A PASTOR'S REFLECTION ON THE BIG THREE!

I think like a pastor - sorry!  After many years in the ministry, it's a liability!  

I love the holy days in our year!  I always planned more carefully for these celebrations.  For one reason, more people attend on Christmas and Easter!  [Mother's Day runs a close third!  😉]  

I heard an interview yesterday where a reporter spoke of her Episcopalian pastor who always joked that on Christmas Sunday he should begin his message with the words: "As I was saying...", in order to connect with all the people who had last attended on Easter Sunday!  I have to admit, I did find that story to be funny!  

But, bottom line, we rejoice on any Sunday when people come to worship!  This same pastor coached his people every year on the Sunday before these novalike Sundays.  He reminded his congregation before Easter and Christmas to be welcoming to these people who would fill the seats on the next Sunday.  He encouraged them to be friendly and accepting.  He ended by echoing how good it would be if some of these folks began attending more often!  [I think I would like this pastor!]

Now that I'm retired, I feel freer to express myself.  It always has bothered me how big a deal we make of Christmas.  Hey, don't get upset with me - hear me out, please.  

It is a great holiday and I have celebrated it creatively and enthusiastically through the years.  But...[you knew that was coming, didn't you?]

Celebrating the arrival of Christ - especially recalling the dramatic and utterly remarkable details of the narrative - certainly welcomes celebration and wonder!  We should replicate that night and its WONDER-FULL events and meaning!  My childlike mind lights up with the celebration of Christmas.

But let's keep things in perspective.  The primary reason for us to celebrate Christmas is because it set the stage for us to observe and commemorate what happened on Easter [Resurrection Sunday]!  This is the believer's true HOLY-DAY!  This is the day that transformed us:

• from darkness to light
• from despair to hope
• from eternal punishment to eternal life and joy
• from death to life!

It's a delicate balance that we should speak about with our families and children.  

WE CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS BECAUSE OF THE COMING OF CHRIST!

WE CELEBRATE RESURRECTION SUNDAY BECAUSE OF THE REDEEMING SACRIFICE OF CHRIST!

Both are high, holy days for the follower of Christ!  

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Actually - while I'm on the topic - I have always been disappointed in the frequent failure to celebrate Pentecost Sunday [which is traditionally observed fifty days after Easter.]  

As we recall the events of that day, we must recognize the dynamic meaning it has for us!   

This is delicate, but let's look closely:

If we generally recognize the Old Testament Period as dominated and led by God-the-Father...

And if we generally recognize most of the New Testament as being dominated by JESUS [God-the-Son]...

Then, isn't it reasonable that we should also recognize the period after Christ's ascension as dominated by the HOLY SPIRIT [God-the-Spirit]?

WE LIVE IN THE AGE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT!  WE SHOULD CELEBRATE AND OBSERVE THIS!  WE ARE WRITING THE REST OF THE BOOK OF ACTS!

A few years ago, the Bethel Church added a dramatic celebration on this day to help us catch the glory and wonder of Pentecost.  Three men from the congregation entered the sanctuary speaking the 'GOOD NEWS' in their native languages: Chinese, Turkish and Italian!  It helped the congregation to appreciate the original circumstances of this day historically!  It added meaning, value and a little bit of humor to our Lord's Day!

I can't overemphasize the need for creativity in worship - especially in the 21st century!  We must recognize the values of TRADITION, while also translating it to a post-Christian population!  To refuse or fail to do so runs a significant risk of being irrelevant!  Irrelevance produces no fruit!  It is likely the reason we are closing so many churches in our American culture.  

The Church should be one of the most creative places in our culture!  We have the most important message!  We have a God-assigned responsibility!  We are compelled to engage those who have not recognized Jesus as Lord in a way that challenges them intellectually, reasonably, boldly, relevantly and creatively!  WE ARE THE CHURCH!  WE HAVE A MISSION!  WE HAVE THE EMPOWERMENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT!    

WE MUST AVOID PETRIFYING THE GOSPEL

The King James Version of our Bible was written in 1611.  It's use was almost exclusive for over three hundred years.  When it was written, it was absolutely colloquial and contemporary.  Yet today it is safe to assume that it is only used in extremely conservative groups!  

Growing up in the 1950's and 1960's, the KJV was the only version that I read until my teen years when Ken Taylor began to produce The Living Bible.  It was so refreshing and relevant and in the language of the 1960’s. 

Many of the people in my early-life church even prayed in the language style of the KJV, using thee’s and Thou’s in their prayers.

