It’s time to get out. I mean out of our churches and out into our communities. It’s time to get out of the holy-huddle business and time to get into the holy-giving away business. It’s time we moved the bulls-eyes of the Christian life from the Sunday morning service to our service of Christ in the faces of the people we interact with each day. If Christianity is going to be reformed and revived in North America we must start living and thinking like missionaries and stop thinking and living like museum curators and docents. For those of us raised in the Church this will be, in most cases, an extremely painful transition. We will have to be willing to part with many customs and activities that we have come to treasure in order to embrace new ways of being the Church (for example, see the Fresh Expressions movement).
Would we rather preserve the furniture on the deck of the Titanic or let the furniture be washed away and preserve the ship itself? At a recent gathering of faithful folk I vocalized my belief that many of us in the Church today must be willing to labor and break-ground for a revived Church that we will not live to see fully blossom, but will blossom never-the-less for our children’s or perhaps grandchildren’s generations. But how do we do it? How do we begin turning staid, conservative (sociologically) congregations into mission outposts for the Kingdom of God? Into churches that are not so much places where people go once a week, but places where people are continually coming and going on Gospel business? (see the Abbey model for an interesting proposal in this direction).
Here are some first steps I think we as individuals and congregations can begin with:
1. Ask ourselves and our sessions/deacons/Vestries/parish councils, etc. “Would our community miss us if we closed tomorrow? Why or Why not?”
2. Stop hosting all of the churches meeting at the church building. Meet in a local café, park, bar (gasp!), coffee shop, etc. Get out of the Christian ghetto!
3. Stop pretending we live in a Christian nation. Embrace the fact we live in a post-Christian nation and learn to live like a missionary.
4. If your building is killing your congregation, get rid of it.
5. Stop treating Sunday worship as the pinnacle of Christian life and practice. Doing this is like saying that the pinnacle of family life is sitting down to eat a big meal together once a week. Surely such sit-downs are important to a family, but they are not the sole arbiter of a family’s health or bonds of affection, are they? (if family members are not showing up at the big sit-down dinner does this mean something is wrong with the meal or something else? Hmmm…)
6. Don’t bother with a mission statement or a long winded planning process. Instead read Matthew 5-7 and obey. Hard medicine, I know.
7. Laugh together, have a good time, throw a party (invite your neighbors).
Some starters, what would you suggest?
Our churches in the UK arefacing the same sort of challenges. My "home" church in Grantham has recently decided to make "contemporary, family-friendly", worship the norm. We were finding that new people would come to the church once or twice, but wouldn't stay. In a lot of cases this was because "traditional" worship on sunday mornings wasso completely irrelevant and alien to the rest of their lives. Not everyone was happy with the decision to do things differently, some people wanted to do things as we had always done them. It has taken a lot of love and a lot of hard work to help people to see that sitting in a "holy huddle" is no longer an option.
ReplyDeleteIncreasinglywe are becoming more involved with outreach projects in the community and we hope to make the church a "centre of community" buzzing with activity that might herald the coming of the Kingdom.
All of this is so important now as we face an onslaught of Muslims seeking to impose their religious will in America and around the world as they take over and fulfill their Satan-inspired goal of domination, subjugation, or death. This is coupled with the Chinese communists, to whom we have as a nation virtually sold our souls. Christianity has been pushed aside. The Faith of love and peace for all mankind has been shoved out of the way to make room for agendas of intolerance, hatred, and profit at all costs.
ReplyDeleteMany mainline denominations in the US give in to this as well, perhaps just to keep people in the pews or to get money. I applaud those who try to work to change things in their denomination. While I constantly work for unity, I am still aware that one eventually must make a choice. Will one stay around just because you like the coffee, or your family has been at that parish for generations, or you know lots of people there, or you don't want to be seen as an instigator? OR...will you follow the Faith wherever it takes you and no matter what the cost?
