Church mission projects are not uncommon. You can walk into almost any church in America, glance at its bulletin board, scan the church newsletter, or have a brief conversation with the pastor as you’re walking out of the worship service and quickly find out the various projects it supports.
But not all mission projects are equal. Some demand an enormous amount of energy from the church while others actually give life and energy. Some appear wonderful to the casual observer but secretly inflict pain and stress on those in charge while other mission projects mysteriously seem to run themselves. Some projects that should have been buried years ago continue to be repaired and kept on life support at great expense. Others are held lightly, expand and change according to current needs, and are allowed to dissolve knowing they were never meant to last forever.
Where many mission programs primarily address the critical needs of sustenance and safety, such as feeding programs and shelters for abuse victims, one mission project engaged by First Church in Crookston, Minn., does something unusual — it specifically ministers to the soul as well as the body. The Minnesota Institute of Contemplation and Healing (MICAH) is a multifaceted facility for the practice and study of spiritual formation and leadership, healing and the arts. A contemplative Christian center, MICAH provides a sacred space within which we seek to create a life with God.
“MICAH is a place where we live out a holistic vision of being in communion with God, with others, and with the earth,” as their mission/vision statement summarizes. MICAH is one of those mission projects that actually gives life to the church and community. Several attributes of this program make up its unique character.
MICAH is ecumenical, ecumenical, in the best sense of that word. Many programs mix folks together from various Christian traditions. That’s easy to do. MICAH pulls together Methodists, Lutherans, Southern Baptists, and Pentecostals to lead worship services that actually reflect the mix of those varying styles. The development of such worship services presses us to interact, welcome, pray, love, accept, and create with one another as we follow the risen Christ in our midst. We move beyond creeds, baptismal arguments, and political demands. We flow past denominational names, egos, and control. Allowing our brothers or sisters the freedom to err in their thoughts, beliefs, and practices is one thing. It is a far greater thing to allow the other to help us encounter the shortcomings in our own theology and impoverished selves. In MICAH we don’t have to make someone a twin to journey together, which brings an amazing amount of freedom and life into the church.
MICAH is about healing. We all hope our mission projects will promote healing of some fashion. Ministries that seek to help the homeless, jobless, drug addicts, abused, grieving are promoting healing. MICAH aims to bring physical, mental, and spiritual healing to individuals and communities. When someone comes to the clinic for physical healing they find not only integrative medicines and therapies but also suggestions for creative activities, healthy diets, emotional help; and even, at a patient’s request, spiritual guidance is available. While on a prayer retreat one begins to realize the healing power of not only learning and practicing ancient prayer practices but eating nutritious foods, getting well-needed rest, being in silence, nature, and community. No one-dimensional bandage is offered. A multi-dimensional approach to healing reaches to the core of problems, issues, pain, and fear — bringing healing to mind, body, and spirit.
MICAH is about vision. Looking at the MICAH Web site (micahprays .org.) one is immediately transported into the realm of serenity. The MICAH staff has put creative energy into having a great Web presence, making it available around the world. Its podcasts offer reflections upon spirituality in everyday life. Its prayer journals offer ongoing guidance for hearing God’s voice. Add Dustin Solberg’s amazing journal entries as he lived in the yurt for a month, the Friends of MICAH journal entries, and Susan’s year long adventure with buying only what she needs — and you get an idea why the Web site is a blessed way to start every day.
The MICAH staff attempts to stay focused on hearing God, noticing God, and following God through the days and weeks and years of our lives together. This way of living, this life with God is helping us recalibrate our lives in the church as a place of prayer, service, sharing, helping, accepting, and encouraging one another. If a mission project can in some way influence the church in those directions, that’s a mission project worthy of support.
Daniel Wolpert is pastor of the First Church of Crookston, Minn., and is a co-founder of MICAH. He is also the author of Leading a Life with God: the practice of spiritual leadership. Trey Everett is co-director of MICAH. He has served as a pastor, Bible college instructor, and served at an ecumenical mission community in China.
