Those Loving Doubters

This is the time of year when most churches, conferences, and institutions commit to at least some version of annual meeting. It's a time to take stock, review past year and move on in an orderly fashion. In preparation the faithful are issued a digital (paper?) packet of agenda, previous minutes, and committee reports along with pages and pages of financial detail. Opening protocol is usually establishment of quorum, opening devotional, and away it goes. That’s it. A common challenge these days is to have enough people present to establish quorum. The operation of churches falls in among charities and not-for-profits, also facing similar challenges. 

Recently I also attended one of those ‘other' AGMs, this of a local service organization. I was asked before meeting started if I might ‘second’ one of the motions being presented, so that the business meeting could proceed expeditiously and we could give ample time to the keynote speaker of the evening. Now there's an idea. Perhaps our church(es) should engage keynote speakers to help us feel a little more purposeful about ourselves!😏 Perhaps some ‘with it’ churches already are.

I am concerned about today’s operation and management of churches. Maybe it's because I'm one of those crotchety old guys who thinks he's still got it, but I think my concern is legitimate. We used to actually discuss things, sometimes quite animatedly, including perhaps one or two persons with considerably different points of view (not unlike in the Bible, Acts 15), and then after an appropriate amount of discussion somebody would offer an important reprieve, “Question” meaning it was time to submit to one another and vote on it. Nothing particularly holy about Roberts Rules of Order, but my memory prefers that format to the expeditious non-discussion these days. Several of my previous blogposts already show my sentiment that faithfulness and churches are not necessarily coterminous (“Where Have all the Churches Gone,” July 29, 2021 and “Growing Faith Closing Churches,” Sept. 28, 2021). Seems to me a gap is growing between spiritual encounter and maintenance of the institution. Institutions must serve a purpose, and if not, they will waste a lot of money and tertiary busywork. Membership needs opportunity to talk about that!

I just took a casual read of what will appear in adult Sunday School this next Sunday (yes, congregational meeting also in a few days). Sunday School lesson is based on a very familiar scripture. Matthew 28 contains the famous missionary passage which even very occasional churchgoers have heard at least once or twice in a lifetime, ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (:19-20)  And then something just prior to that Great Commission, a detail I seem to have missed until now, ¹⁶ Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.  

The eleven remaining followers of Jesus (Judas the betrayer already gone) follow him up the mountain, knowing this is going to be significant. They can feel it in the air and in their bones; “but some doubted.” In all the sermons I have listened to - or preached for that matter - the realism of this pre-ascension doubt has never occurred to me. These disciples were real people, not merely a row of former fishermen following a leader in blind obedience! 😂 They were a cast of unique individuals who had been called to follow, and they came each from their unique circumstances and naturally each one would absorb this reality of a resurrected Jesus at different speed! Matthew, Jewish writer of this gospel, does not ignore that. In this feisty group of eleven there were still several who had lingering doubts, even with the resurrected Jesus standing in front of them. 

These genuine seekers are the protagonists, the main characters of the rest of the New Testament – chapters and chapters of epistles which describe the formation and early life of that new faith community. They are the ones who begin the church along with Apostle Paul, the dramatic latecomer (1 Cor. 15:8-9). Noteworthy to me is that the driving force of this new faith community is not an instruction manual of how to organize church, but rather a personable accounting of some very real people with real enthusiasm and also some apprehension of what they were about. As promised by Jesus before he died (John 16:7 and fully realized at Pentecost, Acts 2), this would be a work of the Holy Spirit.

I recently read a book, The Story of Christianity by David Bentley Hart (London: Quercus, 2009), one volume just over 300 pages, it provides an informative portrait (precis?) of Christian faith now moving into a third millennium. It has shaped the western world via edicts and popes and wars and struggles with secularism and predictions of demise and renewals, reading almost like a Dan Brown thriller. The irony and essence of Christianity, says this writer, is that it's not dead yet, and still growing! Although the ‘story’ as presented by Hart is replete with intriguing shape and form and institution, discouraging wars and pandemics (yes!), his conclusion is striking. Note his last sentence, “It may very well be the case that now, after 2000 years, the story of Christianity is still only beginning” (p.343). It is a life which will not; cannot die. Sounds like resurrection to me.

