Welcome to the Cheaha District!
Friday, July 30, 2010
To Be, Not DoBlog by Paula Calhoun (bio)
Pastor, Alexandria United Methodist Church (link)
 How many of us long for more opportunities to be a pastor? Observe Sabbath, build relationships, and throw ourselves into “blue sky days” designed for creative thinking with “unlimited visibility and unlimited ceilings.”[i] Hopefully, we’re all on the path of becoming healthier—as Christian disciples and local churches—but the truth remains: pastors and church leaders can worship and pray, study and serve—do all things well—and still find themselves confused and distressed by the spiritual lethargy waiting to seep into the local church. This lifeless vapor moves across a once vibrant landscape and dries up the brilliant colors of ministry; it covers up and chokes out the joy and energy growing freely in healthy disciples.
This threat may develop from doing rather than being the Church. Thomas Merton said, “We are so obsessed with doing that we have no time and no imagination left for being.” Merton spoke to individuals, but his message holds truth for organizations, including churches.
A Christian disciple feeling discouraged, near despair, left the church temporarily until he could find his spiritual center again. After months of reflection, he told his pastor and others, “Serving on the finance committee stole my joy.” It probably doesn’t matter which committee or team he served with; regardless of the setting, a condition existed that did not feel like church. Thankfully, this disciple now worships and serves with enthusiasm. But his experience presents pastors and church leaders with a challenge: How do we assure that we spend ourselves (and our resources) in being the Church?
First and always, we stay in love with God, stay connected with the Source of our being.[ii] All the while, we pay attention, listen, stay open—ready to move into an adventure that includes a change of focus. And, we renew our commitment to stop doing the same things over and over, while going backward rather than forward!
Dr. Albert L. Winseman (United Methodist Elder and co-author of Living Your Strengths), has written a helpful book on the theme of being rather than doing church.[iii] In a conversational style, Winseman illustrates a condition responsible for the shrinking of the Christian Church: involvement rather than engagement.
Involvement is what you do in and for your church; engagement is how you feel about your church. This is a crucial difference. Engagement is about emotions. Good soil churches [that bear a fruitful harvest] have a climate that fosters a deep and strong emotional connection.[iv]
Winseman helps us understand the historical perspective; he exposes three myths dominant in the church; and, he provides tools for measurement and strategies for creating engagement in the local church. The fruits of this transformation also include life satisfaction for members. What a gift for those who seek a vibrant, fulfilling relationship with God and other disciples!
In the Gospel of John, Jesus identifies himself as the vine and his disciples as the branches; he invites us—the Church—to abide in him.[v] (15:1-8) When we abide in Christ and be churches with engaged disciples, the fog evaporates; blue skies appear. Let’s not delay, but become a relevant movement once again. Let’s celebrate and maximize the opportunity to live from a place of being the church—creative and fruitful in the growth of God’s kingdom.
|
|
