What Tomorrow's Church Requires

This time last week the leadership of St. John's was meeting with David Schoen, Minister and Team Leader for the United Church of Christ. David spent time with us exploring what tomorrow's church will require. To help us get a sense of some of the cultural shifts that have been happening, he shared this video Did You Know? I have been thinking about these rapid cultural shifts as well as his presentation all week. We talked about the need for the church to be missional in purpose, relational in outreach, and conversational in witness.

Later in the week I had a couple of different conversations, each with individuals who question the role of the church in their lives and struggle with the strict dogma of the churches they grew up in. Their memory of the experience in their youth is a constant filter for how they interpret what the church is today. They are torn because while there are some things they feel as though they must reject, they are drawn to the community, to the mystery, and to the concrete acts of service of the church. I found myself saying, "I don't believe in the God you don't believe in either" and longing to be able to bear witness to all that I find is good and right and beautiful with the particular community of faith to which I serve and belong. And I thought again about how accurate David was in the challenges he raised for us.

On one level, meeting the needs of many generations in a rapidly changing society is overwhelming. We certainly cannot continue doing all of the same old things we have always been doing and expect that it will be satisfying, sufficient, or even faithful.

But it is also a hopeful time. Phyllis Tickle suggests that the church goes through a "rummage sale" every 500 years when it is able to keep what is helpful and get rid of what is not. We are certainly living through that time right now. On Thursday I began reading a new book by my colleague and friend, Phil Snyder. The book, Toward a Hopeful Future: Why the Emergent Church is Good News for Mainline Congregations is a breath of fresh air and I can't wait to keep reading.

Perhaps if there are enough us who are willing to stay with this "rummage sale" we will be able to be what the church requires for the future.

Samson

Today I am referring to my dog, not the Biblical character. Samson has been my companion for nearly thirteen years; however, when Dale and I were married seven years ago -Dale won Samson's heart as quickly as he won mine. When Dale is here, he tends to Samson's every need - which has been growing steadily over the past couple of years. As Samson has joined the senior ranks, his age is showing. His hearing is all but gone. His eyesight is obviously strained. His assortment of meds have become an important daily ritual. He barks more and more .. we wonder if it is because he can't hear himself!

When I have a day at home, it rarely passes without my taking a quick "refresher" nap. It used to be that Samson could anticipate my napping; he would race in front of me, and leap up on our bed to join me. Sometimes, if he wasn't paying attention, I would say, "Samson, come on! It's our favorite time of the day!" It has been nearly a year since he has been able to leap up on our bed, and so his interest in our "favorite time of the day" seems to have been waning.

This past weekend our home was unusually quiet; it was just Samson and me. I found myself paying more attention to his barking, and to the needs that were behind it. For several days in a row Samson started barking each time I laid down. This was after our walk. And after getting a treat, or two. Tired and ready to sleep, I was frustrated. We got up to go out again. There was more barking. I gave him yet another treat. There was more barking. Finally, it dawned on me: Samson wanted up on the bed! With a gentle scoop, I placed Samson on the end of the bed and he was perfectly content. The gentle scoop has become our new nighttime ritual.

I keep thinking about how often we must pacify those around us with "treats" because we fail to understand someones real need and desire. As humans, we have the advantage of speech but we often resort to our own forms of barking - irritability, unnecessary comments, withdrawal. Samson has inspired me to try to listen more closely to those who seem to be barking, and to try to articulate my needs more clearly to those I love.