I know I haven't exactly written in this thing regularly... and I know nobody else is actually reading it. But I'm going to write anyway... I'm still thinking about the book I read on church leadership. John wants to read it but he hasn't had time to get past the first couple of chapters. He agreed with me that it seems valid and he wants to finish it if he ever has time.
What is our aim as a church? What are we really here for? To provide everyone with a nice morning's entertainment? To make them feel good about themselves? To get them in and out the door in 60 minutes flat so they can get on with their day assured that they've fulfilled their religious obligation without any real involvement on their part? To give people a place to chat with their friends over coffee? To tell them exactly what they should be thinking and doing, and to sternly correct anybody who seems 'wrong'? To give them things to think about during the week? To help them grow? Your answer pretty much depends on what kind of church you go to, and what your general expectations are from 'the church'.
Our mission is basically to be a church for everyone who wants to be with us... we say it every week, in our rather lengthy creed that basically breaks down into 'everyone is welcome here'. We mean it. We actively invite many people who would not be welcome in any other church in the area, and we are the richer for their presence. But it's such a wide-open invitation that it can easily turn into 'this is the church where you don't have to do anything to change yourself because you're just fine the way you are...' What we really want is to be the church where people are helped to become the people that God wants them to be. It's a place to become more fully and completely 'you' in the image of God. That doesn't mean you have to be a carbon copy of me, or John, or Pastor Becky, or anybody else you might see in church this week. If you were doing that, you wouldn't be being 'you'. God made us all unique individuals with completely different gifts, talents, and abilities... and when you add everyone together it makes an incredible whole. But not when people sit there and hold back. If you only put half of yourself into church, the puzzle is only half complete, and it feels like there are still a lot of people who are just sitting there and thinking that's all they need to do. :(
I'm not a sitter... I'm a doer, which should be pretty obvious by how many different hats I wear in the church. I'm in the choir and involved in the Worship group (and my part there seems to be becoming church decorator!), I'm on Missions and serving the homeless every Thursday, and I was asked to be the church clerk and part of the Executive team. That last 'hat' was not one I chose for myself, and it fits the least comfortably... I avoid responsibility in my life, especially financial responsibility! But it has to be done, and accepting the responsibility is part of growing up. All in all, I'm so busy that I couldn't possibly take on anything else... which is why I hesitated a full thirty seconds before I told John about the new bible study class at church. I love doing bible study and I really miss being part of a small group who are learning together (rather than just filling some special purpose in the church). I couldn't go last night - I had to go to a special musical rehearsal at the same time - but John went, and I figured I'd join him next week.
Only one problem. Turns out I wasn't quite correct about the new class. It's not a bible study group - it's a class to try to develop some new leaders so that they can HAVE more bible study classes later in the year. He's not quite sure whether that's something he wants to do, but he'd be good at it. He's always talked about how they trained him to lead classes and he had to do that stuff before, and he's considered getting involved in it, so now here's his shot. Time to put his money where his mouth is and see what happens... I'm sure he'll do fine. But he's going to have to do it without me! Makes me feel bad that I led him there, but I am not a leader of anything, no matter how many different jobs I take on in the church.
Teaching is not something I feel equipped to do unless it was a craft workshop or something. I've never had any formal Christian education at any level, and I'm completely ignorant when it comes to matters theological. I love DOING bible study in small groups, but I wouldn't know where to begin when it came to LEADING it. I get completely tongue-tied if somebody puts me on the spot because I don't have the required vocabulary to put my thoughts into words. All I really know is what my heart tells me. I connect with God on an emotional heart-level that is very hard to put into words. I know God talks to some people's minds, but not mine. (Read 'The Five Love Languages of God' some time... fascinating stuff, and super easy to read.) And I don't have a steel-trap mind for trivia like quoting chapter and verse. Quite the opposite - I have great difficulty in memorising stuff like that. Names and numbers just don't seem to quite make it into my brain. I once had to get a new PIN number from the bank because mine vanished away overnight and it was impossible for me to remember it. I am absolutely abominable with names and faces too... it's embarrassing - I call everyone 'lovey' and 'dear' etc because it's easier than digging in my memory bank for five minutes and trying to find some kind of association to bring their name back to me when I've forgotten it and I know I'm SUPPOSED to remember! But that's wandering way off the track... except that God just didn't put me together that way. It's just not who I am...