Comments continued from above: This is not easy. I know. I have fought the Muslim onslaught up close and personal myself, even when I sometimes had to stand alone and people tried to pressure me to stop. Others have done this as well. Our mission work cannot continue effectively while we are being threatened, pushed, and bullied by society, Muslims, Chinese communists, and others. This is an open invitation to all good Christians. Who will join me in standing up for the rights of Christians? Who will join me in saying that Christ and the Christian Faith will not be marginalized? Who will join me in spreading the Gospel to the people of the world?
ReplyDeleteArchbishop,
ReplyDeleteYou do raise areas of concern for the future of the Christian faith. Yet, I worry, how can we even be concerned, or interact with, or dialogue, or evangelize other ideaologies, if our own committment, to our own Gospel, is not beautifully alive and missionally engaged with our local communities? If we are falling flat on our face on the front porch how can we even get out to the highway, much less the borders?
The following was intended to be the first part of the my comments above:
ReplyDeleteThe first trick is determining what is the deck furniture on the Titanic and what are integral shipfittings. There are a lot of nonsensical ideas and practices with no real grounding in history or theology that have cropped up over the last thirty years, largely due to the secularization and liberalization of the Church and society. The Roman Rite, for example, tried a new liturgy that, while it may have filled the pews, weakened the expression of the theological foundation. Recent surveys show that only around 25% of Catholics actually believe and follow the social and moral teachings of the Church. Ignorance abounds, while the focus is placed on getting a warm fuzzy from going to Church.
What people need is the strength of the Faith. They should be brought to the Faith instead of having the Faith altered to suit them just to get them in the door. This is why we must maintain our traditions. Each aspect of traditional liturgy, moral doctrine, etc. is thoroughly grounded in Scripture and over 2000 years of its evolutionary (not revolutionary) interpretation. It will take each person a different amount of time to receive the full benefit of each aspect of tradition, but that's ok. We're all in a different place in our faith journey. The Sacred Tradition is the glue that holds us all together in our work towards living what is in Sacred Scripture.
I constantly preach on this. The guy in the giant purple cape and funny red hat (that would be me) says "Live your faith." He constantly challenges people to step outside their comfort zone and grow their faith. This often means looking to tradition, which is often uncomfortable for them.
I do get some resistance to this from time to time, but that is to be expected. We cannot let resistance deter us, however, from continuing to push our brethren to do what is right for them and for the community.
You are absolutely right, speaking of the community, about getting outside of the church walls. The church is a great place of solace and to get away from the world. However, we need to look for way, even unconventional ones, to reach others with the message and not hide our light. We were given light to lead others, not to keep it to ourselves.
As for America being post-Christian, I generally agree. We are historically Christian and founded on Christian principles. Many are still Christian in name and heritage, and they might even go to church on Sundays. Yet, the leftist, liberal, and socialist influence over the past thirty years or more has made Christianity something that should, to them, be practiced only in private. This must be fought.
Wear your habits or clerical suits when you are out in public as much as possible...especially when involved in charity or service. Put an icon, a prayer card, a crucifix or the like on your desk at work. YOu'll be told this is shoving your faith in the face of others, but do not be deterred. It is not true. You are simply expressing your faith. You are not forcing anyone else to participate. You are merely doing that all-important thing of witnessing to Christ.
In response to Fr. Kevin's comments:
ReplyDelete(A lot of this would have already been answered if my full comments had been posted. Computer glitches are always entertaining. The comments are now above.)
Yes, you are right. Evangelizing starts with one's own community. Thomas Aquinas discussed how it is rational to try to help those closest to you first. Indeed, this is the point of what I was saying. Mission starts "at home" and spreads from there. Home can be the family home, the parish home, or the local community.
Of course, sometimes it is wise to remember that no prophet is honored in his own country. That doesn't mean we shouldn't try at home and in our own communities. It is just something to bear in mind.
