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.

Women in the Church

As I was pouring a cup of coffee yesterday morning, I heard Matt Lauer announce that Maria Shriver's special report on A Woman's Nation would look at women in church and religious institutions. My ears perked up and I sat down eager to see who would be highlighted.

Immediately, several possibilities came to mind. Would it be The Right Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori, the 26th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, or The Rev. Dr. Sharon Watkins, General Minister and President of the Disciples of Christ? Perhaps it would be The Rev. Dr. Barbara Lundbland, a professor of preaching at Union Theological Seminary in New York City, and a pastor of an ELCA church in New York. Or, if focusing on local congregations, perhaps The Rev. Dr. Kelly Brill, Senior Minister of Avon Lake UCC, or Rev. Amy Miracle, Senior Minister of Broad Street Presbyterian Church in Columbus, Ohio. There are countless other women who could have been chosen for this segment who are highly effective and respected leaders of the Church. As I continued to listen, I was astounded and disappointed to see who was featured.

Follow this link to see the video:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33247001/vp/33411440#33411440

While there is clearly meaningful ministry being done by the women who were featured in this segment (Victoria Osteen, Taffi Dollar, and Lisa Young), Taffi Dollar is the only woman who is technically listed as a pastor of her church; she is a co-pastor with her husband. If this had been a segment on "pastors’ spouses," my response would be entirely different. Pastors’ spouses (female and male) are important, and often provide an important ministry component to the church. However, this was to be a segment on "prominent women in churches and religious institutions."

While it may be newsworthy to demonstrate that women are beginning to have influence on the stages of mega-churches, I think it was a significant omission in a piece that was to feature "prominent women in churches and religious institutions" to not highlight that over 50% of people enrolled in seminary are women and that there are many highly credentialed and very effective women who hold significant church posts throughout our country.

I am not one who has felt as though gender has been a large barrier to my ministry nor am I one who often feels a need to be in dialogue about gender issues. However, listening to this segment made me feel as though our society had reverted back 30 years or more! There are many mainline churches today that are much more progressive about women than this segment portrayed. I am grateful to be serving one of them.

Do Not Lose Hope!

Two great men were honored at Synod today; they are both men who have continually helped me move forward in hope.


The first man honored was Ralph Quellhorst, our current Consistory president, who is retiring from his work with the Pension Board. At a surprise reception for him, one by one, different people from all over the country came forward to share a memory of Ralph. I noted how a recurring theme was mentoring and encouragement. I wonder just how many people have been nurtured in their call from Ralph; I realized I am just one among many! What a gift he has brought not only to these individual lives, but to the denomination and the greater Church through his constant encouragement.

Tonight the Synod also celebrated the work of our General Minister and President for the past ten years, John Thomas. John has been leading the UCC for just about as long as I have been ordained. I have always been impressed with John's pastoral, theological, intelligent, and prophetic leadership. Tonight his address to those gathered moved me a great deal. Every time I am with him I sense his authenticity, and tonight was no exception. I appreciated the way he was able to talk about his honest assessment of the past ten years - the disappointments as well as those things we can celebrate. As one person said, "He is able to tell us everything that is wrong and we are still inspired!"

The refrain tonight was, "Do not lose hope; let your light shine; treasure your call in Christ Jesus!" These men have been people who have helped me do just that.