The Magic Never Came - Reflections on Easter

I woke up this Easter morning and watched the sunrise as I sat in my backyard. It was peaceful and pretty, but I was hoping for more than what nature offers on a normal morning.

I was looking and listening for something magical, something mystical. Some sort of sign or brilliant insight. Something that would bring a tear to my eye and profound joy to my heart. Perhaps even something dramatic and fearful, like the empty tomb and the angels those first disciples encountered. Something that would compel me to run and proclaim the good news to anyone who would listen.

But the magic never came. The profoundness never arrived. It was simply another pleasant sunrise on a slightly chilly mid-spring morning.

I can`t say, however, that I'm disappointed. Despite the lack of a personal Easter miracle, I still believe in the promises the day brings. I still know that death is not the end of the story, and that God is constantly bringing new life for those who dare to believe.

But maybe it's because I'm older now, as close to retirement as I am to my college graduation. Or maybe it's because the traditional celebrations of the day - the sunrise services, the lilies in the sanctuary, and the recitations of "He is risen! He is risen indeed!" - maybe it`s because they have a "been there, done that" feel after 17 years in ministry.

Or maybe it's just me. Maybe my heart is seeking constancy. Maybe my soul is seeking solitude. Maybe my faith is evolving into something less dramatic, and more steady.

Maybe a gentle breeze, a soft cloud, a calm pond, and the distant cry of a pair of geese is all I need on this day - which honestly, is no different than any other day. Maybe these sights and sounds, which are offered up on any morning I take the time to sit in the backyard - maybe they are God`s steadfast way of reminding me of what I already believe about eternal life, but sometimes forget.

So Happy Easter, all. May we celebrate in whatever ways bring us the reassurance and the peace that Christ is indeed risen from the dead!

New Worship Styles Are Not Enough

Only 50 percent of Americans claim membership in a church, according to a new study released by Gallup. This stat is down from 69% in 1999. So what are we going to do about it?

 Typically, the response has been to try to draw people`s interest back to attending and joining congergations, using three basic strategies:

 1) Changes in worship style to reach the folks that no longer attend

 2) New evangelism efforts to attract people back to worship and membership

 3) Doubling down on what is already being done, simply trying to do it better.

None of these strategies is working, and none of them will work. The problem is not what we are doing to get people to come to us. The problem is that church membership and participation of any sort is no longer valued by the majority of folks in our culture. At best, we are drawing members away from other churches, not doing anything to reverse these statistics of overall decline. At worst, we are falling into a survival mentality that stifles new ideas and approaches.

In short, we don't just need new wine. We need new wineskins. We need an entirely different approach to the structures and forms we use to try to spread the Gospel.

Which means that first, we need let go of some things that are difficult to let go of, such as:

 1) Membership as a concept

 2) Worship attendance as the main measure of success

 3) Worship in general as the main way we attract and welcome new people

Over the new few weeks, I am going to write blogs and do Facebook videos that focus on this changing reality of our congregations. If we continue to use the same practices and the same measures of success, and merely make relatively minor changes to what we we are already doing, we will continue to be frustrated and concerned about the future. But if we create entirely new wineskins, and new structure and forms for everything we do, we will find the Holy Spirit bringing new life all around us.

And we`ll see stats such as this one as challenging opportunities for change instead of occasions for anxiety and sadness.

What If We Told The Bored Ones Not To Come To Church?

I’m currently enjoying three months of severance/sabbatical time. Which means for the first time in 17 years, I don’t have to be at a worship service on Sunday morning. Instead, I’m getting out in the world and seeing what the majority of the general population is doing while worship goers file into a sanctuary.

Yesterday, I went to Starbucks. It was fun. I got my coffee, perched myself at a small table near the corner, and simply observed. It was a steady stream of customers, almost all individuals or couples. Most looked dressed for sports or recreation. Only two out of dozens looked like they could be dressed for worship.

But more so than appearance, what struck me was the vibe. Many were laughing and sharing a casual moment with a friend. Others were enjoying a quiet time of solitude, either reading or just observing the world around them, like I was. A few were engrossed in intense conversation. 

Most importantly, no one looked bored or stressed. They were all here by choice, because going to a coffee shop is what refreshes them on a morning off. Granted, this same refreshment happens for many people at church. Seeing friends, stimulating conversation, or a moment of quiet solitude are all ways I enjoy time at church when I’m not leading it.

But it’s not that way for everyone. Next time you`re at church, take a mental note of how many people seem to be refreshing themselves, and how many seem bored or wanting to be somewhere else. It`s a mixed bag, and as church leaders, we typically see the bored ones and try to create ways to interest them in the service.

But what if we took a different approach? What if we welcomed the ones who wanted to be there, and encouraged the others to go back out into the world and find a place that does refresh them: a coffee shop, a nature trail, or perhaps even their own back porch?

How would that change what we do on Sundays and the rest of the week? How might that lessen the anxiety and desperation that is slowly creeping into our congregations as the world shows up for our services less and less?