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Thursday, January 26, 2012
I've been reading a fascinating little book on church leadership... I picked it up at the booksale because I grab anything Christian that I see (as long as it's not blatantly offensive to my sensibilities) and take it along to church to share when I'm done with it. When I looked at the back cover I realised it was written by the former senior pastor of Christ Church Methodist ,where we went to church a few years ago. We only left because the church was TOO big and successful for me to feel like I really served a useful purpose in being there, or to connect with anyone on a personal level. Other than that, the church is wonderful. It is clear that they are dedicated to doing God's work, and they haven't got sidetracked from it since this guy got them restarted.
Interestingly, a LOT of that little book applies equally well to our church, on a smaller scale. We're not all the way there yet... but Pastor Becky has been leading us in the same direction.
Firstly and most importantly, you have to have a vision. Not YOUR vision - God's... what is the vision for our church? But a vision without any way to make it come true is just an illusion. You can sit there and dream about God's Great Plan for your church until the money's all gone and the last parishioner has died of old age without ever making a move to bring it to pass. There are plenty of churches out there who have daydreamed their way into total extinction, and ours was nearly one of them. If the vision is a true one, then when the timing is right, God will send the resources to make it happen. If it's just you wanting it, then you'll tread water as long as you keep trying, but it won't ever really work out because you've been misdirected, or you've rushed it and not waited on Him. Say your vision is to fill the whole church. Why do you want that? Just to get more bums on the seats? To make more money? You can run yourself ragged trying to bring people in the front door, but as fast as you do, they'll be leaving out the back.
We want to have a Contemporary service... we need a drummer and some people who are gifted in this area to help us. We would have liked to do it a year ago... but God hasn't sent us the people. Interestingly, right now we have a good lead on a family who might be able to help us. IF it happens, then that means that yes, it's time for us to do this. I'm excited about it! I really hope that this is a move that God wants us to make this year...
On a personal level, what is God's purpose for YOU? What did He make you for? How do you fit into this vision? What does He want you to do to help make it happen? Why are you working at whatever 'church work' you do? Just because nobody else will do it, or you think you can do it better, or because you can't say no, or because you think that you really SHOULD be doing this? None of them are a good enough reason. If you're doing things under your own power and not His, you're just going to burn yourself out. Everything needs to be driven by GOD. Not us. That means lots of time in prayer and discernment and more prayer... On the churches' part, people have to be empowered to do whatever it is that God has brought them there to do, without getting tied up in bureaucratic red tape. If the right people are in the right places for the right reasons, it will fall into place. If Mary Sue has been given the gift and the drive to step forward and take care of the Altar, then it's up to her to decide how and when to decorate - she doesn't need a committee of ten to argue about whether red roses are permissible in Lent. If she needs help, she'll ask for it. What we need to do is to make sure that everybody is on the same page and pulling in the same direction. Everything we do needs to be to help support the vision for the church.
Like I said, we've been doing a lot of this... but we're still working on it!
Interestingly, a LOT of that little book applies equally well to our church, on a smaller scale. We're not all the way there yet... but Pastor Becky has been leading us in the same direction.
Firstly and most importantly, you have to have a vision. Not YOUR vision - God's... what is the vision for our church? But a vision without any way to make it come true is just an illusion. You can sit there and dream about God's Great Plan for your church until the money's all gone and the last parishioner has died of old age without ever making a move to bring it to pass. There are plenty of churches out there who have daydreamed their way into total extinction, and ours was nearly one of them. If the vision is a true one, then when the timing is right, God will send the resources to make it happen. If it's just you wanting it, then you'll tread water as long as you keep trying, but it won't ever really work out because you've been misdirected, or you've rushed it and not waited on Him. Say your vision is to fill the whole church. Why do you want that? Just to get more bums on the seats? To make more money? You can run yourself ragged trying to bring people in the front door, but as fast as you do, they'll be leaving out the back.
