The First Time

Coming to a church on Sunday morning for the first time can be a difficult and intimidating act. It takes a lot of courage for a person to enter the worship space, particularly if they are alone. Often, people come to church for the first time after a recent difficult transition: a move to a new city, the death of someone close, or the loss of a relationship. They are looking for comfort. Maybe they have been away from the church for awhile. Perhaps they have had a bad church experience. Recently, I've noticed many of our visitors come with friends for the first time or two. Do you remember the first time you visited your church? How did it feel? What made you uncomfortable? What made you comfortable? When did it start to feel comfortable? What might have made you feel more at ease?

Too Busy to Pray?

Why do people shy away from prayer? Is it unfashionable? Do only fanatical Christians pray? Is there a fear of being swept away in an uncontrollable tsunami of the Holy Spirit? Do some Christians think prayer is passé, only for children? I don’t really understand why anyone, given the power to transform their life into something better, beyond their imagination, would not take advantage of that source. Yet, that is exactly what God gives us, the power to co-create with the Divine, to live life anew and refreshed, indeed to be part of something few people ever experience: the kingdom of God.

That is not to imply that the kingdom has not been given to all of us. It has. Yet, without the power of prayer most folks will miss it, walk past it, sink, drown, and never know the immense gift that was given from the beginning.

In his book, Too Busy Not to Pray, Bill Hybels describes prayer as an “unnatural activity.” He goes on to write:

From birth we have been learning the rules of self-reliance as we strain and struggle to achieve self-sufficiency. Prayer flies in the ace of those deep-seated values. It is an assault on human autonomy, an indictment of independent living. To people in the fast lane, determined to make it on their own, prayer is an embarrassing interruption.

Prayer is alien to our proud human nature. (p. 9)

Why do you think people are reluctant to pray? Is it simply inconvenient, or is there more?

Wildly Successful

Recently, I was struck by a blog written by a friend and colleague, about her “wildly successful” church. Hmm, I thought. I’ve been to that church. They share donated space, don’t have an organ, or stained glass, or even a pulpit to preach from. About 25 to 30 people congregate there weekly. Yet, they know themselves to be “wildly successful.” What makes a church wildly successful? Perhaps it is more than filling the pews.

At Wildly Successful UMC, they cite their work to become an anti-racism church, and proudly acknowledge their efforts toward inclusion and equality. They model a way of doing church that is “radically relevant” in the 21st Century. They envision their own building one day, a community center that provides a home for their congregation, but also houses a counseling center, office sharing for small non-profits, community room, day laborers' center, and interfaith worship space. That is a very different vision of church.

So what is your vision of the 21st Century Church? What would that look like in Suburbia, USA? What is the world’s great need? Where is God in all that?