Church
mission projects are not uncommon. You can walk into almost any church in America, glance at its bulletin board, scan
the church newsletter, or have a brief conversation with the pastor as you’re
walking out of the worship service and quickly find out the various projects it
supports.
But not all
mission projects are equal. Some demand an enormous amount of energy from the
church while others actually give life and energy. Some appear wonderful
to the casual observer but secretly inflict pain and stress on those in charge
while other mission projects mysteriously seem to run themselves. Some projects
that should have been buried years ago continue to be repaired and kept on life
support at great expense. Others are held lightly, expand and change
according to current needs, and are allowed to dissolve knowing they were never
meant to last forever.
Where many
mission programs primarily address the critical needs of sustenance and safety,
such as feeding programs and shelters for abuse victims, one mission project
engaged by First Church in Crookston, Minn., does something unusual — it
specifically ministers to the soul as well as the body. The Minnesota Institute
of Contemplation and Healing (MICAH) is a multifaceted facility for the
practice and study of spiritual formation and leadership, healing and the arts.
A contemplative Christian center, MICAH provides a sacred space within which we
seek to create a life with God.
“MICAH is a
place where we live out a holistic vision of being in communion with God, with
others, and with the earth,” as their mission/vision statement
summarizes. MICAH is one of those mission projects that actually gives
life to the church and community. Several attributes of this program make up
its unique character.
MICAH is
ecumenical, ecumenical, in the best sense of that word. Many programs mix folks
together from various Christian traditions. That’s easy to do. MICAH pulls
together Methodists, Lutherans, Southern Baptists, and Pentecostals to lead
worship services that actually reflect the mix of those varying styles. The
development of such worship services presses us to interact, welcome, pray,
love, accept, and create with one another as we follow the risen Christ in our
midst. We move beyond creeds, baptismal arguments, and political demands. We
flow past denominational names, egos, and control. Allowing our brothers or
sisters the freedom to err in their thoughts, beliefs, and practices is one thing.
It is a far greater thing to allow the other to help us encounter the
shortcomings in our own theology and impoverished selves. In MICAH we don’t
have to make someone a twin to journey together, which brings an amazing amount
of freedom and life into the church.
MICAH is
about healing. We all hope our mission projects will promote healing of some
fashion. Ministries that seek to help the homeless, jobless, drug addicts,
abused, grieving are promoting healing. MICAH aims to bring physical, mental,
and spiritual healing to individuals and communities. When someone comes to the
clinic for physical healing they find not only integrative medicines and
therapies but also suggestions for creative activities, healthy diets,
emotional help; and even, at a patient’s request, spiritual guidance is
available. While on a prayer retreat one begins to realize the healing power of
not only learning and practicing ancient prayer practices but eating nutritious
foods, getting well-needed rest, being in silence, nature, and community. No
one-dimensional bandage is offered. A multi-dimensional approach to healing
reaches to the core of problems, issues, pain, and fear — bringing healing to
mind, body, and spirit.
MICAH is
about vision. Looking at the MICAH Web site (micahprays .org.) one is
immediately transported into the realm of serenity. The MICAH staff has put
creative energy into having a great Web presence, making it available around
the world. Its podcasts offer reflections upon spirituality in everyday life.
Its prayer journals offer ongoing guidance for hearing God’s voice. Add Dustin
Solberg’s amazing journal entries as he lived in the yurt for a month, the
Friends of MICAH journal entries, and Susan’s year long adventure with buying
only what she needs — and you get an idea why the Web site is a blessed way to
start every day.
The MICAH
staff attempts to stay focused on hearing God, noticing God, and following God
through the days and weeks and years of our lives together. This way of living,
this life with God is helping us recalibrate our lives in the church as a place
of prayer, service, sharing, helping, accepting, and encouraging one another.
If a mission project can in some way influence the church in those directions,
that’s a mission project worthy of support.
Daniel
Wolpert is pastor of the First Church of Crookston, Minn., and is a co-founder
of MICAH. He is also the author of Leading a Life with God: the practice of
spiritual leadership. Trey Everett is co-director of MICAH. He has
served as a pastor, Bible college instructor, and served at an ecumenical
mission community in China.