Wisdom, Not Answers (James 1:5-8)

Tags: Pop: Bob Dylan, Ref: New York Times, Topic: Wisdom

Featured Sermons

Hear the thought of the Village Church by listening to one of these typical sermons…

Behold, in Heaven, an Open Door
(September 12, 2004)

People of New York!
(March 2, 2008)

Sex: Appetite or Wonder
(August 6, 2006)

Perhaps you have seen the recent New York Times editorial by Katherine Stewart, which represented the Village Church, being one of those churches in New York who rent a school for Sunday worship, as a pariah of the West Village neighborhood (“Separation of Church and School,” June 11, 2011). Her piece was a commentary on a recent court ruling (“Court Lets City Restrict Church Use of Schools”, June 2, 2011). While we welcome Ms. Stewart’s recent arrival to New York City, her anxiety over this country’s long-standing legal precedent, allowing churches and other partisan groups here to rent week-end space from public schools, is uninformed.

People tend to fear what they do not understand. And clearly some have a hard time understanding Christians, as evidenced by the misrepresentations in Stewart’s piece. The Village Church has been a presence in Greenwich Village for over sixteen years, serving the needs of the neighborhood in large and small ways. If Stewart knew anything about the church, she did not show it by her characterization.

Her idea that Christian groups are attracted to New York seeking “cheap space” is, to put it in the kindest possible way, laughable. (Do you know anyone coming to New York for “cheap space”?) Instead of pouring money into a building, our church rents—yes, that is rents, not free-loads—space in the local school, leaving more resources for our community programs.

But to what does Stewart object? Does she object to how over a five year period (2004-2008), our church, though quite small, gave away over $120,000, a tenth of our income, to various charities? Many of these charities were local, such as the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, Greenwich Village Block Association, International Arts Movement and St. Vincent’s Hospital Chelsea-Village Shut In Program. Or maybe she objects to our mercy network, which has fed homeless, helped service Washington Square Park, and connected needy villagers to financial, counseling and educational services for a decade and a half. I wonder how many of the hundreds of people who will tell you that the Village Church improved their lives would be persuaded by Stewart’s cost argument.

Members of the Village Church have both attended PS3 and taught there. Her picture of us, along with other churches, as some kind of vulture swooping down to pick at innocent children “for religious purposes” is hard to fathom, unless it is a muddled reference to our monthly Parents Night Out program, open to caregivers and parents (who number among PS3 parents) of any creed, color, party or orientation. Participants are offered a night out while we provide free babysitting by trained church volunteers. This program is non-religious. The children are led in a evening of artistic crafts and creative play, and delivered happily exhausted to the better-rested parents at the end of their date. The people of our church give up their Friday nights simply to serve the needs of parents, again for free, because Jesus Christ has given freely to us. Maybe that is what is so hard to understand, but that is what Christians are about.

Our ministry, G.A.M.E. (Gender Affirming Ministry Endeavor), seems to particularly bother Stewart, who crafts the careful phrasing of how we are “…associated with the movement to ‘cure’ gay men…” Anyone actually involved in helping those struggling with their sexual identities would find the word “cure” offensive, including us–we have certainly never used the word.

Again, G.A.M.E. began as a response to the needs of our community. We have found that there are some same-sex attracted individuals who do not wish to define themselves as gay and no amount of cultural affirmation has changed their minds. We do not seek them out. They come to us. And they do so because few will support them in their own decisions of self-determination. But we walk with them. Stewart’s suggestion that such a group does not represent the neighborhood just proves how little she knows of the Village’s true diversity.

The doors at the school are open on Sunday mornings for all villagers. Those who avail themselves of the experience of a visit encounter artistic offertories and sermons for those who wish to think about issues in depth. Maybe they agree. Maybe they disagree. But no one yet has suggested, as Stewart does from her Upper East Side perch, that our voice should not be a part of Greenwich Village’s conversation. And no one seriously thinks that PS3 endorses our views by renting to us. The United States Supreme Court feels similarly and has said so.

We live here. This is our neighborhood. It is a strange phenomenon that Stewart, who blows in recently from California, can present us, genuine New Yorkers, as some kind of alien race. If she is unable to countenance worldviews in her own neighborhood that she does not like, even views that oh-my-gosh include hell, she should spend a little more time learning from New Yorkers how to practice actual diversity in peace. That could help her over her “separation anxiety.”

