ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
August 17, 2025
What does the world need the church to be in this moment? I tend to believe that is a question each local congregation needs to be asking itself, as no two contexts are going to be the same. Oh, sure, there are some generalizations that can be made about purpose and mission, but in my opinion, too many churches maintain a generalized understanding of their purpose and mission because they do not know their context, or if they do, they are not able to discern how their understanding of the Gospel meets the distinctiveness of that context. Over the years, I have been invited to consult or sit down with leadership in other churches. Now, let’s be clear, it is easy to walk into a church, spouting off about the things you see wrong when you have no history and no long-term commitment beyond the meeting. At the same time, in almost all of those meetings, I have been shocked at how often people have been made to feel uncomfortable, even angry, when I’ve asked questions like, “If this church were to close, what would the people in the neighborhood who are not members of the church say is missing?” -or- “Would you be willing to bring to a close a ministry that you love if it meant the resources could be used toward a new ministry that would impact your community in a profound way?” I remember one angry Elder at a church say to me, “If the neighborhood wants that ministry, then they need to join the church and start giving some money. They can’t expect us to do it!” I didn’t calm the mood when I asked, “What do you think God would want you to do?” Our friends in the United Church of Christ have an unofficial logo which is nothing more than a simple comma. It is usually followed by the tagline, “God is still speaking.” Where we want to place a period, and then have something chiseled in stone for eternity, we need to ask ourselves, “Could it be that God continues to speak, and what we heard God say ten years ago might not be the same thing we hear today?” It’s not suggesting that what was heard ten years ago was incorrect, but circumstances have changed, and because God is immeasurably creative, God finds new ways of acting in every new moment of history.
I am listening, O Spirit of Life and Love, and I pray for the capacity to let go of what needs to be left behind so I can take hold of what is needed in this moment. It’s not about my needs, but about the needs of those who desperately yearn to know the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Amen.
