If you meet monthly, what do I do with the rest of my month?
Christendom is built on a weekly gathering model.
It’s not, of course, the only way. Monasteries meet daily, while the
Old Testament festival pattern suggests three times a year. (Deuteronomy
16:15-16: “For seven days celebrate … Three times a year you must
appear.”)
So on Sunday we visited a monthly all-age evening church service. And
really, really enjoyed it – the friendly welcome, the diversity of
cultures and ages, the oh so natural laughter and engagement. But, like
many all-age events, and like much of the early alt.worship movement,
they meet monthly.
So what do we do with the rest of the month?
- Try another one of the services. But that is unlikely to appeal,
given that we came to the monthly one because of the values (all-age,
over food, local community)? - Enjoy the weekends ie only do gathered church once a month?
- Form ourselves into a local community action group and do something missional in the in-between weeks?
I’d especially like to hear from folk who themselves have tried
monthly patterns, as to what they would reply, and how they sort to
build values of community and formation around a monthly gathered
pattern? I’m also interested in class, because I suspect that the more
educated you are, the easier is a self-sustaining spirituality, but that
pattern might not prove pastorally rich enough when you are working
with marginalised folk.
Originally posted at Sustain:if:able Kiwi
