A few people have asked why we chose the name “Mosaic” as the name for our new community, The truth be told, several people have directly or indirectly inferred that its because we wanted to be known as a “hip” “trendy” “Pomo” church. I don’t think any church with me in the leadership is capable of being hip or trendy. I chose it because for me the term Mosaic is deeply meaningful because it’s more than a name for a church, it’s a metaphor for church. A metaphor for the kind of expression of church I deeply desire to be part of. I came across a quote by Henri Nouwen in a book called “Missional Spirituality” which captures the essence of that desire and so the heart of my aspiration for Mosaic Edinburgh. Here it is

“A mosaic consists of thousands of little stones. Some are blue, some are green, some are gold. When we bring our faces close to the mosaic, we can admire the beauty of each stone. But as we step back from it, we can see all these little stones reveal to us a beautiful picture, telling a story none of these stones can tell by itself. That is what life in community is all about. Each of us is like a little stone, but together we reveal the face of God to the world. Nobody can say “I make God visible” But others who see us together can say : “They make God visible” p 166

The authors go on to say, ” Like a mosaic, the Body of Christ is diverse, it consists of varied gifts in varied personalties. Only together do the various parts become a body. … We are Gods body language.