This is Hutchmoot

People often ask, “What is Hutchmoot?”

It’s an understandable question if you’ve never heard the term. It is ironic, however, that many who attend are literary and enlightened and find it is just as much of an enigma.

Prior to leaving for Hutchmoot, friends would ask me:

“Where are you going?”

“What do you do there?”

For lack of better words – and for lack of experience – I chose to say, “It’s a creative conference for Christians.”

Their eyes would glaze over as they pondered those words.

“So, is this like a Christian hippie thing?”

“Are you packing incense?”

The practical answer of Hutchmoot is this: It is a small group of ragamuffin Christians who get together once a year to learn from and listen to their favorite musicians, authors, and artists.

There are concerts and performances;
discussion groups and sessions;
meals and merchandise.
There is incense, but it is in the form of pipe smoke and prayers.

That is the practical answer. Yet there is one more simple, and it is this: Hutchmoot is the church as it should be.

It is a gathering of all denominations and all occupations:

artists,
architects,
business people,
musicians,
teachers,
actors,
clergy,
lay people.

They freely and bravely share their brokenness and their gifts and talk about the One who has healed them and gifted them. They have been forever changed by Beauty, Grace and Truth. Their desire is not to scratch the surface of this temporary dwelling with meaningless chit-chat but to mine it deeply for the reflections and familiarities of the Home that is truly theirs. They strive to glorify God in everything they do – their craft, their behavior, their conversations, their laughter – and they strive to do those things with the beauty and excellence modeled by the Creator.

This is the Church as it should be – not programs, performances, or platitudes.

This is the Bride of Christ – broken, brave, and beautiful.

This is Hutchmoot.

All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals, and to prayer…And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had…all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people.  And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.”
(Acts 1:42, 44, 47)