Evangelizing in a parish that has gone to the left and descended into heresy may or may not be possible, either. The question that must be answered for each individual is whether their own mission of evangelization can be carried out best by staying in the parish as the "voice of reason" or by finding a new parish home and working on the problem from the outside of their old parish. The third option is the "friar" option, and that is litterally taking the church to the people and to the streets. One doesn't have to be a friar to do this, either. One person pulling out a rosary on the subway (I saw this regularly in Korea) is a simple way that anyone can do in addition to the more direct service methods.
I want to address a comment someone made on twitter, " I disagree w/number 5. The Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith. The example of how we live the rest of our lives. Everything should flow from and back to the Eucharist"
ReplyDeleteI would agree with this assertion and my comment was not an attack on the Eucharist itself, but perhaps on its deeper observance (or lack thereof).
That is I was attacking more the notion that Sunday morning is not only the pinnacle, but often the only real emphasis in many churches.
This reflects an institutional mindset in my view (i.e. we need to have the Sunday services well attended so we can have pledgers, etc. to maintain our buildings, staff, etc.).
Obviously, this is not wrong, but cannot be our primary concern or business.
Plus, even many Eucharistically centered congregations do not live out the grace of the Eucharist in the manner I speak of, or in fact, make the connection between receiving the Eucharist and living the Eucharistic faith each day of their lives.
Quite correct. The holy mass is the highest form of prayer, the supreme sacrament, and the pinnacle of our connection with Christ. What has happened is that, as you said, many limit the eucharist to Sundays only. They go to church on Sundays, but the rest of the week is secular.
ReplyDeleteIf one looks at the missal, there is a mass (sometimes more than one) appointed for EVERY day of the week. Not everyone attends daily mass, and not every priest is required to celebrate daily. Nevertheless, the masses are there. The missal, by the way, makes a great daily devotional. Read through the propers, and I bet your daily life during the week will be less secularized. Attend mass during the week when you can, and you'll benefit even more.
In addition to the mass, we have the Daily Offices, the second highest form of prayer. They are called "daily" for a reason. They sanctify the WHOLE day EVERY day. I recommend the laity getting a breviary and praying the daily offices regularly, even if they don't do all of them.
This all makes a difference. The eucharist and the offices teach us what it is we need to know in order to fulfill our Christian mission in our DAILY lives, not just for an hour or so on Sunday.
Yes, this does upset my 'Ecclesiastical Stomach' a little. That is because this is 'clergy talk' and I can fully understand that. Your are that and this is your business. That is good, but it is only one side, one perspective. However, have you considered the notion, that while you are somewhat chained to the church, there are those that are not. WE DO take the church out into 'the world'. Not on mighty acts that will be recognized by 'the world' but 'little acts done in great love'. We read in the New Testament of the Acts of the Apostles and further in the Early Church of Fathers and Mothers and Martyrs etc... But, the Gospel was also spread...in silent witness... in the homes, markets, taverns (St. Dominic!)arenas, kitchens etc... by the Laity, the 'little Christs'. And another notion. Is the Kingdom of God really in trouble. Can the Kingdom of God ever be in trouble. Sometimes it may appear so. But that is how 'we' choose to see it. Maybe, we need(as individuals, before we even try to fix what we think might be a broken community)to wake up in faith, say our prayers in faith, go out the door in faith and tell the world (and act like it) about our experience, strength and hope (LOVE) in Jesus, each other and ourselves. If the world hears us bemoaning the 'broken church' what do we have to offer. Just a few thought in a gentle spirit from the pew side of the church.
ReplyDeleteBrother,
ReplyDeleteI think we are missing each other here. What you describe, "WE DO take the church out into 'the world'. Not on mighty acts that will be recognized by 'the world' but 'little acts done in great love'. We read in the New Testament of the Acts of the Apostles and further in the Early Church of Fathers and Mothers and Martyrs etc... But, the Gospel was also spread...in silent witness... in the homes, markets, taverns (St. Dominic!)arenas, kitchens etc... by the Laity, the 'little Christs'."
is exactly what I am calling for, exactly what I'm getting at. A renewed emphasis on this daily, lay driven, invinsible missionary, sort of Christianity.
