The last few months in the life of Common Table have been interesting. I would have never written the script this way in any of my preconceived notions of what a new church might look like. The people are not the same as I had imagined they would be. The location is not what I thought it would be. The look and feel is even different. For a planner, like me, in all honesty, this has taken some adjustment. I like it though. I like it so much more than I thought that I would and the changes are so much more welcome than I would have imagined that I'd be comfortable with. I like it so much that a new frustration has surfaced for me. The reasons that I like it so much more than I would have imagined are reasons that I believe that so many other people would like it also. People who have lost faith in the traditional church, people who don't want to spectate, people who like adventure, uncertainty and mission would all very much appreciate this place. People who can't gather on a Sunday morning, people who want to learn actively instead of passively, and people who want to come as they are while discovering who Jesus calls them to be would all love this place. The frustration is that I'm not so clear on how to let them know that such a place exists. As I write this I am also in the midst of trying to develop a mail centered communication. I want people to know, up front and honestly, what we value, what we are about, what they might encounter when they walk into our warehouse space in the heart of Seattle. This is probably not the place for those who are church shopping. It's not the place for those who want a programmed faith experience. We are pretty organic and experiential. Sometimes we are like the proverbial box of chocolates where you're not always sure "what you're gonna get". We are hands on and as often as possible, face to face, being the church together. We are a gathering of people who have some and those who don't have at all. We don't sit in rows. We learn with each other and from each other. We pray together, we sometimes eat together, we often serve together. The door to our warehouse ministry center is open and you are most welcome to join us on the adventure ... and if you are a little apprehensive, bring a friend.
