From Good to Great: The Jesus Challenge
Mission Statement of the Fifth Episcopal District:
"In keeping with the mission of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, the Fifth Episcopal District is called to serve the present age as a sign and instrument of God's saving grace, making disciples for Christ, nurturing them through preaching and teaching the Word of God, through Christ centered worship, prophetic witness and effective service."
“Tabernacle Living in Temple Times”
A Message to the Pastors and Churches of the Fifth Episcopal District
By Bishop Lawrence L. Reddick III
The topic above is in quotes because it is borrowed. It was the subject of an editorial written when the late (Bishop) Norris S. Curry was editor of The Christian Index. While I am not looking at the editorial now, I remember that Dr. Curry suggested to us that the ways of the Israelites in the wilderness (during their “tabernacle times”) were not sufficient for the life required of them when they had settled in the promised land (“temple times”). It would be akin to saying that horse and buggy living are inadequate for interstate highway times.
The subject of this writing is worship. And, in particular, it is about the diversity of our worship offerings in the cities and hamlets where our congregations come together. It is about saying to those who “grew up” remembering a certain order – Look! The times have changed, and we must make some changes with them!
Two recent incidents that came as yearnings from my worshipping spirit have caused me to write.
The first incident was on Maundy Thursday, the Thursday of Holy Week – March 22, 2008. I yearned for a church to worship in on Thursday evening after a strenuous day of work, hoping I could find a church (a CME Church) that would be celebrating the Lord’s Supper on that night to remember that “last” supper. In the metropolitan city of Birmingham, I could not find such a church! Could I have found one in Miami? or Sarasota? or Phenix City? or Huntsville? or Jacksonville? or Orlando? (I was told that Stewart Memorial, Mobile, has a great Maundy Thursday service.)
I had found a CME Church for Ash Wednesday service at Williams Chapel, Woodlawn Community, in Birmingham, and I was grateful! At other special days, I have gone almost every Christmas Eve to the Episcopal Church of the Advent because I know they have Christmas Eve service (don’t know any CMEs in the area who do), but I have also worshipped with Moody Temple, Fairfield, on Christmas morning because I have learned they have service on that day. On Thanksgiving Day, I seek out a place to worship, and this past year that place was Thirgood in Birmingham. But, Sisters and Brothers, I cannot believe that I am the only member of the CME Church who wants to worship on special or holy days! And I wonder why so many of our churches are habitually locked or darkened!
Frankly, I was greatly disappointed on Maundy Thursday when I went to one CME Church where I could not raise an answer beforehand by phone, only to find the pastor and officers leaving Official Board – on Maundy Thursday!
But, alas! On Sunday, March 30th, I set out again to worship, knowing that it was a fifth Sunday. But as your bishop, I try to worship each week in a different Presiding Elder District in order to get wider feel for the churches. That morning I had prayerfully set my sights on a church in the Tuscaloosa District which I understood to be an every Sunday church. But, sorrowfully, I arrived at the church about 11:05 to locked doors and no cars. Well, I had passed another CME Church on the road going, and had seen about three cars there, and had remarked, “I didn’t know they had service today”; so I went back to that church. But when I went back and got out of my car, three members came out of the door, telling us that they only were having Sunday School on that day, and Sunday School was over.
Mind you, Brothers and Sisters, I had passed by two Baptist churches, one of which had 23 cars, and the other of which had about 20 cars – and both of which met in smaller buildings than the church I first went to and wanted to worship with.
But the sisters leaving Sunday School told me about another CME church in the area that they thought would have worship service. I sort of doubted it, because I had been present when that church was debating whether to go “full time”. But I went anyway, only to find the front door locked. But since there was a car, I tried another door, went in and found two teenagers or young adults in an office on the computer, who simply said, “We’re not here today.”
By that time, I had driven many miles between these churches and it was past 11:30, so I decided – yes, this Methodist bishop decided – to worship at one of those Baptist churches! And yes, and I left them my full tithe, because they were the ones to nourish my spirit that day!
I later learned from the pastor of the “every Sunday church” on the Tuscaloosa District that they were down the street in fifth Sunday fellowship worship with another church. Two things I suggested he think about: if he and his church go elsewhere on Sunday, somebody ought to put a sign on the door so that visitors may know where to go; and that fellowship service at the 11 O’clock hour may have been fine during “tabernacle times,” but other churches in the area were open – they know it’s “temple times.”
We say we want to grow. Do we mean it, or is our talk just more “hot air”? How can we grow with our doors locked?
We say we want new members. But how many other people like myself are looking for a place to worship and come upon our locked doors?
What kind of people do you believe are attracted to a two-Sunday a month church when they have – in the same community – an every Sunday church alternative? Which of these two kinds of people do you believe would make a stronger church – people who want to worship or people who tire of worship?
One of our issues is that we are focussing on minors rather than majors – we’re too busy debating what it will cost; and we are focussing so much on what it will cost that we forgot what Jesus said: “He who seeks to save his life shall lose it.”
And so I say to you who have scheduled worship only once or twice a month, consider prayerfully going beyond it. That Baptist Church that I worshipped in on March 30th (just down the street from the CME Church) didn’t have any other CMEs visiting but my family – although we so often use the excuse that we “share” the Sundays with them and “cooperate” with them, so we can’t go full time!
I say to you who are in metropolitan areas, cast a vision beyond the “tabernacle thoughts” of the past and project a worship outline that seeks to minister to people whether they are CMEs or not. My best example was taught to me by the lay people of Scruggs Memorial, St. Louis, Missouri. They told me when I arrived as pastor that there was an annual Lenten series of services conducted every Wednesday from 12:15 until 12:45, and that as long as the service began and ended on time, people who worked in the downtown area and the church vicinity would leave their jobs on the lunch hour and come – most of whom were not CMEs. They were right! And because of what they said, we were able to provide a ministry relevant to working people in the area. Someone was doing “temple times” thinking!
If you are in a metropolitan area, consider that everybody cannot worship on Sunday at 11:00. Don’t be too lazy to have an alternative worship time on Friday or some other evening. Plan today or soon for Lenten worship in 2009. Our people are not ignorant. They know that there are benefits to Lenten worship; that there are benefits to worship that focusses on the special days and seasons, and I believe that there are others such as myself who are looking for churches that will sponsor these services.
Have your revivals and your special days, yes, but also: challenge our people beyond them. Lenten worship, Advent worship, Christmas services, Watchnight or New Year’s Day services – these move us beyond the “tabernacles rhythms” of annual revivals and special days mentalities into focussed growth for these “temple times”. I challenge you to pray about it and then plan anew.