"Many contemporary congregations (particularly in the old-line denominations) are declining because they do not have a distinctive sense of Christian identity and mission or a sufficient flow of spiritual energy." This critique is offered by Ronald Allen in the Foreword of God in Pain: Teaching Sermons on Suffering by Barbara Brown Taylor (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1998). We have lost our identity, forgotten our mission, and become spiritually dead organizations. Heavy stuff!
My ministry takes me to some wonderfully vibrant congregations, where there is a deep commitment to following Jesus' call and command. The members are disciples, who know--ultimately and always--that the church belongs to Jesus Christ. It does not belong to some prominent lay member or to a spiritual leader, pastor or preacher; but it belongs to Jesus Christ. The congregation is not mine or ours; but rather, it is always Christ's body, visible and broken, in the midst of the world.
Those congregations that are most alive are able to see beyond themselves and their own needs and anxieties, to see the world. They have a mission; they exist for mission--to bring healing, hope, and life to their communities and, indeed, to the whole world. Many times I will ask the leaders of a conflicted church to talk about what they hear to be their Gospel mandate: Why are you here? What's the point and purpose or your existence? What are you passionate about? Those are centering questions for Christian identity and mission.
The decline in the mission support that flows to and through denominations is a symptom of spiritual disease. When we no longer understand our covenant connections as life-giving relationships with others. We are adrift and alone. We say to our partners in mission, "I have no need of you." When we can no longer imagine changing the world, welcoming the strangers, feeding and sheltering the hungry, standing up for those who are being pushed down--we are as good as dead.
Being a church is not about maintaining the shrine and preserving our antiquated heritage. I once served a congregation that was surrounded by its cemetery. Right outside the sanctuary--just feet from the windows and doors--were the graves of the saints, who were long dead and gone. It was hard in that context to think about living when there was so much focus on heritage and history . . . and death. The guests who would return for the annual Memorial Day service were surprised that the little congregation persisted, their focus was on hallowing the memory of ancestors and preserving the weathered stones.
It is in preaching and worship that the Spirit energizes us and reminds us of our Christian identity and mission. Yesterday, I worshipped with Maranatha Indonesian United Church of Christ. Most of the service was in the Indonesian language, which I do not understand. Yet, I felt the power of Christ's life there. I sensed that this small congregation, facing into the imminent deportation of some its members and friends, is still Christ's church. It is alive and vital. It is connected in covenant. These disciples know their mission and are generous in the midst of their adversity. They are a fellowship together in and after worship. Would that our old-line churches had such spirit!
I am grateful to God for glimpses of vitality. May the ministry we share help the church to live. May they all be one, and may the dead live again.
My ministry takes me to some wonderfully vibrant congregations, where there is a deep commitment to following Jesus' call and command. The members are disciples, who know--ultimately and always--that the church belongs to Jesus Christ. It does not belong to some prominent lay member or to a spiritual leader, pastor or preacher; but it belongs to Jesus Christ. The congregation is not mine or ours; but rather, it is always Christ's body, visible and broken, in the midst of the world.
Those congregations that are most alive are able to see beyond themselves and their own needs and anxieties, to see the world. They have a mission; they exist for mission--to bring healing, hope, and life to their communities and, indeed, to the whole world. Many times I will ask the leaders of a conflicted church to talk about what they hear to be their Gospel mandate: Why are you here? What's the point and purpose or your existence? What are you passionate about? Those are centering questions for Christian identity and mission.
The decline in the mission support that flows to and through denominations is a symptom of spiritual disease. When we no longer understand our covenant connections as life-giving relationships with others. We are adrift and alone. We say to our partners in mission, "I have no need of you." When we can no longer imagine changing the world, welcoming the strangers, feeding and sheltering the hungry, standing up for those who are being pushed down--we are as good as dead.
Being a church is not about maintaining the shrine and preserving our antiquated heritage. I once served a congregation that was surrounded by its cemetery. Right outside the sanctuary--just feet from the windows and doors--were the graves of the saints, who were long dead and gone. It was hard in that context to think about living when there was so much focus on heritage and history . . . and death. The guests who would return for the annual Memorial Day service were surprised that the little congregation persisted, their focus was on hallowing the memory of ancestors and preserving the weathered stones.
It is in preaching and worship that the Spirit energizes us and reminds us of our Christian identity and mission. Yesterday, I worshipped with Maranatha Indonesian United Church of Christ. Most of the service was in the Indonesian language, which I do not understand. Yet, I felt the power of Christ's life there. I sensed that this small congregation, facing into the imminent deportation of some its members and friends, is still Christ's church. It is alive and vital. It is connected in covenant. These disciples know their mission and are generous in the midst of their adversity. They are a fellowship together in and after worship. Would that our old-line churches had such spirit!
I am grateful to God for glimpses of vitality. May the ministry we share help the church to live. May they all be one, and may the dead live again.
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