Tuesday, June 14, 2005

What Does Soma Look Like?

I have spent 5 days as part of the community here checking out Soma. There is so much to say and I don't have the space to fit it all in. Many amazing things to try and digest and I don't have the words yet. So I will as best I can answer the question - What does Soma church in Tacoma, Washington look like? Here goes:

Soma looks like Ray & Diane and Josh, Whitney & Elijah welcoming 2 strangers into their homes and making them feel as though they have lived here their whole lives; it's Stephan getting up at 3am to serve incarnationally at Starbucks; it's Caesar and breakfast at Shakabra graciously eating undercooked oatmeal and loving on those same 2 strangers; it's a fashion show for Loyalty on Broadway on a Sunday afternoon; it's blessing a man outside the Salvation Army; it's Hans tending his garden and inviting everyone and anyone to come and see the gospel in flowers; it's Josh & Ryan trying to help people own their own homes; it's one of Caesar's daughters going over with a friend to care for a woman and her baby while her husband is in Iraq; it's eating at the Hob Nob with Josh, Whitney & Elijah; it's a conversation around the table at Ryan and his wife's home on a Sunday night; it's Rachel and her coffee shop; it's blessing someone in someway; it's interacting around Hebrews 11 and about trusting God for the unseen - together; it's being welcomed to share communion with brother's and sisters; it's about not wanting to leave; it's about "come back anytime"; it's rhythm and release; it's taking responsibility for young men and women; it's Nathan and his wife who are moving to Portland; it's worship and about wanting to walk it and walk in it; it's newlyweds welcomed home; it's Jeff and dialogue; it's Caesar and story; it's W3; it's prayer with Stephan in the kitchen; it's neighbours welcomed to the party; it's grace when you're late because you can't figure out the friggin Tacoma roads; it's messy and beautiful; it's Ray at the Rescue Mission and Diane with Step by Step; it's an adventure; it's home; it's living generously; it's not a style but a lifestyle; it's missional outposts; it's playing pool and incarnating Jesus; and it's not anything any "building" could possibly contain ...

5 Comments:

Blogger Dean said...

mentoring us huge! it's about intentionally incarnating Jesus into the rhythms of life in Tacoma and so mentoring is huge. I know what you mean by liturgy but do you mean liturgy in their "gatherings"?

9:11 AM  
Blogger kbrandon said...

Hey Dean,

Can you give an example of a why through to a how.

"Hans tending his garden and inviting everyone and anyone to come and see the gospel in flowers"

Not that I'm a gardener. More interested in the outworking of the "Why" (says a modernist)

12:00 PM  
Blogger Dean said...

Hey Keb, I'll blog my answer to your question. It's part of the ongoing dialogue I hoped to generate

8:23 PM  
Blogger Dave said...

Hey Dean,
Reading what you have written about being with Soma made me feel refreshed. I'm excited for you and what you have got out of it. I love the idea of incarnating Jesus and supporting each other to do that. I can't wait to hear more.

1:02 PM  
Blogger Dean said...

Hey Dave,

Yeh - I have been totally affirmed and inspired! I have so much to blog about so I'm organizing my thoughts so we can continue to journey out of that as opposed to just giving facts about what Tacoma was like. It will kind of answer Kev's question above.

8:06 AM  

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