Conversation
... digger deeper, sounding off, growing stronger
For the past few weeks, as we've been going through the Gospel of Luke, we've found ourselves talking about the topic of
spiritual renewal. Below are some comments on renewal from members of our worshipping community. This article by Brian McLaren on
renewing the church is very helpful. He gives us much to think about concerning what exactly the nature of renewal is and how we will experience it. Please take a look at it as well as the challenging comments below.
from the email that started this conversation:
I know that this is going to sound negative, but it is really not meant to be that way. It has been on my mind for the last couple of days and so I decided to air it out to you. Especially since you have noted that nobody is utilizing the opportunity to email you regarding sermons. Here goes…
You provided the congregation in your message with some really impressive statistics regarding what is happening within the Covenant in relation to growth and missions. It is really very exciting information. However, the part that I can’t seem to shake is the fact that our church is not experiencing similar rates of growth in any of the key areas that you described on Sunday. In some areas we are declining instead of maintaining or improving.
... At what point do we accept that many of our current members will not be with us forever and realize that we can no longer say “it’s just the natural order of things”. At what point do we decide to start an aggressive campaign to renew the church. I hope that you realize that I’m not just talking about overall church membership and attendance. I’m talking about a renewal, an indescribable energy that can be felt to some degree by nearly everyone in the church. A feeling that things are happening in our church that people really want to be part of and participate in. I truly believe the current feeling is one of comfort and complacency. This applies to me also and that really disturbs me.
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one person commented in response:
…. What is renewal? Is it a multi-week program that mandates the inclusion of everyone? Or can renewal be found in a single sermon? Does a pastor lead renewal? Can leadership "renew" a congregation? How? By encouraging loving, growing community, or through a program? Which will last longer, and which will have a more transforming effect on lives? What do you do for late-comers or people who are at different places in their walks?
…. A spirit of renewal that washes over our congregation and then recedes, leaving little changed in the long run, isn't true renewal. In my humble opinion, renewal is an ongoing process, one that may change in intensity but does not ebb and flow. Renewal is about the constant pursuit of the newness of our relationship with God and with each other.
…. And finally, as you noted in closing your sermon, renewal has to be grasped. A person seeking renewal has to be willing to take some responsibility for it, and has to accept what renewal means. True renewal isn't easy, or painless, or undemanding. It reminds me of the wealthy young prince who, when faced with the cost of salvation, turns away... Be careful what you wish for.
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another wrote:
…To sum things up, because of my inner conflicts, it feels good going to church and having things feel "comfortable." I don't view our church as being comfortable and not growing spiritually. In fact, just the opposite. I feel that our church is comfortable, but in a way that allows us to work together as a unified church body, yet grow individually at our own pace. It seems like it would be impossible for all of us to grow in sync spiritually. There will always be people ahead of the curve and also behind the curve. And someone like me, who felt ahead of the curve for a long time, may stumble and fall behind for awhile, but I don't feel that I'm comfortable about it. I look at the struggles that have come along in my marriage and how I've worked through them and once we've worked through them, how much closer we seem. I hope that it's the same with God. This is truly the first time that I've felt this far away from God, but I hope that the comfort I get from our church body will be consistent.
… I think our church body tries hard to remain focused on our church mission and what God wants. I don't feel complacency at all, despite my own struggles. In fact, it has helped me having friends from church that are strong believers to help me and pray for me (or with me). So, I disagree with the writer of the e-mail that was mentioned in yesterday's sermon. He may be feeling too "comfortable" with himself and God, but I think he made a mistake by generalizing about the entire church feeling that way. Even though I'm feeling apart from God, I'm making myself commune with Him, which is not comfortable. If I let myself get too comfortable with feeling that way, I could easily let myself slip into giving up on my relationship with God. VBS was too moving to think that our church is just "comfortable." To see so many people make time to participate. To see kids excited about God. To see how many Bibles we are able to purchase. To hear sermons that make me take time for introspection. To hear music at church that I can't stop humming in my head. These things tell me that our church does continue to grow spiritually and doesn't remain too comfortable. Thank goodness.
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