It is only suitable to deduce that this kind of language use was petrified from the era of 1611.  Once upon a time it was relevant and essential.  But time evolved and the language morphed.  Today, we celebrate having the Bible available in translations that are in conversational language!  Relevance has been restored!

In recent months I’ve been enjoying a devotional book written by biblical scholar, William Barclay. I was stunned by the significance of his comments for today’s date referring to the use of the ‘Authorized Version’ [KJV]:

[REMEMBER – This was written well over fifty years ago.]

“Worship by so many has got to be in the language of the Authorized Version of the Bible.  But surely a twentieth-century man speaks to God in twentieth-century English.  The biggest barrier to prayer is the stagnation which insists on a special prayer language which is quite out of date.

But in worship there is also stagnation in the order of service.  For the person within the Church, and brought up within the Church, no doubt the accepted and traditional orders of service are hallowed and dear.  But when a man (sic) comes in from outside the Church, we cannot afford to go through the long preparation of prayer and praise and reading, or we lose him (sic).

We must talk to him almost at once.

After all, the Church must be concerned for the man (sic) outside.

There are fewer and fewer inside!”

Many readers will miss the power of Barclay’s statement by virtue of not knowing that it was his life’s mission to make the Bible understandable to the common student of the Word.  His seventeen volume study Bible (commentary) was/is an invaluable resource to pastors and students to this day!  It was my personal dream to own it, but I was not able to make that happen, so I settled for reading it in various libraries along my journey! 

I digress. 

Worship must be relevant! 

While attending Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, I leaned toward a more liturgical expression of worship.  But this was balanced by the use of praise and worship music that was exploding in the 1980’s.  Many churches are migrating toward increasingly liturgical forms of worship [even in my own ‘free’ tradition of Free Methodism].  I believe this creates barriers to convert growth.  Although I'm aware that MANY will disagree, I believe it is a form of petrifying the Gospel.

I currently worship in a Reformed Presbyterian church.  I am not drawn to the identical form used week after week – although I recognize that many are indeed comfortable with this format.  This church made a significant hire a few years ago of a new worship leader that has brought novelty and creativity to the leadership of worship via, instruments, new music, and the innovation of two distinct worship teams that alternate.  Her direction regularly infuses vibrancy into a rote form.  This IS a growing and vibrant church.

Our task is the task of our Lord: “to seek and to save the lost” [Luke 19:10]. 

During nine years of service in leading a church before we left for China, we tapped the talents of our people by creating a worship experience that was marked by creativity, engagement, variety, and stimulation.  How?

By using drama, humor, video clips, testimonies, three worship teams with unique styles, fill-in-the-blank worksheets, and worship experiences that involved the congregation in movement – such as:

·         Occasionally having the people bring their tithes and offering forward while singing a joyful song of praise.

·         Coming forward once-a-month to receive Holy communion.

The response to these specific plans was one of growth!  The church more than doubled in size and a second worship service was begun to allow for even greater growth!  For two years in a row the church was recognized by our denomination as a 'Multiplying Church'.

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Having led ministries for over forty years, I'm very familiar with the dynamics of trying to change the local church!  The resistance faced requires patience, love yet persistence.  This is the Kingdom of God and we are compelled to follow Him as He leads us into our world! 

Ever loving Lord,

Help us who have impact on the worship of our church to fearlessly innovate so that the common person will find relevance when they enter our sanctuary.  We want them to see You and come to know You!  This is far more important than meeting our needs for comfort and control.

For the Kingdom’s sake.  Amen.  

A NEW WORD FOR THE CHURCH - 1

The word is 'innovate'.

From Merriam/Webster:  : to make changes : do something in a new way

There's a little dialogue - between Debbie and I - that has played out in church quite a few times over recent years:

DEB (as she joins me in the pew):  "Did you pick up a bulletin?"

ME:  "No.  I read it last year!"  

She rarely sees the humor of my response and typically gives me 'the look'!  😆

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A number of years ago [when Jon and Tracie were still living in Connecticut], we were visiting and attended their church-plant on Sunday morning.  It met in a school, so a lot of set-up was involved.  As we arrived, we were greeted and made our way to the middle of the auditorium and found seats.

We waited a bit for the time of service to arrive.  Just as the worship team members moved to the front, Coltin [probably about eight at the time], leaned over to me and said:  

"They'll start with a song.  Then there'll be announcements and a time for greeting.  Then, we'll sing three more songs.  After that, the pastor will pray.  Then he'll preach and have another prayer.  One more song and then we'll leave."

