Summit is deeply connected with Hybels.  Because of that deep connection between one man and the Event, any participation in the event will be seen by some as some kind of endorsement of that man and his alleged bad behavior.   To me, to suspend our participation on these grounds gives credence to a fallacy.  Namely, that the Summit and the movement that Willow spawned and the leadership passion and vision they’ve inspired is tied to that single man.

It’s not.  We never believed this, and to cancel our participation now, would seem to put the lie what we said we believed (the Summit isn’t about Hybels).   And it would be implicit agreement with the idea that if his name is besmirched then the Summit itself carries a black mark.  And finally it would suggest that all Christians of good conscience and who care for the sexually abused must now defect to look better in the eyes of those who are making what is essentially a false equivocation.

I’d rather live a little less pragmatically, for the sake of the optics of a thing, and more for the ideals of a thing.  And in this case the Summit ideal is about Leadership, and about the Local Church thriving and persevering and being well led.  The Summit ideal is also about inspiring this kind of passion, vision and leadership in women as well as men.  If we all pull out, that vision takes a huge hit.

I suspect the real effect of a defection from Summit sponsorship now will be twofold:  one, it will make those who pull out look like they really care about women and the #metoo movement, which I’m certain they do.  Two, it will serve to punish the WCA for what Bill did.

Regarding those two outcomes:  First, I’m not interested in punishing anyone, that’s not my business or my job, that’s God’s job.  Secondly, about showing people what we care about:  if people don’t already know that we, at AC3, care about women, and give them an equal seat at the table, and think that sexual abuse is bad, by anyone, but most especially by those in Christian leadership, then they simply don’t know us.

If our reputation goes down in the world or in the church because we continue to host the Summit, an event that has nothing to do with endorsement of sexual abuse… that’s a hit I guess we’ll have to endure.  Our reputation as a church has been built by what we’ve been about over a long run, and will not be radically affected by soundbites and guilt by association.  To those who would allow themselves to be so affected, we’ll be sorry about that, but they’re not thinking very deeply.

We have members at our church who also were close friends of one of the accusers in the Hybels scandal.  They are certain of her character and obviously are heartbroken for both their friend, and their former church (Willow) and for Hybels who affected them so positively for the many years they lived in Chicago.  And their friend, while wanting truth to out, and Hybels to be held accountable, would not wish for Willow or the mission of the WCA be devastated because of his sin.

I hope, as you implore churches to consider pausing the Summit to make a statement, you also consider that those not joining you are not necessarily disagreeing with the statement you want churches to make.

AC3 VB134 Pause Events

Hey everyone! :) Sorry we've been away from the video blogs for a while but here is a new one! Enjoy as Dan discusses what the Pause schedule looks like for this August.

AC3 VB116 The Pause Is Over!

The Pause is over! Check out this weeks video blog right here. Enjoy! :)

AC3 VB114 Look Who's Back!

Rick's back! Enjoy :)

AC3 VB113 Current Events

Check out this weeks video blog right here as Dan talks about the Pause and other things going on in the world. Enjoy! :)

AC3 VB112 Dunce

Check out this weeks video blog as Dan discusses a little more about the upcoming Pause this August. Don't forget we have a new app that makes it easy to view our blogs and everything else AC3! Search "Allen Creek" on your device app store. Enjoy! :)

AC3 VB77 Pause

Enjoy this weeks video blog! :)

AC3 VB34 Pause Week 5

Our last "Pause" video blog coming at you with Dan. Enjoy! :)