Tonight, as I'm waiting to go to the Christmas Eve Service at a little church in the town I'm in, I am reminded of a conversation New Church Boss and I had a while back, probably last year. He was relating how his then Head Pastor wasn't going to be at church on Christmas. He was taking Christmas off. New Church Boss was a little mystified at how his boss could be gone on one of the biggest nights/days for the church.
As I was reflecting on that this morning, I thought about the first Christmas I took off as a church staff. My family was going to be together in one place, many of the extended family included, and I wasn't about to stay home and miss it. I was going too! I remember the look on the Pastor's face when I said I wouldn't be at the church on Christmas Eve. Absolute shock. (I could have pulled out my terms of employment right there and showed him that Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were two days that I had off according to that piece of paper. If y'all don't mean it, don't put it in writing.) They survived that Christmas without me and when I said a few years later that I would be gone again this time for a Mission trip, there was barely a murmur of protest.
I do believe that it's important for a church to put it's best foot forward on Christmas. Pastors, staff and church members should be aware that they are hosting a group of people that may only go to church once or twice a year. It's important to be on point that night. However, I think every so often it's okay for the Pastor and staff members to get a Christmas off, especially if their families don't live in the area. Once in a while a Pastor should be allowed a pass on Christmas, to be allowed time to be with their families and walk into a different church on Christmas Eve and worship God without the stress of leading it all.
Those are just my two cents. Merry Christmas everyone! I'm off to Christmas Eve service.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Thursday, December 15, 2011
I think I'm on a theme here...
I was reading a blog post by someone else who made mention of the use of projection systems in churches. The comment was in the negative. Clearly the use of a projection system vs. hymnals and bulletins was not something this particular blogger appreciated. That got me to wondering, though, what happened when hymnals and bulletins were introduced into churches?
See, I'm pretty sure that at one point in time everyone who joined together to worship were expected to memorize all the songs, the order of how the worship time flowed, not to mention memorizing chapter and verse of the Bible. I wonder when hymnals, Bibles and bulletins made the scene, was there an uproar in the church? Did some people reject the new things in favor of the traditional things? Did church leaders fear that the old ways would be lost and so therefore put up a stink about using hymnals, Bibles and bulletins? I wonder if someone along the way said something like "if we want to attract the generations to come, we need to make these changes".
I wonder...
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Living in the past
I had coffee today with a friend who used to work at New Church. She basically had my job at one point in time, though with a lot more responsibilities. Anyway as we were talking about things that are happening at New Church, I started to think about the way that churches can tend to live in the past.
One of the things that always bothered me at Old Church was the use of the word "tradition" as in "We always do things this way because that's the way we've always done and we can't change it because it's tradition." It didn't matter if it was simply rearranging the way the Nativity scene was put up (or where the Nativity scene was placed*), if it went against "tradition" it was frowned upon.** I soon began to say things like, "in the past we have done this but that doesn't mean we have to do that now." I am rebel, here me roar!
That's one thing about churches, though, we like our "traditions" and we are reluctant to give them up, even if it's for good reasons. In many ways our churches are living in the past. Now, please hear me loud and clear, sometimes it's really okay to live in the past, there are traditions that are good and fine. However, when we live in the past so much that we can't see the future, that's when we get into trouble. If we are so focused on how we have always done things, we tend to not be very innovative or open to new ideas of doing ministry and ministry tends to stagnate.
I'm not one to just try something because it's the newest and latest craze. I like some traditions but I believe that there are times when we need to break out of the mold. We need may need let the Pastor that retired 25 years ago finally retire in our own minds. Maybe we need to recognize that though the pews have held up for 75 years, putting in chairs may actually enhance the worship space and give us opportunities to try something new...or at least maybe we could invest in new cushions that match the carpet we had to install 10 years ago because the old one finally wore out? Maybe we need to acknowledge that the just the name Sunday School is actually a turnoff to kids and adults alike or that Sunday has become so busy for parents and children that we need to figure out a new model altogether. While we are on that subject, can we please, please, please just let go of the outrage of over Sunday not being a Sabbath day anymore? Times are changing, our attitudes aren't helping.
I guess that's the point of this whole post. Times are changing. Traditions are good but if they are getting in the way of ministry, I believe it's time to reexamine our goals, our ideas, take a look at history and then put things in the past if they need to be put away and move forward into the future. It's time to stop living in the past.
*Yes, this was an issue. I personally liked the scene under the Communion table the most, it was front and center and it actually looked like it was a stable but under the Christmas tree was the place! Especially once the Communion table was enclosed with a floor length table cloth. Don't get me started on that!
**I also take umbrage with the use of the word tradition for something that has only happened one time. One time a tradition does not make. Talk to me about the 5th time. Then it can be a tradition.
One of the things that always bothered me at Old Church was the use of the word "tradition" as in "We always do things this way because that's the way we've always done and we can't change it because it's tradition." It didn't matter if it was simply rearranging the way the Nativity scene was put up (or where the Nativity scene was placed*), if it went against "tradition" it was frowned upon.** I soon began to say things like, "in the past we have done this but that doesn't mean we have to do that now." I am rebel, here me roar!
That's one thing about churches, though, we like our "traditions" and we are reluctant to give them up, even if it's for good reasons. In many ways our churches are living in the past. Now, please hear me loud and clear, sometimes it's really okay to live in the past, there are traditions that are good and fine. However, when we live in the past so much that we can't see the future, that's when we get into trouble. If we are so focused on how we have always done things, we tend to not be very innovative or open to new ideas of doing ministry and ministry tends to stagnate.
I'm not one to just try something because it's the newest and latest craze. I like some traditions but I believe that there are times when we need to break out of the mold. We need may need let the Pastor that retired 25 years ago finally retire in our own minds. Maybe we need to recognize that though the pews have held up for 75 years, putting in chairs may actually enhance the worship space and give us opportunities to try something new...or at least maybe we could invest in new cushions that match the carpet we had to install 10 years ago because the old one finally wore out? Maybe we need to acknowledge that the just the name Sunday School is actually a turnoff to kids and adults alike or that Sunday has become so busy for parents and children that we need to figure out a new model altogether. While we are on that subject, can we please, please, please just let go of the outrage of over Sunday not being a Sabbath day anymore? Times are changing, our attitudes aren't helping.
I guess that's the point of this whole post. Times are changing. Traditions are good but if they are getting in the way of ministry, I believe it's time to reexamine our goals, our ideas, take a look at history and then put things in the past if they need to be put away and move forward into the future. It's time to stop living in the past.
*Yes, this was an issue. I personally liked the scene under the Communion table the most, it was front and center and it actually looked like it was a stable but under the Christmas tree was the place! Especially once the Communion table was enclosed with a floor length table cloth. Don't get me started on that!
**I also take umbrage with the use of the word tradition for something that has only happened one time. One time a tradition does not make. Talk to me about the 5th time. Then it can be a tradition.
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