He nailed it!  Spot on!  An eight-year-old had noticed and memorized the pattern!

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Is there anything wrong with this?

I suppose not - technically.  For many people, predictability is a good thing.  

Obviously, I wrestle with this pattern.  Here's why...

1.  I think that predictability leads to boredom! 

    Everyone knows almost exactly what's going to happen before it happens.  All I have to do is stick it out until 12:00 PM.

2.  This pattern of consistency tends to turn worship into a ritual!  

    Rituals can be [and often are] followed mindlessly!  

3.  Who plans the details of the 'Detail Sheet'?

    Is it the pastor?  the church secretary?  the worship team?

    I've seen 'Detail Sheets' that actually listed time components for each segment of the worship experience.

4.  What role is prayer, discernment and the Holy Spirit given in the process of preparation for worship?

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Let me diverge for a few moments:

Consider the expansive creativity of our God!  

For many of us the year is divided into four very different seasons that even dictate how we dress.

The rough estimate of all the tree species in the world currently stands at 65,065, distributed in all countries worldwide.

The Clements checklist of birds of the world lists 10,906 bird species that live in practically every habitat from open oceans to arid deserts!

I'm not going to wear you down with more; you get the idea.  

God has so wonderfully illustrated creativity, diversity and curiosity in the making of our world.  Why can't we do the same with our worship?  

Have we pandered to a segment of the population who are just interested in checking off the box ☑ Have attended worship today.

Have we ignored and omitted those who would be prone to add color, fun, humor and engagement to our worship?

Does anybody in the church ask these questions?  Are they relevant?  Are they appropriate?  

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For nine years, I led a church where I was set free to tamper with the traditional forms of worship.  I wrote skits to illustrate my messages.  My sister-in-law [Laurie Mahosky] took those skits and recruited and trained people to present them on Sunday mornings.  Some were humorous and others were quite impactful.  A unique and surprising group of people stepped forward to volunteer to be part of this team.

We also used video songs and video clips to supplement worship.  Eventually, we took advantage of the videographer skills of a few of our people and featured video testimonies.  The advantage of this was that we could control the time and edit the content.  I tried to create messages of interest and illustrate them with humor and stories.

Guess what?  The church grew from 70 to over 200.  Two years in a row, we were recognized by our denomination as a 'Multiplying Church'!  

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Dare we allow the church of Jesus Christ to be deemed irrelevant by the world?  

Mega-churches draw crowds by creating an environment where everything is provided!  You can come here every Sunday and you don't have to do anything.  Just sit in the dark in our theater seats and enjoy the show!  Is this success?  Is this pleasing to God?

I attended a local mega-church a while back.  It was great!  Everything was done so well!  You couldn't help but be impressed.  When the service ended, I simply remained in my seat and observed what happened.  People got up and filed out the aisles through the foyer and out the doors to their cars.  No one talked to one another!  There was no recognition of fellow worshippers!  No engagement!  The show was over - it was time to head home or to the restaurant!  

Is this the Church we want to model for our world?

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I'm just finishing an eight-month role as an interim pastor.  I've enjoyed the opportunity to lead a church again.  However, as an interim, there were obvious limitations on what I was allowed to do.  Prudence also created barriers regarding how much change it would be appropriate for me to instigate.  I restrained myself appropriately!  

I spoke candidly to the staff on a few occasions indicating things that I would love to see happen.  I mentioned that if I was assigned to lead the church, the first thing I would do would be to remove 100 seats from the sanctuary!  

To my surprise, a couple of men did just that one week!  

Surprisingly, the congregation took it in stride the next Sunday and I never heard a complaint about it.  As a result, we sit closer to one another now and tend to have more interaction with one another.  Pretty cool!

Why are we so afraid of change?  

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The 15th century reformer, John Calvin, proposed that there were three ways that we could know about God:  reason, revelation and tradition.

A couple of hundred years later, John Wesley suggested that there was a fourth: experience.

REASON - I can use the brain that God has given me to make observations and think things through, enabling to understand better the nature of God.

REVELATION - God has revealed Himself through Christ and through The Word!  I must give precedence to these revelations and allow them to influence and guide my life!

TRADITION - The collective voice and practice of generations of believers trickle down to us through the centuries.  We must revere these traditions, evaluate their effectiveness for our age, and employ them wisely to provoke, inspire and guide our people.

EXPERIENCE - God may choose to reveal Himself to me in intimate, personal ways that will guide and influence me throughout the course of my life!  

