Open Kitchen Church

Here's an idea I have of a what a component of a church that leads a silent revolution would look like.

In 2004 Julie and I were married on June 12th, after the honeymoon we both got jobs at two resturants in Sauble Beach. We worked like "dogs", working the late shift at the one resturant, cleaning up barf and other stuff untill 2 or 3 in the morning, and then we'd sleep a couple hours and then get to the other resturant to open it up for breakfeast around 6 am. What I learned about what the "behind the scenes" world of a resturant was not pretty. Both the resturants had closed kitchen's, meaning you couldn't see your food being prepared, it just arrived at your table looking all perfect from a guy with a smile. Now it wasn't like the kitchen staff was tossing rats in the deep fryer for fun, but if you the consumer had seen some of the things they did you might not eat that steaming plate in front of you. Here's a couple examples of what I mean. Anything that was dropped on the ground had a 10 second or however long it took to pick it up rule applied to it. The kicthen staff wore bajama's pants and greasy t-shirts. The kitchen was always dirty, dirty floors, dirty counters (raw chicken), dirty hands of employee's who preferred hands over utencils, no hair nets... Speed was always the number one priority. The microwave was used in abundance, (burgers were actually noked!). Class and excellence didn't exactly permiate the place. Recently I went to an open kitchen resturant, the difference was huge. There were no secrets, the cooks were authentic, they had a few grease spots but overall they had actually wore clean cook attire to work. You didn't have to hope the cooks used utencils, fresh ingredients, clean counters, and food which was virgin to the resturant floor, you actually could witness for yourself the process. The food's presentation was artlike, detail at it's finest. I enjoyed myself at this resturant, Julie and I found it romantic, we felt respected and part of the experience.

Enough about resturants, here's were my idea of what a church truly living up to it's calling might look like. My focus here is the church leadership, the one's who prepare the food. I dream of authentic church leaders, who are honest about their failings to the congregation. I dream of church leaders who are vulnerable, actually allowing the people to see the work they do, not hiding behind agenda's and closed doors. I dream of church leaders who live out their calling in athentic realationships instead of the corporate cold business style. I dream of church leaders who put quality first, not speed and the bottom line. I dream of church leaders who actually allow the community to be part of the experience, to do church together. I dream of leaders who actually sacrifically serve their people instead of serving their own agenda's. I dream of church leaders who care about the detail in what is presented. Leaders who sprinkle everything in sincere prayer. I dream of the persuit of excellence, but the autheniticity and vulnerablity of real people not fake.

A Church that's an open kitchen, where the leadership share their God given wisdom, technique, ingredients, mishaps and joy with the lay community.

A Church without secrets, founded in authencity, experience and excellence.

Okay so I realize the analogy isn't perfect but if you can grasp a few of my idea's that's all I'm aiming for. Just a disclaimer, this dream is not a protest of a poor expereince in church leadership. Most of my insights actually come from church leaders who are doing this right. But there's always more we can do, as leaders we have a responsiblity to the "flock", we can never say we've arrived, we must keep persuing perfection.

Silent Revolution

A little while ago I was watching the movie The Terminal. It was about this guy who lived in an airport terminal for like 5 months, while there he learns to speak english, builds community and by the end of the movie has led a silent revolution. I say he led a "silent revolution" because of the way this revolution occured. He didn't force the revolution by power, money or influence. He had no hidden agenda's. It was a revolution grounded in relationships. He was tenacious and geniune about initiating relationships. He was completly transparent and vulnerable for the sake of people. The revolution was beautiful. In the final scene numerous airport employee's risk their jobs to help this man gain his freedom.

I believe Jesus led a silent revolution, and i believe the church is called to lead a silent revolution, and more directly I believe a Christian is to be one who leads a silent revolution.

On Saturday I attended my friends wedding. It was back in my home town of Owen Sound. It was at this old cool looking CRC church, one of those churches which must have taken 50 strapping dutch men to piece the beautiful wood ceiling together. Many, and I mean a lot of my high school friends showed up, people I hadn't seen since grade 13 (7 years ago). We did the usual small talk, figuring out the basics (were your live, work, and what's your relational status). Then the minister started into the service, right away I realized the minister's relationship with God must be boring. He was boring, rigid, fake, God and Church were some sort of social, governmental trend, key aspects in fulfillnig the rules needed for the maratiel certificate. This was extremely frustrating for me, and discouraging. See, my friends knew I was about to become some kind of pastor guy. At the reception people were cracking jokes about the boring pastor, some of my friends asked me if I could explain what "Benediction" meant. Then I realized, we Christians gotta represent or get off the stage. Now I know why God spits lukewarm Christians out, we are disgusting. Now I know I sound self-righteous, and honestly I have my faults, lots of them, but common why would anyone ever want to be in a relationship with the God that minister had a relationship with, boring... Why do we cover or hide Jesus with words like "Benediction" Why? It's just confusing and wierd for people.

My dream is to "equip people to lead a silent revolution of their community, by learning and living the way of Jesus"

In the upcoming weeks I will be writing about my dreams of what a church that leads a silent revolution would look like. Let the second reformation continue to transform the church and people of God. So that we better reflect the glory of our lord and Savior, so that we truly become a city on hill that cannot be hidden, a fragrance that is not the stench of death, but the smell of life.