community living and campfires

Last year we purchased a small trailor home at LC. We did this after renting cabins there for the last 8 yrs or so. We have found that the practice of living in community is alive and well at this campground. We share meals together, help eachother with projects, share campfires, go to the store for eachother, and just chat endlessly. Last saturday, 25-30 people all pooled our food and had a delicious meal of kewpie burgers (an old mr fables staple) and many dishes to pass. These impromptu meal gatherings happen often.
In the evening there are various campfire gatherings in the campground, the people-mix gives these various campfires their own personalitys. On this night there is the teenage campfire, the lotsa cussing campfire, the light drinking quiet fire, and various other variations of campfires.
Inevitably as it gets late the conversation often turns to God stuff (especially if its a one on one that includes me). The man who owns and runs the campground has been burned by Christians, burned by the super religious especially of a certain denomination, (or the CR's) as he calls them, who watch the campground through their telescopes across the lake and then leave nasty notes on his door about what they saw going on. These clowns give the church a bad name.
So we talk about the Jesus who preached to the religious of his day, how they were the target of his teaching, and how Jesus was accused of hanging at the wrong campfires of His day. This friend, like many others, believes and knows what the cross means. He is just dissillusioned by what he has seen practiced in God's name.
The walls we have built around ourselves crack and break away slowly in these conversations.
May we as followers of Christ reflect His true nature in our neighborhoods,in our homes, and at our campfires.

Punk Rock Church

Between the ages of 16 and up to my early 20's i was a fan of and active participant in the 70's and early to mid 80's punk rock and hardcore punk rock scene. It was an organic, grassroots music movement birthed in garages, basements, bedrooms and the like. The live shows took place in places such as garages, basements, secret rooms on college campuses, dingy bars, secret dingy rooms behind dingy bars, places such as the Son's and Daughter's Hall , or 9th street Hall in GrandRapids, even an occasional show at places like the old pavilion at John Ball Zoo or St Cecilia music society. It was raw it was awesome, there was talent, bands would come from LA or DC or NYC , Boston, Texas, they came from all over and made very little money because they cared about the music and the fans only. Some of my friends played in bands that would open for the touring bands. I was able to see bands like Black Flag, Minor Threat, Circle Jerks, Marginal Man, Misfits, Naked Raygun, and many others, all in their prime, still angry and raw and rockin, it was a special time. Many of these rebels lived in community also.

Moving ahead into the 21st century, I have become involved in something very similiar but very different. The organic, grassroots, missional church reminds me of the old hardcore punk rock movement of 30 yrs ago. These Jesus following rebels meet in garages, basements, crack houses, dingy bars, nice bars, coffee houses, and even Polish halls on the westside of GR. The mission is the city, not the church building, there is raw awesome gut wrenching prayer, there are talented musicians and beautiful art by these rebel Christians. They are focused on these things: intense study of, and the authentic worship of Jesus and the friends who join them taking part in it. They will sing and dance and eat with CEO or the homeless and enjoy the time with either. Many of these rebels live in community also.

I am amused that after all these years things change but then again they don't really change.
Peace be with you, I think its time to dig out some old tunes now