I'm not sure the gathered Church truly holds this up as the norm or strengthens folk to live out this largely silent (though it should not always be) witness to the world in the midst of daily life.
The Kingdom of God is not in trouble, but the Church may be, as much as it chooses another Kingdom or chooses to ignore THEE kingdom.
I guess, I need some help in understanding the clergy part, as I am not promoting that our witness to the world be rooted in holding up our brokeness (they see that already!), but this is a conversation on the church's reformation for those who love her, lay and ordained alike.
Did you mean to separate The Kingdom of God and the Church? What I am trying to say, I think, is that The Church, the visible church, Diocese, Parish, Bishop, Priests need to...stop worrying and bickering about the Church. Where are the sheep to turn. We see how children are effected when parents fight and divorce. Maybe this is how the Laity might feel. Who is to lead us and why would we want to follow if all we hear is (Chicken Little) 'The Sky is Falling' or The Boy Who Cried Wolf. I guess maybe I am an angry child with parents that are so busy fighting that they don't even know that I am in the same room. Sorry if I vented a little, but that needs to happen too.
ReplyDeleteWell, the Kingdom and the Church is another topic properly speaking, though I would not be comfortable saying the Church is synonymous with the Kingdom, though I hope, work, and pray that the Church is an expression of the Kingdom.
ReplyDeleteI agree, I don't have much tolerance for bickering either, but my sense is that much of the bickering is concering re-arranging the furniture on the ship as it sinks (where the real conversation needs to be about the sinking ship)
This small conversation here, which is part of a much larger conversation (i.e. Emerging Church, Fresh Expressions, Missional Movement, etc), is in many ways lay driven, is about getting back to steady leadership, back to Gospel basics, back to tending to each other as God's people.
The question of the moment though is how do we sort out this return to basics and to each other as God's people in our newly emerging post-modern, post-Christan world?
St. Dominic, St. Francis, and many others have always called for reform, we are to be in the constant work of reforming, so this isn't about the sky falling, but just about the ongoing work of Reformation, hopefully guided by the Holy Spirit!
The second to the last paragraph...that is clergy talk...I ask three people what that meant and they had no idea. The language of reform needs to be said with words of Joy, Gratitude, Hope etc... The rest of the world is presented as going to hell in a handbasket...do we really want The Church sounding like that. Shouts of 'Hossanna' Christ has Died, Christ is Risen, Christ will Come Again!!!' not.. 'Oh My what is going to happen to us. What ever shall we do?' Maybe the professional church is falling, but the real church is calling. Our faith tells us what IS happening to us and how it will all end. Maybe I am speaking naively, I don't know.
ReplyDeleteBrother Gordon,
ReplyDeleteThanks this is helpful.
"The question of the moment though is how do we sort out this return to basics and to each other as God's people in our newly emerging post-modern, post-Christan world?"
Is actually sociological language more than clergy language.
A loose translation would be: "How do we live out Jesus' teaching in our rapidly changing world, were it seems the Church is no longer as strong or popular as it once was? What if anything, do we have to do differently?"
This blog is read by "insiders" (yes I realize anyone can read it), but the topic is of concern to Christians, and those concerned about the Church.
In other words, this is more of a lectern for the initatied than a pulpit directed toward the unchurched or dechurched (I also hope that the blog will help people learn about some of these realities, post-Christian, post-modern, etc. as they directly affect our lives as disciples of Jesus).
My comments have not really been directed at the world per se, but the Church. But I am in agreement with you that our calling is to preach a joyful message, a gladdening word, and to present the hope of Christ for the Church and the world.
Thanks for reminding me and the rest of us that the Church must keep its eyes fixed on hope, and not allow criticism to be our Gospel, but only the the Good News of God's everlasting love in Christ.
