I am an Elvis fan. Elvis may have left the building, but he has certainly not left my I-Pod. In our book, the author, chapter 2 is titled “Elvis Has Left the Building.” Each year at Annual Conference, I have a ritual that requires me to look around during the Opening Worship and wonder “who has left the building?” As I begin my fourth decade of attending Annual Conference, I have witnessed a change. There has been a departure of those who preceded us. I remember back in the 80’s, there was a concern about the future and there was a call to reach out to Baby Boomers. Obviously that has passed. Now the Baby Boomers are making their exit from the work force and life. Unfortunately, in some ways the Baby Boomers may be the first generation our conference adequately did not reach. Each successive generation seems to be more dismal regarding the success of our conference reaching out to the generations that follow the Baby Boomers.
There are many asking “Why?’ There are many pointing fingers. I suspect there are a variety of reasons why “Elvis” has left the building. Perhaps the first question to be asked is, “Who is ‘Elvis’”? Followed by the question, “And, why did he leave the building?”
To begin with, is Elvis, is it the Baby Boomers? My generation has certainly left the building. Even the dedicated youth that attended Methodist Camp with me, mostly have left the building, either for other denominations or completely away from Christianity. Yet, maybe Elvis is not the Baby Boom Generation. Perhaps Elvis is the generation that followed the Baby boomers, the one we call Generation X? I suspect they are are even more sparse in our conference. Or maybe Elvis isn’t restricted to a generation. Is it a group of people? Over the years, it seems like Republicans have left the building. Sometimes at Annual Conference, I am tempted to break out in song, “Where have all the Republicans gone? Long time passing...When will they ever learn?” Forty and fifty years ago, maybe Republicans represented half of all our conference representatives. Then again, maybe “Elvis” is another group. How about the working group? More and more, it seems like there are more retirees than workers out in the congregation during Annual Conference? Or, how about a particular ethnic group? So, the question remains, “Who is “Elvis?” and “Why did he leave the building?”
Who knows? Maybe “Elvis” is not the people in the pew, nor the person behind the pulpit, nor the singers in the choir loft. Maybe the “Elvis” that has left the building is Jesus. And because Jesus has left the building, the “concert” is over. With no “music,” why remain in the seats? So, the “concert goers” are now leaving the building as well. “So, when will we ever learn?”
Reflection: Who is Elvis and why did he leave the building?
-Stan
Thanks Stan, your words are much appreciated.
ReplyDeleteWhen I came back to church as a 20 something, I was looking for faith, for God, for who Jesus is and why it matters. I ended up at Belmont Heights in Long Beach and I was the youngest person by 20 years. But I stayed because I saw them living out their faith--they were different than the rest of the people in my world. They made meals and went to out folks who couldn't do this and this registered with me. I stayed and had my call to ministry there.
I am looking for a life that is different than what the world has to offer. I want to be part of a movement that prays, worships, encourages and gives. I have had moments of that but not enough.
I was at a birthday dinner not too long ago. It was for a mother of a church member. We all sat in her home at this long table and with the laughter and the wine and the food and had a huge realization: THIS was church and this I'd come to every week.
I think the, "Church as a better mousetrap" template isn't working no matter what kind of cheese we try.
ReplyDeleteMaybe we should take our cues from modern hospitals who have adopted a very effective strategy to reaching the community, ambulances!
Where are the 'ambulance ministries' of the Church that reach into the community? Shoot, do we even have qualified spiritual paramedics to staff the ministries or are our folks still spiritually stuck on square one, barely able to care for themselves let alone someone else?!
Gerry, important stuff. So what do you think? Do we have qualified ambulances? Are we stuck on square one?
ReplyDeleteFrom my perspective as a local church pastor in a turn around church situation is that much of my time is taken up with "running the church." I am finding more ways to off-load that (help in the office, etc.) but could do better. Also I am finding that many people won't share with others their hurts but will talk to the pastor. I am working on an additional model so that others (not just the pastor) is commissioned for this work.
I believe just beneath the surface the HS is working on a congregation to give many folks the will to be qualified for the type of service you mentioned. The missing element is the leadership to give that willingness an opportunity to be refined (trained)and practical expression. How many senior pastors even want to take congregational developmment to that level? How many think such a congregation would be a threat to their work as they have defined it?
ReplyDeleteManaging ambitious spirtually maturing or mature people is a whole lot different than managing folks who are on square one. Square one folks are content to be ushers and liturgists for the rest of their lives, to say how nice the sermon was and thank the pastor for her service, to put bandaids on cuts, but spiritual paramedics will chaff if not given something more demanding, more in line with their talents. To be nothing less than an intergal part of the ministry.
I consider myself one of those people, you have worked with me. You encouraged me and Rev. Erika continues to encourage me, how many of your colleagues would know what to even do with someone like me or would I be seen as a threat? Would the district or conference know what to do? A mature & spiritually powerful laity would that shake things up among the clergy?
I talked to Erika once about the "local pastor" program but I'm not interested in being certified to go serve a congregation of 25 people who are just passing time in lieu of an ordained pastor who wouldn't touch the church with a 10' pole.
