This week I visited Mosaic. They are currently meeting at the First Baptist Church in Austin on Sunday evenings at 6:00 p.m. However, they have acquired some property and are planning on moving into it in the near future. After looking their website over, I was completely in the dark on what to expect when I arrived. I do have to admit that I have a skeptical streak in me when it comes to churches that are out of the ordinary. I realize "out of ordinary" is completely subjective, but regardless, I just couldn't get a good feel of what they would be all about. They clearly are into the Austin culture. Usually when I hear someone say that, they just mean they are proud to be weird. To add confusion to this, they use the term "liturgy" on their site so I was even more curious as this implied more than just a gathering of people, sitting around in a circle, talking about changing the world. That was my mental image on the way up there. In fact, I figured they would do more talking about what they ought to be doing rather than actually doing anything. Like I said, I can be quite skeptical and, for whatever reason, I was just feeling like this was going to be one of those goofy experiences where Christianity was stretched a bit too far for me to appreciate anything other than the fact we have a wide range of weirdos in the world. Fortunately, I was wrong. So, if nothing else, I have learned not to make assumptions about others' worship before actually going and experiencing it with them. I have also learned that some of these entries on my blog will end up being more about me than the church I visit. That's probably a good thing. It means God is actually speaking to me and teaching me through this experience!
So, what about Mosaic? When I arrived at the church, I noticed quite a few people standing around, chit-chatting, etc. while others were sitting in the area they have occupied, listening to music. There were some couches and chairs in a half circle and people were scattered about, greeting one another and finding their seats. Also, to the side was an art station. I kid you not. Various pictures were also on the walls that appeared to be originals done by members there. A table was up front, with wine and bread.
The members were fairly young, ranging (my guess) from late teens to mid-30s, with some young couples with babies and a couple of people my age (older than 40). The music was very different than music you typically hear in a worship service - it was more abstract and poetic - kind of a Dave Matthews Band style. The first song or two was done by the musicians up front with minimal congregational participation, but it wasn't like a concert. People weren't clapping at the end of the song or anything. They were quiet, either listening, meditating or praying. With the rest of the songs, people sang along quietly. The music was pretty engaging. With the exception of one song, I am guessing they were originals and were very heartfelt and poetic. At one point, one of the worship leaders got up and told people they could feel free to go to an art station, write, sing, etc. - however they choose to worship. There was a responsive reading portion and a small discussion on Epiphany and it's importance to the church calendar. (Yes, this was a liturgical service; it was very local, very personal and very Austin. I loved it!).
The sermon was delivered by a young man who was also very sincere and engaging in his demeanor. He obviously knew his audience and kept people listening, not with great eloquence, but with a simple, personable style. The main thrust of the sermon was about how people come close to a full commitment to Christ as Lord, but don't always make the full journey. The speaker used his own personal experience as a marathon runner and also used several biblical examples. It was a challenge to the people to make that trip to Christ to the fullest.
Communion was served following the sermon. It was interesting because the person who gave the usual "This is my body, this is my blood" pronouncement invited us to the Lord's Table in a way that bordered on an old-fashioned altar call. This actually, for whatever reason, was probably the most moving moment for me. His invitation was not just to experience the Blood and Body of Christ, but to come into a relationship to Christ in doing so. It was also at this point I realized the opening song, the sermon and this invitation were all very closely related. They closed with a poem by T.S. Eliot.
I didn't mention my biggest surprise - there were somewhere between 50 and 70 people present. I'm not a good estimator, but I think that estimate is fair. I don't know why, but the website led me to believe they were smaller. Probably just something I made up. They talked about some goals they have in doing things for one another, such as shared childcare, etc. before closing. All were then invited to join one another at Freebirds after the service for a meal. Unfortunately, I was not able to go. However, it was clear this church is largely based on their relationships and working to support and love one another and this meal at Freebirds is probably just as important to some of them as the liturgy. You get the feel this is more than a gathering of Christians. It's a gathering of friends. In fact, it reminded me of when I was in college (I went to a Christian college). We'd often sit around for hours into the night, talking about God and what He's done in our lives, talking about our goals and things we want to accomplish. It had that kind of feeling to it. A feeling of intimacy and friendship.
The service was intimate. It was quiet. It was worshipful. It was poetic. I was reminded of Brian McLaren's observation in which he mentions the movie Contact and how Jody Foster's character is describing what she sees. She states, "No words to describe it. Poetry! They should've sent a poet." I almost felt like I wasn't the right person to try to describe the service because they should've sent a poet. Truly, this experience was music and poetry to the soul.