Also, I have often wondered lately if not maybe the Church/Christianity is being pruned by Our Lord. Maybe, in a sense the wheat and weeds are being separated. This might make the Church/Christianity smaller, but more faithful and more meaningful in a world with maybe too much meaning that there doesn't seem to be any meaning, anymore. After all, it was a Jewish carpenter, God incarnate that...well you know what I am talking about. God is with us. 'Lo, I am always with you' doesn't just mean a safe and comfortable belonging' it can also mean that, no matter how hard we try, we can't get rid of Him either.
ReplyDeleteThe Church Universal is one of the very few organizations in the world that exists purely for those outside it. That is, the purpose of the Church is to win souls to Christ, and the mission of the Church is 100% outside its bounds.
ReplyDeleteBrother Kevin, I agree with your point that a primarily inward focus kills parishes and compromises the gospel. One of things I've been known to say is that when any church (or any level of ecclesiastical hierarchy) cuts funding for mission, then the leadership needs to take a hard look at why the church even exists. If you're not about mission, then you shouldn't call yourself a church. Period.
What we do on Sundays is food for the journey. It is not about "feeling spiritual" but is to be fed -- body, mind, and spirit -- so that each person there can go back out into the world, carrying the Good News to others. Clergy tend to have a good sense of this. Most laypeople, I think, do not.
I would be interested in trying an experiment. It would be neat to see a parish give up its building for Lent. (I know: !!!!!) Each Sunday in Lent, worship in a different place in the community. This week, at the homeless shelter. Next week, at the library. The next week, in the parking lot in front of the Home Depot, where the migrant workers are looking for jobs. The next week, at the soup kitchen. My bet is that this would profoundly change the members of the congregation... and just might make a difference in the community as well.
Responses to the original post.
ReplyDelete1. Yes, our community would miss us, for a short time, like when Leever's Supermarket closed. There are some who would miss Grace Episcopal Church very much. I am one of them. Louis L'Amour Elementary School would miss us, as would the ND Diocese Medical/Dental Mission. It is those people we touch with God's love who would miss Grace Episcopal Church.
2.There are not that many evening meeting places in Jamestown, ND so I see Grace Church becoming more of a community center and a spiritual center. Yes, we also need a presence in the community, the Arts Center, Jamestown College, schools, YMCA, community events. We are making progress, but the harvest is great and the workers are few.
3. We do live in a post-Christian nation, but are apathetic to this fact. Then the ones using Christian as a title often do not truly represent Christian beliefs and way of life. These are serious problems, but we are not being killed for expressing our faith. How do we use that to our advantage?
4. The building is not killing our congregation, but it does prevent us from fully living out our Christian mission. We pay out money for building and grounds care and repair, but do not expend financial resources for evangelism. Money follows our heart. For many, the heart of the church is the building.
5.The Eucharist ought to be the pinnacle of Christian life, it is also not all there is to living a Christian life. I'd like to see representatives from our church, meaning the body of people who attend Grace, actively involved in church activities every day and always live a life of evangelism, all going to the glory of God.
6. A simple mission statement has the ability to guide a church into the future. Spending an abundance or resources developing one is probably wasteful since the Bible contains everything we need to know about our mission.
7. Absolutely! We do this well at Grace Church!
One thing I must add is to keep it simple. A party does not have to be an elaborate affair.
Sister Heather, We are sisters in more than one way, we are also sisters in thought.
ReplyDeleteA mission church is a growing church that supports missionaries, whether they go to China, or go around the block. A mission church is made up of missionaries. We ought to be calling each other missionaries and assigning missions. Jesus sent his disciples out and the apostles did also.
The Church is the primary manifestation of the Kingdom of God on earth, headed by Jesus Christ as King and High and Eternal Priest. While the Kingdom of God itself it not in trouble, the Church is nevertheless run by flawed humans. The hierarchy may receive help from God, and we know that Christ is always with the Church. Yet, that doesn't mean there are no problems. The battle between good and evil continues and will continue until the final battle. We cannot simply sit back and do nothing while, for example, the church descends into heresy or failure to evangelize saying that it doesn't matter because "the Kingdom of God isn't in trouble. This allows the church on earth to descend further and further into problems, jeopardizing the souls of the very people she is charged with safeguarding.
