I know that in November it probably seemed like I focused a lot on grief and remembrance (before I had to quarantine!) However, I think it’s important to recognize grief in the many ways it happens in our lives. Grief cannot be healed if it’s never named or worked through. And, in our crazy changing world, the church has changed too, which can bring on a grief that often goes unnamed. I’m not just talking about Grace Lutheran, but many mainline protestant congregations in general are suffering and experiencing great change. It has become harder and harder to bring new families with children and youth into congregations. Families are increasingly busier, with too much on their plates, trying to keep up with a culture that no longer stops for church. And, in all honesty, the faith of many of our young people today is more about being a good person and doing what’s right than following Jesus, because they find a lot of hypocrisy in many Christian communities that seem to exclude more than include. It is a hard time for the church as we age without younger generations present to take the reins.
Therefore, even as we celebrate the past and what we have loved about the church in former years, we also have to grieve that it has changed, and that we need to look forward towards doing a new thing. Paul gives us hope in 2 Corinthians 5:17-20:
“So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything
has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given
us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not
counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So
we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf
of Christ, be reconciled to God.”
This message was written for and speaks to a community of faith, as Paul was writing the Corinthians collectively. We become new when we live in Christ, and remember that we are ambassadors. Ambassadors bring their message to the world, rather than wait for the world to come to them. In this way, we as a church must figure out ways to bring our story of faith to the world. We may hope to bring people in to worship or other church activities, but in today’s world, that may not work or be likely. Yet, that doesn’t give us a reason to toss up our hands and despair. It gives us a reason to be different...to change.
As a pastor, it is scary for me to say that our traditional ways of worship and “being church” may not be long for this world. I mean, what did I go to seminary for if that is the case?!?! However, whether we continue to use our buildings, regular church practices, and traditions of old, or find other ways to reach out and be a church community, the point of what we do as Christians is to LIVE a life that reflects Christ, and share with others our story of faith and reconciliation; how Christ lives and loves in and through us. We know our world IS broken, and when we reconcile ourselves to Christ, we are made new in order to be ambassadors of Christ for the world. Our stories matter, and we can learn to share those stories in a way that more will hear it. This is how we are made new; when we change and grow for the sake of others, and share our story...the story of our lives lived in faith.
Perhaps one of the best stories we have to share is the Christmas story. As we celebrate the Advent of our Lord and as we see the advent of a “new way of being church” in the future, I also encourage you to think of the ways that the Christmas story has impacted your life. What does it mean to you, and what have you experienced because Christ was born. These are the stories of faith that matter...that encourage and engage young people who are searching for meaning, love and purpose in their lives. Our own stories of faith are personal and relational...and that’s what newer generations are looking for. This new church year, beginning right now with Advent, let us be encouraged to not only share Christ’s story, but our own life stories of faith that reflect Christ in our hearts; and let this shape the way we understand our work as disciples so that whether or not the places or methods of how we experience church change, we still know and share God in our lives.
In Christ’s Peace,
Pastor Heather
Therefore, even as we celebrate the past and what we have loved about the church in former years, we also have to grieve that it has changed, and that we need to look forward towards doing a new thing. Paul gives us hope in 2 Corinthians 5:17-20:
“So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything
has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given
us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not
counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So
we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf
of Christ, be reconciled to God.”
This message was written for and speaks to a community of faith, as Paul was writing the Corinthians collectively. We become new when we live in Christ, and remember that we are ambassadors. Ambassadors bring their message to the world, rather than wait for the world to come to them. In this way, we as a church must figure out ways to bring our story of faith to the world. We may hope to bring people in to worship or other church activities, but in today’s world, that may not work or be likely. Yet, that doesn’t give us a reason to toss up our hands and despair. It gives us a reason to be different...to change.
As a pastor, it is scary for me to say that our traditional ways of worship and “being church” may not be long for this world. I mean, what did I go to seminary for if that is the case?!?! However, whether we continue to use our buildings, regular church practices, and traditions of old, or find other ways to reach out and be a church community, the point of what we do as Christians is to LIVE a life that reflects Christ, and share with others our story of faith and reconciliation; how Christ lives and loves in and through us. We know our world IS broken, and when we reconcile ourselves to Christ, we are made new in order to be ambassadors of Christ for the world. Our stories matter, and we can learn to share those stories in a way that more will hear it. This is how we are made new; when we change and grow for the sake of others, and share our story...the story of our lives lived in faith.
Perhaps one of the best stories we have to share is the Christmas story. As we celebrate the Advent of our Lord and as we see the advent of a “new way of being church” in the future, I also encourage you to think of the ways that the Christmas story has impacted your life. What does it mean to you, and what have you experienced because Christ was born. These are the stories of faith that matter...that encourage and engage young people who are searching for meaning, love and purpose in their lives. Our own stories of faith are personal and relational...and that’s what newer generations are looking for. This new church year, beginning right now with Advent, let us be encouraged to not only share Christ’s story, but our own life stories of faith that reflect Christ in our hearts; and let this shape the way we understand our work as disciples so that whether or not the places or methods of how we experience church change, we still know and share God in our lives.
In Christ’s Peace,
Pastor Heather