It's a trend

A front-page story in today's Tennessean, "Churches take their message to taverns."

Every Monday night, Uncle Charlie’s bar in Cheyenne, Wyo., hosts “Bibles and Beer,” a discussion that routinely pulls in people of all faiths — and an atheist. 

As many as 45 people have shown up, some toting Bibles. Some might have a drink; others stick to water. Some talk; others mostly listen. There are only a few ground rules: Avoid debate and stick to the text to be discussed that week. 

“There really is not a focus on drinking,” insists the Rev. Rodger McDaniel, a Presbyterian minister who organized the weekly gathering more than a year ago. “But at the same time, it is a much more relaxed atmosphere than in a church basement. If I put this on in my church, I don’t think we would have five or six people.” 

Across the country, faith is becoming bar talk. The trend combines the traditional religious charge to go where the people are with the reality that a lot of them are in bars. Organizers include those from mainline churches, those building churches and bar owners and brewers. Some are trying to push the model nationally, taking an ageless yearning for meaning and purpose to places where people often go to try to wash their worries away. 

“It is good to bring the word to wherever God is, and God is everywhere, and people are everywhere, too,” says Joe Beene, owner of the Drunk Monkey Tavern in the Tulsa suburb of Glenpool, Okla. Last year, Beene began live streaming Sunday morning services from Tulsa’s Celebration Church into his bar. “The people who come in here on Sunday mornings are people who want to hear the word but won’t go to church.”

More at the link. The last thing Jesus told his apostles to do before he returned to the Father was, "Go!" And the apostles went - over almost all of the Roman-ruled world at the time. They did not hang a sign outside the Upper Room saying, "Holy Spirit comes here weekly, join us."

 I suppose that is at the heart (and in my heart) of why I invite you to come to Detour July 15 - nothing more than for those who are willing, to help them find a spiritual home and a family of believers who will help them grow in Christlikeness without trying first to turn them into Methodists or Baptists or Catholics or Church of Christ or what have you.

Nothing more than that, but certainly nothing less.

Twelve FAQs

Detour in Fairview - July 15, 5 p.m.: Be there or be,
uh ... somewhere else...

Q1. Why is the Connect Meetup being held?
A1: Many people in the Fairview area think of themselves as spiritual people; some used to attend a church, but "oldline" churches  don't work for them any more. You may be such a person, wanting to live in touch with God and hoping to know others who do, too. The Connect Meetup on July 15, starting at 5 p.m., is a great way to do that.

Q2: Who is sponsoring the Connect Meetup?
A2: I am. My name is Don Sensing. I am a retired Army artillery officer now serving as pastor of Westview UMC, Fairview. My bio is here.

Q3. Why are you holding the Connect Meetup at Detour rather than at your church?
A3. Jesus went out to where the people were. I do not simply assume that people, even people interested in learning about Jesus, will come to us. Detour is a place that most Fairview people would be comfortable with. It is a good "neutral" place for us to meet.

Q4. So aren't you really just trolling for new church members?
A4. There was a time that honesty would have made me say yes. But the Connect Meetup is not about that. It's about people getting to know one another who aren't willing or ready to accept all the "churchy" stuff that usually goes along with religious or spiritual awareness.

According to the Tenessean (June 18), about half of Nashville-area people are not affiliated with any church, and a large number of them self-identify as Christian. For too long, churches have been like Little Bo Peep, thinking, "Leave them alone and they'll come home." But that's not happening.

These folks may have abandoned the church (and vice-versa) but God has not abandoned anyone. Even if the church is dead, Jesus isn't. Connect is an invitation to discuss with one another about what it means to try to live godly in what is really our "post-church" society.

Q5. What do you mean that Connect will be "nondenominational?"
A5.It doesn't matter whether your religious background ranges from none at all to Catholic to Baptist to Methodist or something else. Connect is not about my church or any other.

Q6. Does Detour know we're coming?
A6. Absolutely! Its manager is very supportive.

Q7. Is only one Meetup planned?
A7. We have arranged with Detour to meet on the 15th, 22nd and 29th. We'll reassess then. I hope you will give me your input.

Q8. Are you providing participants with food or drink?
A8. I wish I could, but sorry, no. Everyone should feel free to order food or drink while there.

Q9. So what will happen at 5 p.m.?
A9. We'll spend a few minutes just gathering. I'll move around introducing myself to you and everyone who wants to order food should go ahead. Once it seems people have pretty much arrived, I'll offer a brief opening reflection and offer everyone the chance to share their stories or ask questions. I'll simply facilitate this period.

Q10. How long will the Connect Meetup last?
A10. There will be no "dismissal." At some point I'll stop moderating and hopefully people will mingle among themselves. When you are ready to leave, go with God's blessings!

Q11. Will I have to sign in?
A11. No. This is not a church-recruiting meeting. I will have a sign-in sheet but it will be optional.If you do, I won't start sending you church-related stuff unless you first say okay.

If you wish, you can follow this blog by email or Blogger's "follow" signup; see the right-hand column.

Q12. Can I talk to you before July 15 comes around?
A12. Sure! Contact me via either email or my cell phone. To foil internet bots, I am writing them out here rather than giving them exactly:

email: pastor-atsign-westviewumc-dot-org

cell or text: 615-dash-544-dash-5390

Don Sensing's bio

I was born and raised in Nashville. I graduated from Wake Forest University and took a commission as a second lieutenant in the U. S. Army field artillery.

My wife, Cathy, and I married in 1980. We have three children, the eldest a former U.S. Marine and Iraq veteran, the second a medical school student and the third at Tennessee Tech.

I served on four continents in the Army. I was an artillery forward observer in Korea, a battery commander, a brigade fire support coordinator, and howitzer-battalion operations officer in Germany, and operations officer for a Multiple-Launch Rocket System battalion in 18th Airborne Corps Artillery at Fort Bragg, NC. I was also qualified as a nuclear and chemical targeting analyst and was trained in counterterrorism at the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg, N. C.

Assigned to the Pentagon in early 1990, I was the the speech writer and personal public affairs officer to the Secretary of the Army until January 1991, when I was assigned to the U.S. Army Operations Center for the Gulf War.

After the return of forces to America, I was assigned to be Director of Media Relations for the National Victory Parades in Washington, D. C. and New York City, coordinating directly with White House staff and more than 650 national and international news organizations.

Subsequently, I was a plans officer on the Army Staff until May 1993. My final Army assignment was as chief of public affairs, U. S. Army Criminal Investigation Command. Just before retiring, I served as a member of the Oklahoma City Bombing Investigation Task Force.

I left active duty in August 1995, answering my call to ordained ministry. I began classes at Vanderbilt Divinity School the same month. I was awarded a Master of Divinity in 1999 and have served full time as a United Methodist pastor since 1997. I was ordained an elder in full membership of the Tennessee Conference of the UMC in June 2002.

Since 2002, my written works have been published or cited by The Washington Post, MSNBC, ESPN, OpinionJournal, ABC News, Commentary magazine, Time Magazine, Real Clear Politics, Real Clear Religion and many other major media outlets. I authored an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal on the subject of same-sex marriage entitled, "Save marriage? It's too late," which was subsequently reprinted in several religious journals.  I have also written for the Knoxville News Sentinel. 

In April 2005, as a result of my online essay, "The pope and communism’s fall," I was an interview guest on FoxNews Channel's, "The O'Reilly Factor," on the topic, "Does the Vatican have a Realistic Plan to Confront Evil in Today's World?."

My NormBlog profile is here.

I live in Fairview, Tenn., with my family, and I try to go trapshooting as often as possible.