Fuzzy Dice

Do you know about the Bunco phenomenon? At least in my neck of the woods, Bunco is the name of the game. Groups of women armed with dice gather together chip in money to furnish prizes and roll their way to Buncos. There are rules and rounds but mostly it's just rolling dice and conversation.

We have a monthly girls night out and for the second time this year, we gathered to play Bunco. We skip the money part, ask the ladies to bring finger foods and get goofy prizes. I almost came home with fuzzy dice, but a little girl who had been in the nursery wanted them and I couldn't in good conscience take them home. It was a great deal of fun and the laughter and silliness combined with the competitive spirit lead to a delightful time. We all won some, lost some and ended up with stuff to take home. Hard to beat that with a stick.

Its an unusual activity for the church in some ways. I know the Catholics have been big into bingo, but it's not really a typical church function to play Bunco, rolling dice in the church is surely a little strange. Lots of things in the church these days seem a little strange. I am aware of some theological discussion groups taking place in area bars called Theology on Tap or Pub Theology. There is a fairly new worship service called "U2charist" which is a communion service set to the music of U2. It sounds weird to me to be honest, but I was set straight by several clerical types who tell me it is not that much of a stretch when you consider the music. We now have contemporary worship, emerging worship, traditional worship, blended worship and the cartoons about worships with a sports emphasis, ecological emphasis, everyone put your right foot in emphasis aren't really that far off. My dad used to call this the church of what's happening now. I didn't take that to be a positive comment.

But is the change a good thing or not? In reality, it matters little and the effort we put into discussing it's value could be spent adjusting and evaluating what seems to be effective. That the church seems to be adapting and being intentional in trying to reach out to the non and nominally churched community is a very healthy and hopeful sign for it's future. If it can do so and keeps it's feet well grounded in the Scripture and in the disciplines and traditions of the faith the change seems both necessary and life producing. To achieve growth will take reaching the people around us in ways that appeal to them, that create an interest in knowing more. If however, in trying to adjust to a changing world, we sacrifice those principals that are essential to the faith we will find we cannot keep those we reach for we will have nothing to offer.

Change in the church isn't new, you know. It has been changing ever since there was one. Those fans of organs and traditional worship will be astonished to learn there was a time before them, and before that time too. There were liturgical dancers on the banks of the Red Sea and the early church in the Apostle's days was definitely adapting to the new order and change in numbers and direction and focus. And those who are so excited about contemporary and emerging worship will be distressed to know that in ten or twenty years what is considered those things may look nothing at all like what seems innovative today. If we are to effectively reach our world we have to understand it's language and it's needs and adjust our outreach to speak what we know to be truth in ways that are easily understood and meaningful.

Moving forward by taking what are the elements of faith seems not only practical but wise. Holding so tightly to tradition so we lose connection or throwing it away so we become another club are both dead ends. Can we make the future of the Body of Christ matter more to us than personal preference? Oh my Father, make it so.