Transform or die

2.28.14

When I walk in the door, Martin doesn’t recognize me. It’s the watch cap. The sunglasses. The puffy black winter jacket. When we talk, he's.hoping he can get 2 of Mario’s men to join him in his next presentation of his Antigone. He needs actors trained in the Grotowski ethos of movement. I think about how strange this is that our little church on the upper west side of Manhattan now has 3 Grotowski oriented groups at the same time. 

I propose to contact every Grotoswki connection I have to see what might be possible. And how ironic it is that West-Park has become Grotowski central in the US and no one knows. And how important is that anyways.

There are a steady stream of people looking for the pantry and special services down the street at SPSA. And an equally steady stream of people looking for an open mic that is not going to happen due to the freeing cold and weather.

At the end of the day, Jeremy and Felicita come in for a conversation. Much to talk about. After conversation,, we’ll support any group that wants to build from the existing  base, But this conversation goes beyond that.

The conversation with Jeremy and Felicita is an important one. Critically important. As I explain to them, the historic mainline church project, as is, is all but done. Mario’s interest in a dialogical relationship with existing faith communities, such as African-American groups in churches in the Bronx are wonderful as far as they go. But we are looking at something much more radical than that. Our passion is for all those who consider themselves spiritual but not religious. (Like Felcitia, like Jeremy..) Our belief is  that what is yearned for, longed for, in people who identify themselves in this way is a community, an interconnected group of people who believe the same thing that  of mutual accountability  and connection in service to  others. It’s a critical, though hard conversation. What we're talking about is a  complete transformation of the existing liberal church paradigm into one where the existing consensus can be tried, tested and given room to  grow and expand.Without that, the current life of of so-called mainline Protestantism is  over. It’s that simple.