ReplyDeleteWe are called to constant effort, true conversion, and constant spiritual warfare. The trouble with churches today is that they largely have forgotten this. Mainline religion today largely seeks to soothe and affirm, and thus is sort of a religious-based Alka-Selzter tablet.
This has nothing to do with "professional church" or "true church." I'm not even sure what a "professional church" is. The true church can be found in mainline churches, and it can be found in small churches. There is one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, and one Church. The true church we know by the four marks. Is it One? Is it Holy? Is it Catholic? Is it Apostolic? If a church, a parish, or a group fits in that category, then how can it help but fulfill its duty to mission work? (And, mission work is ALWAYS the duty of the church. It always has been, and it always will be. This is even true in urban areas with a large Christian population.) When a church, parish, or group begins to grow weak in any of the four marks, that's when the problems start growing.
Remember, you don't need the Church to do charity, be nice to others, or be helpful. Even non-Christians help other people. The work of the church is not simply charity, but spreading the Gospel. Everything done by the Church is fundamentally a religious act with an underlying spiritual reason and purpose. Simply doing more charity isn't the answer. First fix the theology and spirituality. Then all else will flow from there. Without a foundation, efforts are ultimately fruitless.
Lots of interesting comments here. I am Sadie; former atheist, a tadpole in my faith of only five years now. But please, let me add a few thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what the archbishop said regarding watering down scripture to suit the parishioners. My very first church four years ago was an Episcopal church. I had Christian mentors there that taught me so much. And as I learned, a confidence, a conviction set in. I began taking issue with the "watering down" of the scriptures in that very church. It seemed very wishy-washy to me, as if they were afraid of offending anyone. The more I learned, the more I realized that is not the church for me.
Then God led me to my Anglican church, Christ Church of Farmington nm, under Fr. Carl Brenner's mentorship.
Let's talk about the "building" you mention, Fr. Kevin. I strongly disliked the building that Christ Church is sharing with Maranantha Fellowship. I understand that they've given us a place to worship and that is a blessing. But it's a sterile atmosphere, more like a reception hall. I want to see Jesus on the wall when I walk into church. I love icons and stained glass, etc. I am extremely affected by my environment.
But the people were wonderful, and Fr. Carl did NO watering down whatsoever. Straight scripture, solid counsel.
I learned there that a church is not a building. It was a lesson I really needed. That said, I agree wholeheartedly that we must leave the building to hold our meetings, etc in a place of visibility. And I applaud your suggestion to wear garments that identify you as a priest, pastor, whatever your particular title may be. Before I was saved, I would have loved to have come across clergy in town, and would have aligned myself in a way to happen into conversation with them. I was seeking. I was hungry. I was starving, spiritually. That collar, to me, was like a Red Cross beacon in a disaster area.
Number 5 I am still digesting. Perhaps because I am new, church service really does seem like the pinnacle of my Christian life. I can't seem to get enough of it. It's the ultimate Sunday school. I am gulping in as much scripture as I can, and I am in love with the liturgy (I suppose you might not see this as a positive thing, after reading your post, but i assure you it does not distract from the teachings at all). And if church service is the pinnacle of my week, the Eucharist is the pinnacle of the service. I will explain more about that at some other time.
But yes please GO OUT. Show yourselves. People ARE seeking. They shouldn't have to find us on Google! Weren't the "holy men" and "holy teachers" of old always identifiable in a glance? Show yourselves, most definitely. I can't say it enough. Be that beacon in your community.
