A Word from Subiaco
What's a United Methodist pastor who is also a Mom doing on a retreat at a Benedictine monastery?
Besides listening to the cows "moo" in the pasture below, I'm thinking, planning, and talking to other clergy about the future of the Big Church, and the future of our local church. These are the kinds of conversations I relished in seminary, discussions with professors and colleagues about the most important elements of faith, but I don't always have that luxury anymore.
Nowadays, I find that I spend quite a bit of time reading Thomas the Train books to my son. Written by an Anglican priest in the previous century, the Thomas stories are about "Really Useful" engines that work on the Island of Sodhor, a little spot of land with plenty of green pastures, farms, hilltops, and a bit of fog from the sea. My son and I are not the only ones who've been indoctrinated with Thomas. The other day, my husband said, "I can quit singing that song: 'There's two, there's four, there's six; there's eight, Shunting cars and hauling freight....'" We've also become quite religious about the morality of the stories, which coincides nicely with our Methodist commitment to being "Really Useful" Christians. In other words, when our son gets unruly or flat-out defiant, we can gently remind him he is not being a "Really Useful" engine. This is a child who kisses his Thomas book goodnight, so he understands what it means to be "Really Useful." He's devoted.
As I got closer to Subiaco and further from home, I felt like I was entering Sodhor. The cows dotting the landscape. The fog settling around the hills. There were beautiful trees beginning to leaf. There were bodies of water to cross. I began to feel as if I might be "Really Useful" and actually accomplish something quite luxurious and extravagant: a time apart from my personal and professional responsibilities in order to reflect creatively about my life, my ministry, and God's church.
And that's what happened today. I got to listen to a wonderful mind talk about evangelism. We got to think about how the Church will proclaim and equip disciples in a pluralistic, hostile 21st century world, no easy task. This work is absolutely crucial because, as a mom, I want my son to know Jesus. As a pastor, I want the next generation to become faithful believers. But it's up to us.
And Thomas, good as he is, cannot do it. Thomas cannot teach our children to be Christians. Nor can Barney, or Bob the Builder, or Spongebob, or Elmo. So, tell me, Friends, how are we to make disciples? How are we to teach the young? How are we to pass on the faith in a hostile world where soccer or baseball practice is more important than Sunday school or worship? How are we to teach that Jesus is King and Lord, instead of pop stars and million-dollar athletes?
I'm thinking about it. I'm praying about it. And I hope you'll join me. What do you think our church can do to make bold, passionate Christians?
posted by Rev. Betsy @ 9:53 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
I don't know what the answer is, but you're closer to finding it at your retreat than here in the hustle of everyday life.
The number of cradle Methodists like Penn shrinks daily. I think one reality of today's society is that religion is not something that will be taught to the average child.
More and more, faith and discipleship will become something one chooses as an adult.
But is that necessarily bad? The traditional evangelical perspective says "we've got to grab them while they're young, or we'll never get them."
Sure, you want your kids to grow up with morals and ethics and to do the right thing. And a church can help with that. But the most important factor is the parents.
The downside of the "get them while they're young" strategy is that it is worked on minds that haven't yet had a chance to develop. The child doesn't really get to figure God out for themselves.
The prodigal son story comes to mind. When you come home to God, He doesn't mind that you went out on your own apart from him. He just rejoices when you come back.
All the above is of no practical value, I know.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
There will be only ideals included in my comment, no concrete 'how to' advice--but I hope it's still useful.
I think the answer to the 'how' you pose is to continue what you're already doing at QQUMC now. Continue to differentiate yourself from what so many have come to distrust and revile about organized religion. Continue to not only encourage but demonstrate equal, non-judgmental, inclusive love and acceptance like that which TRUE Christianity is to espouse.
There are many favorite things I find at QQUMC, but certainly high ranking among them are the lengths you go to that tell the youth they are welcomed and appreciated members of the church...full members. That resonates not only with those youth, but with the congregation as a whole--and that kind of sentiment is not easily contained.
As a couple who struggled for 3 years to find a church we agreed on, felt welcomed by, and completely accepted within these ideals are what keep us coming back.
The church can create passionate christians by meeting people where they are, by placing value in them and inspiring them. I believe our generation is getting weary of ever increasing vicious competition expressed in reality TV, in our schools, organizations and workplaces. Why is independance, one of our nation's founding principles, creating consequences of isolation, greed, and a "do anything to anyone to get ahead" attitude? It seems organizations and individuals are more at war with each other than collaborating and within our borders it seems it is "civil war." I couldn't help but consider the above while watching the screen version of Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are with my son this weekend. It had much to say about leadership, isolation, and anger.
Post a Comment
<< Home