July 28th, 2023
A parish used to be a region or an area where there was one church and one priest. Spartanburg, (actually more like Roebuck) would be Emmanuel Parish, and I’d be the priest of the region. If you lived in that area, this was your church.
In many ways, our world looks nothing like that anymore, but I envision Emmanuel to be a space that returns to the simplicity of the church being a place of prayer at all times of the day. A parish, the place of faith for all people, a place where we know God is with us.
Our church could pursue so many models. We could be mega, we could be campus. We could be many denominations and many different worship styles. I envision Emmanuel to be none of those things. Rather, we are a parish. The small church that is home to 150+ souls who live together. We depend on the baker, who sits in the third pew. The doctor sits on the right, and the local sheriff who has been here since college and was never good at keeping still, so he’s often pacing with his young kids in the back.
We are the church of the village. Yes, the village didn’t have Walmart, but how’s that working out for us? How is it that we’re so disconnected with all the options in the world to connect? Could it be that the church with the red door is what we’re called to deeply? Intimacy with God through prayer, and intimacy with each other?
One day, this is what Emmanuel will look like, both the image painted above, and if we’re lucky, the photos as well.