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
ReplyDeleteFather Kevin really knows how to start a fruitful debate!! Many comments were extremely revealing and informative. I was especially touched by our Brothers and Sisters understanding of the global perspective affecting the Christianity especially with regards for an old opponent- Islam. I would suggest you consult Joel Richardson's book on Islam and its antichristian nature:
http://www.amazon.com/Islamic-Antichrist-Shocking-Truth-Nature/dp/1935071122/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1297002089&sr=1-1
The Church is facing a multiprong attack from the ouside, from a number of groups ranging from atheists, neopagans, secular ideologies, the medias, etc; and from within through a spiritual war by revisionists who ultimately, through an ever changing faith which they whish insync with the world, would make of Christianity a faith hardly recogniseable from the teachings of the Apostles.We must be "the Light of the World" the "Salt of the Earth" but standing for everything will lead us standing for nothing and especially not Christianity. Our ever changing world with its vortexes of fads, intelectual "soupe du jour" as an ever changing credo must be avoided at all cost. What is needed in face of such relativistic nihilism is permanency: in a world constantly renewing itself with its instant ephemeral paradigms, stability is the answer; the certainty of the Apostolic Faith in its eternal Truth and revelation through the Scriptures is the way. We do not need recomposition. We do not need renewal. We need re-formation again!
Bro Denis OPA
Now. If this is a direction that a majority wish to go in, what do we do with those who cherish the church building. Who have spent money and labor (of deep love) to maintain and promote the building. To pass it on to the future. Who (YES!) love the building and consider it Holy. Talk of which we have been engaged in is pretty scary to some. And, I am one who is very connected to my physical church. It is not just another building. Is there not a place for Holy Refuge in our ministry and mission? Is it not just as valid to say (in our information age) Hey, here we are. What makes us different is that God IS here. We are not an ordinary building. We are not ordinary people. And, what of the art that are our churches? What of the steeple seen in the distance? These are things to be considered also. I think that we can go forth in gladness and singleness of heart, but we also need to gather also in sabbath and refreshment.
ReplyDeleteI was waiting for someone to post something on this!
ReplyDeleteWithout putting words in anyone's mouth, I will suggest that the comment about "getting rid of the building" is in line with "if your hand offends you, cut it off." Church buildings ought to be places of refuge for everyone to get away from the world. They ought to be beacons of hope to all who see the cross atop the bell tower. The building is important in so far as it serves a sacred purpose.
Except for the cloistered, we should all be taking what we learn and do and experience in the church building out into the world and sharing it in various ways with others. Providing experiences like you can get in a church building to others outside the building is also a good idea.
When the building itself becomes the main focus of the parish, that's a problem. When the building becomes a place where a cliquesh parish can shun others, that's a problem.
One might ask why there might come a time where all the money is going into the building and none (or little) into mission work. Perhaps people are donating a lot less money to churches. Or, maybe they are donating now to the evangelical rock and roll church down the street. Or, maybe it's the economy. Whatever the reason, when this happens, that parish really becomes a mission parish itself and must reorder its way of thinking accordingly.
Please keep the venerable houses of worship as the holy places that they are, but keep the spirit of their intended purpose.
Archbishop, you make some excellent points. It is not uncommon to have capital campaigns to put on an addition, replace a roof or other building projects. It is rare to see the same enthusiasm for mission and outreach.
ReplyDeleteMore and more I am lead to believe that this discussion is about spiritual renewal more than anything else.
To toss an idea into the ring, would it not be useful to have a weekend or week, or month of fasting and praying for the Holy Spirit to bless us in re-energizing the Body of Christ?
Yes, it may be very paiful but what has to be done must be done with an eternal and obedient faith to our Saviour if it is required. Just think about the Jewish people! 2 000 years without a Temple! A few years without a building should be nothing to us if it is essential to keep the Truth alive.
ReplyDeleteBro Denis OPA
"my sense is that much of the bickering is concering re-arranging the furniture on the ship as it sinks (where the real conversation needs to be about the sinking ship'
ReplyDeleteFr. Kevin, I am going to quote you on this! What an accurate statment!!!!!