We want to have a Contemporary service... we need a drummer and some people who are gifted in this area to help us. We would have liked to do it a year ago... but God hasn't sent us the people. Interestingly, right now we have a good lead on a family who might be able to help us. IF it happens, then that means that yes, it's time for us to do this. I'm excited about it! I really hope that this is a move that God wants us to make this year...
On a personal level, what is God's purpose for YOU? What did He make you for? How do you fit into this vision? What does He want you to do to help make it happen? Why are you working at whatever 'church work' you do? Just because nobody else will do it, or you think you can do it better, or because you can't say no, or because you think that you really SHOULD be doing this? None of them are a good enough reason. If you're doing things under your own power and not His, you're just going to burn yourself out. Everything needs to be driven by GOD. Not us. That means lots of time in prayer and discernment and more prayer... On the churches' part, people have to be empowered to do whatever it is that God has brought them there to do, without getting tied up in bureaucratic red tape. If the right people are in the right places for the right reasons, it will fall into place. If Mary Sue has been given the gift and the drive to step forward and take care of the Altar, then it's up to her to decide how and when to decorate - she doesn't need a committee of ten to argue about whether red roses are permissible in Lent. If she needs help, she'll ask for it. What we need to do is to make sure that everybody is on the same page and pulling in the same direction. Everything we do needs to be to help support the vision for the church.
Like I said, we've been doing a lot of this... but we're still working on it!
Thursday, December 8, 2011
An Open Letter to the Church
Note - Just before Thanksgiving, our pastor announced that she is leaving us after Easter next year. This is not really something that anybody expected, or wants... Needless to say, emotions are running high, and there was a very fervent Town Hall meeting after church on Sunday to discuss the issues. I stood up and said my piece then, but I wanted to put something down on paper for the benefit of everyone who wasn't there, and to figure things out more clearly for myself. I am not a politician, and this is not a game. It's my thoughts and feelings on the situation as best I see them. The letter follows after the break. If this is relevant to you, please read it, consider it, and pray over it as much as I have this week. If it's not relevant to you, then thank you for your time and God bless you for bearing with me this far.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
I am a liberal Christian
What does that mean?
- It means that I place the power of God's love far above the letter of the law.
- It means accepting people as they are, for who God made them, and celebrating their individual uniqueness.
- It means that some of the people I used to call friends are convinced I have a warm spot in Hell for leaving their little conservative flock and going to worship with 'those people'. But if they are right and all of my friends are going to Hell I don't care, because I'll be in far better company!
- It means I am proud to be a member of an open and affirming UCC congregation, and to spend my time with a widely diverse group of people - single, married, divorced, widowed, young, old, gay, straight, transgendered, rich, poor, and inbetween.
- It means serving lunch to the homeless and cleaning cages at the kitty shelter because God commands us to care for the people who can't care for themselves and to help those in need.
- It means respecting the science behind God's creation and knowing that there is still MUCH to learn. The more we learn about how the Universe works, the more amazing and miraculous the whole thing becomes.
- It means that God wants me to use my own intelligence when it comes to interpreting His will, not play a blindfolded game of 'follow the leader' because somebody with a piece of paper that says 'preacher' tells me they know better than me.
- It means working to FULLY become the person that God made me to be, whether that fits into somebody else's neat little pigeon hole or not.
- It means that I will never EVER tell somebody that God does not love them and care for them unless they change their ways.
- It means crying when I read or hear of yet another piece of blatant discrimination against the powerless.
- It means wishing I had more resources so I could do more to help other people... but doing as much as I can with what I have, and trusting God to provide for our basic needs - and so far He has.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
'The Rules' my way
Written November 6, 2011
A friend posted the 'rules for dating' in her diary, taken from a book somebody or other wrote to try to 'help' women find Mr Right instead of Mr Right Now. A lot of them seem appallingly old-fashioned to me. I'm not a 'rules' type person... but the more I stop to think about it the more I realise that yes, I have 'rules' - we all do. So what are some of mine?
- Respect yourself AND your partner. Never ask your partner to do something you're not prepared to do yourself.
- Never take your partner for granted. Remember the reasons why you fell in love with them.
- Never pretend to be someone else just to make another person happy. If they don't love you for who and what you are, they don't really love you...