This is noteworthy. The essence of the Christian faith - God come among us – shows no evidence of disappearing. I'm not blaring with rah rahs about this, running victory laps, etc. but it is undeniable good news, very important! I recently heard a newly appointed executive to a Christian service agency referring to “the decline of Christianity” as though it was a given. That statement troubles me, not at all in keeping with Hart’s book and not in keeping with the Matthew 28 Great Commission just referred to. The waning of institutions is not the reality of Christian faith itself. If church and supporting institutions are but an expression of current interests and trends they may well decline and may disappear, but that will not be the end of Christianity. The presence of the eternal everlasting One will continue until that day fixed by God’s own authority.

During my years of pastoral ministry I would usually try to have a membership class going, for those interested in joining the church, or anyone interested in “Faith Exploration” as we called it. No class would ever pass by without a look at the word for church, coming from the Greek ekklesia, meaning a political assembly, or just plain gathering of people. Eventually ekklesia also came to mean congregation or group of believers. So, as explained in that class, ekklesia points to a whole range of gatherings: Jews gather for teaching in synagogues, Catholics gather around the Eucharist, Protestants to hear the proclaimed Word, and Anabaptists wherever two or three are gathered.   Usually there would also be some acknowledgement of others, including Indigenous and smudging, and Muslims gathering in mosques facing Mecca. Although grossly abbreviated and simplified here, my main point being that eternal almighty God is so much larger and beyond definition of any one of these. As Christians we are so privileged to have Jesus who lived and taught not threatened by death and misunderstanding and so fully resurrected and available in so many different cultures. “Go and make disciples.”

Admittedly I think like a pioneer; not as a maintenance man. Even now from my retirement vantage no longer preaching sermons I am excited to have discovered this, another little Bible gem. Not only doubting Thomas, but doubters and keeners, those disciples got ‘er done by Holy Spirit power. This is not strategy nor job description; it's faith discovery! These days I regularly discover new opportunities to speak of Jesus, ironically not so much with fellow believers, but to those who are interested in my ‘take’ on him, whatever religion or non-religion they espouse. Consequently, my faith and gratitude in Jesus is still a growing and a discovering thing, and me not at all worried about institutional impact - or job security! 

The last book of the Bible is probably a slight corrective to my thesis that the institution of church can fall by the wayside. Yes, the church seems to be still there; I stand corrected, 😑 but there is a lot of critique (eg Revelation 2 and 3). Obviously it is not the church with perfect theology or perfect organizational structure or timely maintenance that survives to the end.  Most certainly it is not a building! It is the bride of Christ.

¹⁷ The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life. (Revelation 22:17)

I’m guessing that invitation has no skin-color or denominational conditionals.

 

Showing the Bright Side

I remember quite a few years ago when my mother-in-law passed away, the evening before funeral was a viewing and a sharing time. Having been a person of faith and cheer even among some considerable life challenges, it is not hard to visualize a hearty evening with family and friends, a large gathering including a beautiful measure of love, laughter and tears. One of mother’s lasting gifts is a posse of four daughters (my wife being one of them) who can sing. And I mean sing. They’ll stand up in almost any setting at a moment’s notice with no practice, voices already pre-tuned to soprano, alto, tenor, and they sing like angels. On this particular occasion my daughter, who is on autism spectrum (aspergers) and also sings very well, was invited to play her guitar and sing with them. By a teasie predesign she got coerced into a solo performance of one verse of “Keep on the Sunny Side.” The aunties on cue stopped singing, and Kimberly and guitar in spirit of the moment - blossomed out and sang on --- and brought the house down!😲😅

What fun it is to have performance, and even more fun when it is surprise performance. Needless to say this added an extra glow to that nice evening. I just read an article of similar tone in our church periodical. An elderly friend had died, and a tribute appeared in latest issue. Senior writer Will Braun begins this way, “Annie Janzen earned no degrees and was never elected chair of a church council. She did not start a church, write a best-seller or perform for large audiences. She did cook at Canadian Mennonite Bible College in Winnipeg for 27 years, travel the globe and make an unlikely diversity of friends” (Canadian Mennonite, Vol 26, no.2, p.4). I might add, she did get a very fine tribute written about her, a little more than obituary quality.

One of the features of these last several years of Corona life is that everyone, old young or in between, is discovering some new ways of communicating, new relational challenges and new opportunities. It’s a new twist on things. By now two years after ‘the beginning’, even as extra effort is made to resume some standard fare like NFL football (Yes, Superbowl Sunday; yeah Rams), NHL hockey (Coaches still get fired if they don’t win. Good-bye Dave Tippet), and NBA basketball (Raptors tough loss last night), same things encounter new variables.