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER:

• How much should I allow tradition to influence the way I worship?
• Shouldn't it be balanced with the other four sources?
• Is there new revelation since we live in the age of the Spirit that could liberate us in our worship?
• What does it mean to worship Him in Spirit and in truth?  [John 4:24]

THE GROWTH OF ATHEISM

 "The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”  Psalm 14:1

You may not have noticed it, but the number of fools in America has been growing significantly over the past three decades.  

"Ryan Burge, a political scientist at Eastern Illinois University and a Baptist pastor, found that 23.1% of Americans now claim no religion...Catholics came in at 22%.  Evangelicals were at 22.5%...Mainline protestant denominations registered 11%...The same questions have been asked for forty-four years...The meteoric rise of religious nones began in the early 1990s and has grown 266% since 1991, he said."  [Excerpts from "There are now as many Americans who claim no religion as there are evangelicals and Catholics, a survey finds."  By Neil Monahan and Saeed Ahmed -Survey: As many Americans claim no religion as there are evangelicals, Catholics - CNN ]

You just read a credible report that the number of those reporting 'no religion' has grown 266% since 1991.  Does this bother you?  Does it cause you any concern?  What do you think this says about our culture?  About the Church?

I've attended two healthy churches since I retired in 2016.  Neither has seemed very passionate about connecting with, helping, or influencing spiritually lost people.  

It's so easy for churches to slip into a maintenance mode.  Enough money is coming in to keep things going.  Attendance is fairly stable.  Programs that seem essential are kept running.  Homeostasis feels good.  New people trickle in from time-to-time.  

Don't worry - be happy!

But outside the walls of our church, in the homes throughout our community, and in our nation in general people are craving answers to questions they can't yet formalize.  They're pursuing something, but they're not quite sure what it is yet.  Something is missing, but they don't know where to turn for answers.  And to be honest, the church is about the last place they would look for answers.

Have you ever gone to a church for the first time?  It's terrifying!  

• You don't know which door to go in.
• You don't know where to go once you're inside.
• You don't know what to expect.
• The readings and songs are foreign and meaningless to you.
• The pastor goes on for close to forty minutes - s/he seems really passionate, but you don't know what s/he's talking about.
• You notice there are very few youth or young families in the church.
• After church, everyone seems to enjoy talking, but they leave you alone.
• You breathe a sigh of relief when you get to your car and vow that you'll never do that again!

Dictionary.com defines ritual as "an established or prescribed procedure for a religious or other rite."

Why do churches rely so heavily on these prefabricated forms?  Why would we so consistently use forms that are only meaningful to those who possess the secret decoder ring?  What about those poor seekers who wander in hoping to hear the words of life?  Hoping to find something real and meaningful.  Hoping to find the resolve and strength to cope with the realities of their lives.  Who cares about them?

Are they likely to try another church?  No.

We serve a Christ who:

• came to seek and to save the lost.
• is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
• is pictured as a shepherd who leaves 99 safe in the fold while He goes out to seek the one that was lost.
• intentionally visited the pool of Bethesda in order to heal a man who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.
• gave time and attention to Zacchaeus, the hated tax collector and changed his heart.
• said to His disciples, "Let us go somewhere else--to the nearby villages--so I can preach there also. That is why I have come."\

You get the picture.  This is a man who was observed to be a friend of sinners.  

Some research I did years ago indicated that when a person becomes closely connected to a church, they will - within seven years - come to a place where they no longer have any non-Christian friends.  Yikes!  Could that be true?  Do we really flip a person's life so radically that we remove them from association with people who desperately need Christ and salvation?

HERE'S AN ASIDE:

Would you like to know the most difficult challenge I had during over forty years of leading churches?

Do I preach for the benefit of those who are established in their faith or those who need to be established in their faith?

I vacillated between these two roles constantly - by intention!  I would preach a series that was designed to minister to those who knew Jesus and were growing in their faith.  Then, I would do a series designed to be outreaching to those who were lost or struggling in their faith and needed to be grounded.  Here's the reality I had to deal with:  if I erred too much in either direction, attendance suffered!  That's the way it was...

I know that a variety of churches exist and some even seem to thrive.

• churches where the worship leaders shout and jump around and where musicians shine...
• churches where things are executed poorly with little planning and coherence...
• churches where liturgy reigns and people yawn...
• churches where the show is great, the videos excellent, the music semi-professional and the pastor uses Andy Stanley's sermons...
• churches where the platform is crowded with instruments and the sermon is spontaneous...

