I’ve been following, kind of, the change and progress of “Revolution Church” that used to be based in Atlanta, GA. It was started and pastored by Jay Bakker. (Whenever you see two “kk’s” in the word name, Bakker, one may wonder – Jim and Tammy? Yes, the son of those Bakker’s). I’ve found his life and ministry very compelling!
I just discovered today that Jay has moved the church to the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn – the nearly new hipster neighborhood in Brooklyn, on the East River, by the Williamsburg Bridge. Vito and Monique Aiuto (who used to live in my apartment and favorites of Fr. Cullen) are pioneering a new Presbyterian Church in Williamsburg – Resurrection Williamsburg. It is only a hop-skip-and-jump from our neighborhood of Carroll Gardens.
Anyway, Jay’s church – Revolution NYC – is up and running. I also discovered that he is the focus of a new “reality” documentary show on the Sundance Channel called, “One Punk Under God“. Go to the site and watch a couple clips. The whole show is available on iTunes.
The funny thing is, this is really me in many ways. This is kind of the sort of perspective I honestly do have – generally. Being a data analyst is about killing me – I’m not a numbers guy. The creative aspect in what Church is, what the Gospel says, the way of presenting it all to unchurched people, to new generations, to those folks who seek. That’s what I want to be doing. Now, couple this way of things to High Church Anglicanism and I’ll be in heaven!!!
I’ve got to give the guy a call and try to get together with him.
Oh, and there is an article about him I found today in this week’s Advocate. Is this the face of the future of Evangelicalism, or something completely different? More Emergent, perhaps?
It’s kind of funny to think of how people see me, if I can be a good judge of that. I suspect most people these days see me as a fairly convention guy, a bit traditional. If those who know me now knew be back when I was working in campus ministry they may well have a very different perspective. I have always been a bit rebellious – I’ve been labelled rebellious by former pastors I’ve worked with. It really is in may nature to not accept anything at face value, to always try to see a third way, to try to understand the perspective of my opponents, and not fall into what is commonly expected of me. The world is too varied and interesting to fall into the trap of conventionality. I am in my own way quite rebellious.
That is why I find myself in a more-progressive Anglo-Catholic Episcopalian church. I am bucking convention and rebelling against the “established” order. Funny how that works, isn’t it?
I think this is where Jesus would be if he were here today.