Rev. Sam A. Andreades
Pastor, the Village Church
June 15, 2011

The New York Times declined to publish this response.

Find out more about the Village Church

• Gender Affirming Ministry Endeavor
• Parents’ Night Out
• History of the Village Church

As we begin a new year filled with promise, we want to be cognizant of the need I raised in my sermon this week from 1 Corinthians 14, ”Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.”

Before the Israelites entered into the promised land in Numbers x, we see that they took an account of themselves—they assessed themselves. And as we look towards this year of ministry in our city, that’s exactly what we want to do as well.

The Church Health Team is putting together a retreat for our church this winter. The theme for the retreat is Discovering Our Spiritual Gifts. We want to embark on assessing ourselves as a community so we can minister to our neighborhood together in confidence and reliance upon the Spirit.

The Scripture places significant emphasis on the role Spiritual Gifts play in our life as a community. This retreat will give us the opportunity to discover more about ourselves and how God made us uniquely as individuals, as well as find out how we fit together as a whole church.

The Church Health Team has sought out a speaker who will walk us through the scriptures in an engaging way, and then continue our study in group discussions.

The date for the retreat will be February 19, from 10am to 4pm with a break for lunch and will be at a meeting space in Manhattan. There will be a nominal fee to cover the cost of the meeting space and materials.

As ministry leaders, I would especially encourage you to attend as this retreat will help equip you for ministry and lead more effectively.

You can pre-register online using the form below:

Pre-Registration Form

There is power in a single spoken word. Music is also a power that moves the soul. “Poetry In Music” is poetry in motion to music and the marriage between the two.

Singer/Songwriters Brooke Campbell & Jason Harrod will be joined by poets L.L Barkat & Maxidus to present this unique approach of words and song to New York City at the Bowery Poetry Club (http://www.bowerypoetry.com/). This special evening is brought to you by Zoae Arts (http://zoaearts.com/)!

From out of chaos and anticipation, words are spoken. Silence… Poetry alone is given in its rawest and purest form. As the poems continue and the poets alternate turns, music emerges! Musicians from the first performer’s band will begin to weave into the words with improvisation of what the poet is presenting, interacting with and reacting to words. As the poets interchange, musicians will one by one add to the setting until all is filled with full sounds and words. Once all band members are up, the first set has begun with Brooke Campbell opening for the night. “Poetry In Music” will then escalate with roughly the same process and conclude with a performance by Jason Harrod to close the event.

There just may be further surprises that these artists have to offer with special features that unite the poetry to the music.

Featuring singer-songwriters:

BROOKE CAMPELL “with whose shivery, breathless voice and deep-toned acoustic guitar playing I fell in love after hearing her perform live.” – Terry Teachout, The Wall Street Journal

JASON HARROD Whose songs about lost love, found joys, and spiritual longing have garnered him a loyal following across the country. “What makes his songs so compelling is their emotional eloquence” – Scott Alarik, Boston Globe

alongside poets:

L.L. BARKAT An author of many books including “God in the Yard: Spiritual Practice for the Rest of Us”, “Stone Crossings” and “Inside Out: poems”. L.L. blogs at Seedlings in Stone.

MAXIDUS a multi-dimensional recording artist, musician, dancer and performer. He has charmed audiences all over the world to the rhythmic beat he calls “urban alternative”. He also serves as the creative director for Zoae Arts.

About Zoae Arts

Coming soon.

Parents’ Date Night + Kids’ Party = 1 Happy Family

Spend time with your spouse or partner and we’ll take care of the babysitting.  The Village Church is offering FREE babysitting to the families of New York City.

Let us entertain your children with arts and crafts, games, and activities while you enjoy a night in Greenwich Village.

Details

• Pick-up and drop-off is at PS3, 490 Hudson Street in NYC
• Registration at the door will open at 6pm
• Snacks will be provided (please tell us if your child has special dietary needs or allergies)

Ideas and Recommendations

Check out a movie at the IFC Center

Friday Night Dinner at the Natural Gourmet Institute

About Village Voyagers and the Village Church

The Village Voyagers is a professional, CPR- and First-Aid-certified ministry of the Village Church.  For fifteen years, the Village Church has been committed to serving Greenwich Village and its surrounding neighborhoods.

The church meets for worship Sunday mornings at 11:00 AM at PS 3 (490 Hudson Street).  For more information, visit villagechurchnyc.com, call (212) 725-2564, or email us at voyagers@villagechurchnyc.com.

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