- NOBODY is perfect, and that includes you. You know you're not... and if you're not perfect, why should you expect your partner to be?
A friend posted the 'rules for dating' in her diary, taken from a book somebody or other wrote to try to 'help' women find Mr Right instead of Mr Right Now. A lot of them seem appallingly old-fashioned to me. I'm not a 'rules' type person... but the more I stop to think about it the more I realise that yes, I have 'rules' - we all do. So what are some of mine?
- Respect yourself AND your partner. Never ask your partner to do something you're not prepared to do yourself.
- Never take your partner for granted. Remember the reasons why you fell in love with them.
- Never pretend to be someone else just to make another person happy. If they don't love you for who and what you are, they don't really love you...
- NOBODY is perfect, and that includes you. You know you're not... and if you're not perfect, why should you expect your partner to be?
Joy
Written November 4, 2011
We're having a service on The Fruits of the Spirit tonight, and David asked people to do a VERY short reflection on each one (like one minute FLAT). He wanted some different responses to just singing a song, so I offered to do a poem. So I wrote a couple for him. He loved my poems, but he also asked me to do a spoken reflection to go with it. There I felt a bit like the blind man being asked to describe the elephant... I'm fumbling in the dark and trying to get ahold of the most important part of it, but I don't know which one that is because it's too big to see the whole picture at once.
For those who aren't familiar with the bible verse, here it is -
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
My 'fruit' is joy, and I get to go second. Great joy! NOT! lol I've been thinking about it for the last three days and I've changed my tack about five times, so I really have no idea what I'm going to say when I stand up. I just hope God puts the right words into my mouth...
We're having a service on The Fruits of the Spirit tonight, and David asked people to do a VERY short reflection on each one (like one minute FLAT). He wanted some different responses to just singing a song, so I offered to do a poem. So I wrote a couple for him. He loved my poems, but he also asked me to do a spoken reflection to go with it. There I felt a bit like the blind man being asked to describe the elephant... I'm fumbling in the dark and trying to get ahold of the most important part of it, but I don't know which one that is because it's too big to see the whole picture at once.
For those who aren't familiar with the bible verse, here it is -
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
My 'fruit' is joy, and I get to go second. Great joy! NOT! lol I've been thinking about it for the last three days and I've changed my tack about five times, so I really have no idea what I'm going to say when I stand up. I just hope God puts the right words into my mouth...
Legacy
Written August 18, 2011
Last sunday the choir sat up in the middle of the platform arranged around the piano. I could not bring myself to sit up there with them and to put myself in the center of attention that way. That wasn't the only reason I skipped choir... but to be honest it was a big part of it. But I also felt that with 16 people there and nothing particularly demanding for the choir to sing that nobody would notice I wasn't up there... and I wasn't feeling well. I was getting the beginnings of a migraine and I wasn't up to the noise and the lights and the attention and being stuck on the platform for the full service without being able to move or relax. It turned out to be the right decision for me because I got pretty emotional and I would have absolutely hated to feel like anyone else was watching. But last night the choir discussed Sunday, and when someone said how much they loved being more a part of things than usual, I cringed inside. I do NOT want to have to do that. It makes me feel like a bug under a magnifying glass. If they said 'you must do this' I'm sure I'd get used to it in time... but my gut screams NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
Last sunday the choir sat up in the middle of the platform arranged around the piano. I could not bring myself to sit up there with them and to put myself in the center of attention that way. That wasn't the only reason I skipped choir... but to be honest it was a big part of it. But I also felt that with 16 people there and nothing particularly demanding for the choir to sing that nobody would notice I wasn't up there... and I wasn't feeling well. I was getting the beginnings of a migraine and I wasn't up to the noise and the lights and the attention and being stuck on the platform for the full service without being able to move or relax. It turned out to be the right decision for me because I got pretty emotional and I would have absolutely hated to feel like anyone else was watching. But last night the choir discussed Sunday, and when someone said how much they loved being more a part of things than usual, I cringed inside. I do NOT want to have to do that. It makes me feel like a bug under a magnifying glass. If they said 'you must do this' I'm sure I'd get used to it in time... but my gut screams NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
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