"The lame of the world still come to the Body of Christ and look at us expectantly, as they looked at Peter and John hoping to get something from us. What does the church say to them in many and varied forms? 'Silver and gold we have plenty of. Come join our parish. We have a credit union, very democratic. We have a pastoral council. We have a guitar Mass. We're very avant-garde, hanging banners in our church. We're up to date and will meet your every need...But no one has the courage to say: 'May I talk to you about Jesus? Let me pray with you. The Lord will teach you the meaning of forgiveness. The Lord will teach you the meaning of Church, of Scriptures. Come follow Jesus.'"(R. Rohr "Radical Grace" p. 132)
One of the challenges that I see in the post-Christendom world that we live in is the church struggling to try and be the world around it, rather than trying to meet the world around it. I haven't yet met a clergy person who doesn't bang his or her head against a wall trying to figure out how to grow their church. The mail each day bringing some new program, new study etc, which will be the elixir of life that will suddenly turn your 40 seat church into the Crystal Cathedral.
A question that I'm wrestling with right now is what can the church offer that the rest of the world isn't covering? The only way I can think of to get an answer to that question is to start asking it out loud.
Perhaps it is not that complex. Maybe it does come down to talking about Jesus, being willing to answer questions that are asked, rather than telling folks what we think they want to hear. Maybe it just being present with them in times of joy and sorrow and offering to pray with and for them. Maybe its offering a space where God can break through and teach and lead them without a bunch of other distractions.
So I asked my vestry (church council) go ask, "what can this church do for you?"
Blessings,
Ed
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