Now to be certified and serve where I am in an enhanced capacity such as you mentioned I'm up for that and I know others would be as well. Shoot, many would serve as I do voluntarily. But while that could be the local pastor program it isn't now and that says a lot about the conference's goals. There has to be an understanding that laity won't move around like the clergy do.
There is a lot more to say but this is a good start.
Interesting conversation, Gerry. As I look around, I see more and more local churches struggling to pay full-time "professional" pastors, and I think the days of having full-time + benefits pastoral leadership are on the way out. While this scares lots of folks (both lay and clergy, and esp the denominational staff), and they are doing all kinds of gymnastics to shore up those days, I don't foresee that this will be successful.
ReplyDeleteWhile some are anxious, I see this as a huge window of opportunity for the church to reclaim the ministry of all believers in some exciting ways. For one, it will mean that our churches can be smaller, more intimate communities that can really know and support one another and not just depend of the professional.
I think when we have these smaller, more lean organizations, we may not have buildings at all, but even if we do, we will be getting "out of the building" more-- to focus less on ourselves internally and more on the sort of paramedic ministry that you've lifted up.
Nicole, I like the image that Jesus has left the building. He's at work in the lives of all kinds of people in our world, some of whom are struggling. If we are about following Jesus, I guess we need to get out of the building more, huh? At least in my mind, this would not be a bad thing at all...
Bet Hannon
my husband is an ordained elder as many of you know, and when i first met him, he and the congregation that he was leading at the time was in the process of designing a t-shirt that read "Jesus Has Left the Building" and some sort of road sign that offered poignant symbolism [which i now can't remember, of course]. at the time, i remember thinking "is he crazy? people will be so offended by that sentiment ... and what does it mean anyway?"
ReplyDeletetruth is that i totally get it now. in so, so many of our church buildings, Jesus has left, i think. Or at least he's taken a leave of absence ... maybe a sabbatical.
i have been involved as a layperson or on staff or as a pastor's wife now at 5 umc's in cal-pac in 4 years. so i say this with some recent observation and experience, but mostly with deep sadness in my heart. jesus has left so, so many of our church buildings ... but i wonder not so much about this as i do the question: was Jesus ever there?
and i say this not sarcastically at all. i really wonder about the very model of the church and its gorgeous facility which IMHO has and continues to limit our ability to be the followers of Christ that God longs for us to be ...
for me, i feel like i am in the most authentic ministry when it's not about the building at all. i feel like the HS is most at work in and through me when i am just present, a listening ear, an appreciative observer, someone who offers an embrace ... not when i am sitting in another agenda-driven meeting or hampered by the pews ... or i guess when i am using my gifts as best i can for the transformation of the world. rarely does this rely on the building.
as a church community, i feel like we often get so wrapped up in the human details of our buildings and finances and debts and rental contracts/income, etc. we work hard at affording and keeping up what we own ... where would or could all that time and energy and $$ be going???
Also -- although i agree with Bet about the days of affording a FT pastor may be going, i don't like it and it's not because of my own personal call ...i feel that methodist pastors are awesome! (okay, maybe a little bias showing, yes). but, i fully recognize that this is our current reality. and, i reflect on the Apostle Paul who worked a day-job, too, and many of our brothers and sisters around the world who are pastors and so many other things. it truly may be a much more effective way to witness for us pastor-types to be pastoring more in the "real" world (even at another job) and less in all these buildings.
okay, but such change isn't going to happen overnight. we have gotten very, very comfortable in our buildings. very. and again, i just really wonder if jesus was ever there at all.
(and i do think, stan, that if and when we get out of our buildings and beyond our parking lots and fellowship halls ... and be the church in, with, and to the community ... we may actually be an attractive thing to the generations that have stopped (or never did) coming).
If you want to have an interesting, and often heated conversation about the relevance of the modern American Church when talking about America's many social ills comment that those social ills persist because of the failure of the Church, not the govt to act.
ReplyDeleteThe Church is after all a redemptive institution, empowered to make things better. The govt is at it's best when, as a legislative institution, it makes things fairer, more just.
We are so insulated from seeing ourselves as the preeminent institution to make things better that we don't understand the magnitude of our failure, how significantly we have lost our, saltiness.
The first step to recovery, to revival, is to acknowledge that while we have a responsiblity we have failed to act responsibly.
We will be well on the road to recovery when we stop excusing our irresponsibilty, stop shifting our responsibilty unto a government structurally incapable of redemptive acts, stop scapegoating that same govt for it's inevitable failure.
It is amazing to me how impotent my fellow brothers & sisters think the church is. They forget the old adage, "How do you feed the hungry? One person at a time." Even better they forget the Starfish story, "It makes a difference to this one!"
Some even scoff at the idea the Church can make any difference in the lives of those in need!
I assure you that if you take some time & wrap your head around the idea that the church needs to live up to it's responsibilites and own it's failure you will acquire a new vision and a passion for revival.