Professional sport and faith assemblies alike are not immune to the virus. Teams on a roll can get hit by positive corona tests, rescheduled games, loss of rhythm, some allowed full fan attendance, others 50% capacity, others nada, all depending on local applicable regulations, including political interpretations and enforcements. Religious assemblies affected not only by changing regulations but interpreting of same. This city of Calgary includes several churches of my denomination choosing in-person meetings and several opting for on-line, along with moderate and strong opinions at who’s got it right. Something not quite fair, yet something akin to real life. 

Reminds me of when I was a kid growing up on the family farm. My dad, owner and creator of our outdoor rink, hockey coach and general manager, also the one who incurred the equipment expenses, most frequently hockey sticks broken in the middle of a very important game! His explanation, “Sometimes the game is not fair” and then we would submit to the best solution we could think of. We did what had to be done. One of my brothers had superstar speed and stickhandling ability - definitely a Johnny Goudreau type. He would use the shaft of the broken stick and just play with that 'poker' making him more equal to the rest of us, and the game would continue minus a hockey stick or two! 😌 Obviously these games included a play or two by lady luck, circumstance, fate, providence, and some creative management.

Some of that easygoing game commitment would be handy these days. Impressions and efforts to impress are still strong factors in our current corona array of fate, fortune or luck. If there is any doubt, check out some of your friends’ or group posts in Facebook! Social media is full of displays of snowbirds arriving safely at vacation sunspots just like we used to. Those devoid of travel opportunity can still gush over new furniture arrangements or purchases or home renovations or paint jobs. Newscasts blare away at truckers’ freedom convoys who want the 'right to choose' vaccinations or not, also demanding old-fashioned freedom including the right to add tons of extra carbon into our already polluted environment. Thousands of dollars wasted on police surveillance and enforcement to keep border crossings and thoroughfares from degenerating into chaos. Freedom to what? ...make total idiots of themselves? Could this minority group also consider some adjustments for the common good? 

New immigrants to our country are not sure what to make of this all, many coming here precisely because this is the land of the free. And yet some of them also living a contradiction. While enjoying the democratic freedom of this good country, these newcomers capitalize on generous child benefits while avoiding menial job opportunities staring them in the face. Before we get too indignant, however, us baby boomers senior citizens need to recognize we’re totally part of the problem also. Many of us have found ways to hide lavish retirement incomes, creatively investing in children and grandchildren so that “at least our family” can enjoy the good life accumulated in these post WW2 years. Self-preservation and the good life still seems the mantra.

When I was a longhaul trucker there was a humorous sign-off on CB radios as drivers might bid each other adieu, well aware of the risk we all took just going down the highway, “Keep the shiney side up.” Yup, life is better if you don’t pile your rig upside down into the ditch! Shiney up was veiled humor about life and death in that world; not just the impressions we created – although some of us could get a little distracted with that too. Show ‘n Shine anyone? 😏

Impressions. I know I’m a bit cynical about all this. And of course I can beg off and say it’s my depression, especially this time of year the SAD portion (You may have read about that in a recent post, “You Will Probably Fail” Jan.14).  Sure, perhaps a bit of mental illness, but these days I know that puts me in company of many others. At any rate this is the way I said these blogs would read. It's my way of saying it as I sees it!

Like most around me I too prefer shiney, and certainly relieved to say I kept the shiney side up for 2 million miles all over Canada and U.S. But also I live with some things less than shiney (cf my two-profession lifetime), disappointments more in the realm of professional people work. Ironically there also I met with considerable success, but the challenge had been to claim the success, rather than self reproach of what was left undone. The awareness of shadow is better than pretending it's all 'brightey', so my photographer friends will tell me. Rather than be too preoccupied with self, either the successes or the failures and the perceptions thereof, I conclude with a bit of Rudyard Kipling, and a bit of Bible.

“If you can make one heap of all your winnings.

    And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss

And lose, and start again at your beginnings.

    And never breathe a word about your loss: ---- 

Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it. 

    And – which is more – you’ll be a man, my son!”

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. (Phil 4:12)

Surprise performance is that which goes beyond the impressions or the accolades we sometimes try to orchestrate for ourselves. It is exactly what I think is included in the grace of God, regardless how we manage it – or do not manage it. Seems to me the aunties and the Annies will be more interested to cheer for your bright side, your surprised performance, if you’re not that concerned about it yourself.