Where is sincerity?  genuineness?  spiritual sensitivity?  the leading of the Spirit?  the creativity that was at the core of Jesus' teaching?  the involvement of 'the body'?  the pooling of gifts and the sharing of the saints?  prayer for the lost?  the opportunity to respond to the message?  [Did altar prayer end with Billy Graham's death?]

Do we have the answer to people's questions?  Is Jesus' love big enough to see them through life's struggles?  Do we care enough to make our worship relevant to these lost souls?  

Right now the indicators are that we're not being very effective at reaching them.  Are we able to change, to adapt, to pursue, to care enough to meet them where they are?  Are we willing to admit that we've failed to get them to come to our buildings to 'get saved'?  If we're biblically astute, we'll know that Jesus told us to 'Go' to them;  He didn't tell us to have a great program so they will come to us.  

It is a PRIMARY role of the church to equip the saints for the work of ministry!  The Apostle Paul speaks specifically of the ministry of reconciliation (II Corinthians 5:18-20):

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;  that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them [PTL!].  And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.   We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.  We implore you on Christ's behalf:  Be reconciled to God.

Can we turn this atheism trend around?  Do we want to?  Christ is still out seeking the lost.  Do we care enough to join Him?  

VISITING CHURCHES

We're on vacation in Inwood, West Virginia (near historic Harpers Ferry).  After reviewing a number of churches, we decided to attend a United Methodist Church within two blocks of our hotel.  Worship was at 9:30 AM. 

We arrived and entered just as worship was about to begin.  The front door was sort of stuck - we had to yank hard to get it open;  it seems all the regular attenders enter by a back door.  No greeter or usher.  No sign of contemporary instruments;  one woman at an organ.  Part way into the service a man across the aisle handed me his bulletin. 

There were about thirty-five people present:  several older women, several older couples, several middle-aged couples, and one young family.  An older gentleman came from a back room and began the service;  we realized later that he was the pastor.  He led the entire service:  Call to Worship, Affirmation of Faith, Responsive Reading, Scripture Lessons, Announcements, Prayer Concerns, The Lord's Prayer, The Gloria, and the Doxology.  His attempts at humor were sardonic - at best.

We sang "Happy Birthday" to one woman and "Happy Anniversary" to another!  Then came the sermon, "How Great Thou Art", "God Be With You Till We Meet Again", The Benediction, and The Threefold Amen."  Three people greeted us as we left:  they all mentioned my singing voice.

Now I want to be honest.  As poorly as the scriptures were read, they still spoke to me with power!  I enjoyed singing hymns again.  Some of the rituals mentioned above have tremendous meaning - if you stay focused as you read them!  However, we felt as though we had entered a time-warp!  There was no evidence of caring for the lost.  We felt unwanted and unappreciated.

It was ironic that the Old Testament Lesson was from I Samuel 4, where the high priest (Eli's)  daughter-in-law gives birth to a son on the same day that her husband, his brother, and Eli die.  She also dies giving birth just after naming her newborn son, Ichabod - meaning "the glory has departed".  I found the double-meaning of this scripture ironic...

On our way back to the hotel we passed a warehouse with a sign in front that read:  CONNECTION COMMUNITY CHURCH - Worship at 10:00 AM.  The parking lot was jammed!  It was 10:20 AM.  I quickly parked and we entered;  even though late, we were greeted outside the main door.  We found our way through a fellowship area and were directed up some steep stairs to a large area packed with over 300 people (predominantly younger) singing with a Spirit-filled worship team!  We got in on one song.

Then came an amazing, powerful video about God's grace being available to anyone;  it left me in tears!  Then the pastor came forward and gave a message on "The Hatfields and McCoys" based on scriptures from the book of Ruth.  Totally relevant and applicable (I could say so much more about his message)!  Then the worship team led in a song I did not know - but loved!  Several went forward to pray. 

The pastor came to close the service with a challenge and an enticement to be there for Father's Day!  Music and video played as we left.  Several spoke with us and invited us back.  One gentleman explained how the owner of this apple factory had been generous in making it available to the church - which only began a year ago!!  He explained that their story is laced with miracles of God's provision!

We were blessed - SO BLESSED!!!!  It's evening now, and my mind is still churning with the contrast between these two congregations!  If I lived in this area, I know where I'd worship - and I'd want all of my friends and family to worship there with me!!!!

Don't be mistaken - RELEVANCE MATTERS!!!