On most Sundays my sermon begins with some kind of story that may provide images to reflect on, or return to later on, or which is a direct illustration of some point I want to make, or some issue I want to address. Over the years, I have realized that beginning with a story is often a good way to draw people into listening. (At least, that's what I hope is happening!)
There are risks with using stories, especially true stories. I am never sure what part of the story will come across as the most interesting or memorable.
This Sunday I began by talking about officiating at a wedding in a nearby church. I mentioned that in my preparation for speaking at the wedding, I had been thinking about two things:
1) What do I have to say that will be useful wisdom to the couple being married?
2) What do I say to a "congregation" of family and friends, the majority of whom are not regular church attenders?
That second question was the one I really wanted to work on. My hope was to get people musing about it on their own- what is it about church involvement that they value?
Even as I was preaching on Sunday, I was aware that I had described being in a full church, that holds about 80-100 people, and being able to identify only 3 people who are regular church-goers. I don't think this low percentage is necessarily an accurate reflection of societal trends- but it definitely feels like it is! People who regularly attend, and give of their time and resources and skills to support a church, are in the minority.
I chose not to dwell on the "negative" picture in my sermon. I did not want those listening to get depressed, or caught in the "survival blues". You know what I mean, "How will we ever carry on....."
There are lots of theories about why church attendance is not what it once was. There are also lots of prescriptions offered, to help churches reverse the trend, and "fill the pews". I am not aware of any "quick-fix" plan that actually works.
I think that rather than finding or creating the formula that will "get them back in the pews", we might be better off if we reflect on the question of what is we ourselves value about our church involvement.
Hopefully it is something more than just keeping our congregations going.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
the fifth page for September 6, 2009
There were two underlying themes in the lectionary readings for this Sunday that just leapt off the page at me, grabbed me by the shoulders, and shook me. The first was about privilege.
In Mark’s gospel we read the story of an encounter Jesus had with a Syro-Phonecian woman (a gentile). She asked him for help, and he responded with the infamous line about not feeding the dogs (the gentiles) until the children (the Jewish people) have had their fill. Her answer was brilliant: “But even the dogs are allowed the crumbs that fall from the children’s table...”
This story is part of a set of stories that push at the traditional boundaries between Jew and Gentile. We may not divide the world into those categories, but that does not mean that we see all people as equal. We certainly do not treat everyone with equal regard for their dignity. In the United States, there has been a lot of criticism of the federal response to the damage caused to the city of New Orleans, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Many have suggested that if a similar disaster had befallen a “more white” area, things would have been different. I don’t think we need to look that far afield to see examples of the power of privilege.
The other issue, related to the first, has to do with our treatment of “the poor”. The selection from Proverbs included these words:
“A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.
Do not exploit the poor because they are poor and do not crush the needy in court, for the LORD will take up their case and will plunder those who plunder them.”
After 4 weeks of vacation, during which my family and I enjoyed the luxury of time off together, in beautiful settings, and during which we spent money freely and ate very well, I feel very aware that I am not poor. I may not be “wealthy” compared to some of my neighbours here in Oakville, but I need to remember that I live in one of the world’s most affluent communities. Does that sound like an exaggeration? Do we really live in one of the world’s richest towns?
I have not done my homework on this one. I cannot prove my claim statistically. I am pretty sure everyone reading this can think of a “richer” place.
My claim is based on having viewed a video called “The Miniature Earth”,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIUCTbi_XZs
which I included in the Sunday morning service. The video asks what the world would look like if it were a community of 100 people. Who would be there? What would they look like? How many would look like you and I?
In Mark’s gospel we read the story of an encounter Jesus had with a Syro-Phonecian woman (a gentile). She asked him for help, and he responded with the infamous line about not feeding the dogs (the gentiles) until the children (the Jewish people) have had their fill. Her answer was brilliant: “But even the dogs are allowed the crumbs that fall from the children’s table...”
This story is part of a set of stories that push at the traditional boundaries between Jew and Gentile. We may not divide the world into those categories, but that does not mean that we see all people as equal. We certainly do not treat everyone with equal regard for their dignity. In the United States, there has been a lot of criticism of the federal response to the damage caused to the city of New Orleans, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Many have suggested that if a similar disaster had befallen a “more white” area, things would have been different. I don’t think we need to look that far afield to see examples of the power of privilege.
The other issue, related to the first, has to do with our treatment of “the poor”. The selection from Proverbs included these words:
“A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.
Do not exploit the poor because they are poor and do not crush the needy in court, for the LORD will take up their case and will plunder those who plunder them.”
After 4 weeks of vacation, during which my family and I enjoyed the luxury of time off together, in beautiful settings, and during which we spent money freely and ate very well, I feel very aware that I am not poor. I may not be “wealthy” compared to some of my neighbours here in Oakville, but I need to remember that I live in one of the world’s most affluent communities. Does that sound like an exaggeration? Do we really live in one of the world’s richest towns?
I have not done my homework on this one. I cannot prove my claim statistically. I am pretty sure everyone reading this can think of a “richer” place.
My claim is based on having viewed a video called “The Miniature Earth”,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIUCTbi_XZs
which I included in the Sunday morning service. The video asks what the world would look like if it were a community of 100 people. Who would be there? What would they look like? How many would look like you and I?
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