"A Full Heart!"

Dear Friends,
This letter was written to my congregation in response to challenges we're facing in getting ready to lease our new building. I thought it such a complete summary of our hopes and dreams for the presence of the New Church in the Seattle area, I thought I would share it with you.

Peace,
Ethan

TO: MEMBERS AND FRIENDS OF LIGHT FOR LIFE

As I sit to write this letter today, I'm reminded just how true was this assertion of St. Francis of Assisi:

"Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received - only what you have given: a full heart, enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice and courage."

As most of you know, we've been working for the last several months on securing a new church home. The Columbia Plaza building (pictures attached), while by no means a "church building" in the traditional sense, I believe represents many challenges and many opportunities for growth in a section of the city we feel called by the Lord to serve. When selecting a building, there is some basic criteria to be mindful of. You may think I'm going to rattle off a list of construction details (already did - ask the building committee). Instead, I thought this simple list (from churchmarketingsucks.com) summed it up for me beautifully -

My criteria for a church building is:
- inviting
- relevant
- humble
- functional
- sanctuary

"The glory of the Lord is not in grand buildings but in love, meeting people’s needs and being a sanctuary." I couldn't have said it better myself. And listen to what the Heavenly Doctrine defines as "church":

"We can say the same of the church as we have of heaven, since the church is the Lord's heaven on earth. It also has many components, and yet each is called a church and is a church to the extent that the qualities of love and faith rule within it. In it, the Lord forms a single whole out of the varied elements, and therefore makes a single church out of many churches.(e) Much the same can be said of the individual member of the church as has been said about the church in general, namely that the church is within and not outside, and that anyone is a church in whom the Lord is present in the qualities of love and faith.(f) Much the same can be said of the individual who has the church within as has been said about the angel who has heaven within, that such an individual is a church in least form as the angel is a heaven in least form. Even more, we can say that the individual who has the church within is a heaven just as much as an angel is, for we have been created to enter heaven and become angels. So anyone who has the quality of goodness from the Lord is an angel-person.(g) It is worth noting what we have in common with angels and what we possess that they lack. We have in common with angels the fact that our deeper levels are formed in the image of heaven and that we also become images of heaven to the extent that we participate in the qualities of love and faith. What we have that angels lack is that our more outward levels are formed in the image of this world; and that to the extent that we are engaged in what is good, the world within us is subordinated to heaven and serves it;(h) and that then the Lord is present with us on both levels as he is in his heaven." (Heaven and Hell #57)

See anything about a building in there? I didn't either, you are the church. The church collective is made up of people who have the church inside them! Simple, beautiful definition. So, why am I bringing this up in a letter about a building? Because, in a sense, its not about the building. The building is a means. The Lord cares most about the end in view. Where it is matters. How we could serve matters. Who we could serve matters. All of those connect to the "end in view", the building of the Lord's kingdom on earth. This passage sums it up beautifully -

Our human body grows; so does our human mind. Our body grows in stature; our mind in wisdom. Furthermore, our mind rises up from one level to another. It goes from being earthly to being spiritual, and from being spiritual to being heavenly. At the lowest level we are knowledgeable; at the middle level we have understanding; at the highest level we are wise. This rising of the mind, though, happens only over the course of time; it takes place as we acquire truths for ourselves and connect them to something good. This process is much like building a house. First we get ourselves the materials for it - the bricks, the shingles, the beams, the boards. Then we lay the foundation, put up the outside walls, frame out the rooms, hang the doors, install the windows in the walls, and build the stairs from one level to the next. All these stages and features are together at once in our goal, however, which is the comfortable and respectable living space we planned and provided for. It is the same with a church building. As it is being constructed, all stages and features of it share one goal: the worship of God. The same goes for everything else - for example, horticulture and farming. It is also the same with management and business: the goal itself leads to the equipment and preparations necessary to meet that goal. (True Christianity #152)

Did you hear that? "The goal itself leads to the equipment and preparations necessary to meet that goal." This is where I want to get personal for a minute. When I first arrived here, I never would have dreamed I'd feel a life altering call to minister in this part of South Seattle. I don't have a systematic argument in return on the elements of the lease that some would question. What I have is a growing sense in my gut that I've been led here. That we've been led here. Clearly, if it doesn't work out - the Lord will guide the process of searching again for a suitable home. However, its important to me to consider that may be more permission than His will at that point. And while the Writings make the point that both are ultimately Providence at work, they draw the distinction to help make us aware that stewardship of influence is a key part of our life in this world. Those who may object on the basis of financial particulars could be missing the urging of the Spirit in their considerations. Enlightenment is according to the use and each of us has listened for the voice of vocation differently. This changes the shape of our call, and with it our ability to examine the issues that accord with our gifts most effectively. So too, those who urge purely on the basis of vision for the church without considering prudently enough the financial implications could be equally myopic. In this sense we really do need to try and come together at this stage of the church's development.

That said, the reason I bring all of this up is I truly am seeing reality differently at this stage than at least two of the other Board members, and feel the need to stand on my perception of the Lord's leading, however flawed. That perception is that we should move forward on this building at this time. We have achieved significant concessions on key issues of the rebuild, while recognizing there are remaining risks. I'm asking us to "risk on the side of love" for the sake of the vision. We've never done this so there's bound to be some fear, but we must try to balance that with a sense of the peace that comes from trust. This is courageous work. I believe this is summarized beautifully in the following passage from Romans: "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you learn to trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15: 13) This was posted to my Facebook page recently, to which Rev. Chuck Blair remarked: "I love the idea that church is about the decision to hope."

At the end of this e-mail I will attach the most recent revision of the lease together with my current understanding of the points of tension. Ultimately the Board will vote their conscience on these issues. But part of my reasoning for writing a letter was also to urge something of a redefinition to our traditional sense of a Board's role in our denomination. If you look at the Order and Organization, the emphasis is placed primarily on financial stewardship. I raised "stewardship of influence" because I believe first in order of priority for a church board actually needs to be consideration of the role of the Holy Spirit (and how we respond to it) which will ultimately shape the vision of the church. Some might say - "that's too ethereal a starting point", but I believe that's where my leadership of this process should start. Trying as much as possible to humble ourselves before the Lord in how we consider the use of His resources. The resources are the Lord's, not ours. And if we prayerfully work to keep that in the forefront of our vision in how we make this decision, I believe we're assured His blessing.

"If the Lord delights in our way, He will make our steps firm; though we stumble we will not fall. The Lord will hold us by the hand." (Psalm 37: 23, 24)

In Love,
Ethan