Here are three images of this week’s gospel story from Luke—the story of dinner with Simon, the Pharisee.
The 18th century French artist, Pierre Subleyras, gives us a great deal to look at and ponder (1737). It is fun to see the depiction of a rich feast with all the hubbub of a modern meet and greet. There are servants, musicians, children, and even a dog nibbling at the scraps. Note the poignant side-show on the left.
Peter Paul Rubens, a century earlier, has the action front and center. Both artists have Jesus and company seated at western table. It is likely the real feast table was closer to the ground.
Since the biblical account is not very clear about just how many people attended this dinner party, here is a simpler depiction (below). My goodness, is that a Catholic friar in attendance? Could it be Martin Luther! And they were worried about the sinful woman intruding! Next time, hire a bouncer!
It’s by Dieric Bouts, from the 1440s. (It’s not Martin Luther in the painting! He came along a few years later!)
When people clip coupons, they care about only two things.
The promise of substantial savings.
The conditions and expiration dates.
The lure of savings is in large, bold and probably red type.
The conditions and expiration date are microscopic.
Coupons work this way. They save you money only if you buy the product the issuer wants you to buy when they want you to buy it. Coupons are a way of controlling the market—while giving the illusion that it’s the consumer they care about.
The issuer of a coupon is sure that their offering is worthy. They are well-branded—rich and important. Giving a tiny bit—while factoring the gift into the cost—will add to their wealth and status.
But a heavenly coupon is different. The offer of salvation is in big, bold letters.
The fine print may surprise you.
Today’s gospel addresses our tendency to presume that because we have chosen to follow God that we are suddenly better than the other guy. We are in a position to showcase our superiority. We are the bearers of a valuable coupon that, if we read only the large print, leads us to believe:
We are better than others.
We are certainly better than sinners.
We are better than the best people of other faiths and so much better than those who don’t believe at all.
Jesus addresses our self-satisfaction with a story of his own in today’s scripture. But for now, let’s stick to our own little parable.
The Pharisee read the coupon’s large print and issued his own coupon offer. At first, we are led to believe that Jesus alone has been invited to dinner. Later verses reveal that the dinner has many guests. So it’s a party! “Come to my party for Jesus. There is something in it for you!”
The Pharisee is maximizing his status. He is giving with the expectation of reward!
We in the church can do this, too.
The Pharisee’s dinner party is a show. A boast. The Pharisee can contribute to the cause and assure himself status in heaven and, for the time being, on earth.
Then, there is the small print. The disclaimer and the expiration date. The Pharisee’s coupon comes with conditions. Read carefully.
The Pharisee’s conditions are that you are already accepted in fine society, worthy to cross his threshold.
The woman who intrudes on this party has the original coupon. She read the small print. She saw the conditions — repent and believe. Expiration date? There is none!
This woman, already low in society’s ladder of importance, coupon in hand (so to speak), intrudes on a dinner party intended for the best of society. Not only is she a woman (not to be listened to) but she is recognized as a sinner. She is such a sinner that there is no need to address the sin. It’s taken for granted. Everyone knows.
The host and important guests are aghast. Who let her in?
Jesus, the guest of honor, applauds her daring. He points to her humility and sacrifice—her willingness to make a public spectacle of her devotion despite the shame and public ridicule she knows so well.
With the odds stacked against her, she wants her part of the promise. She read the fine print. She intends to redeem this coupon for full value.
I grew up in the Church . . . in a preacher’s family. A network of preachers’ families, in fact. Generations of pastors and numerous aunts and uncles representing several denominations working in ministry.
It was not until recent years that I heard the term “settled pastor.” But then, fifty years ago, most pastors were settled. It was so much a part of what being a pastor meant that there was no special term.
Perhaps we hear the term today because the Church is hanging on to a relic of the past. These are unsettling times!
What is a “settled pastor”?
A “settled pastor” is a pastor who is called by the congregation with no term limitation. Sometimes it is called a “regularized” call.
It’s not something lay people think about much. They should. The concept can make or break their church and cause lay leaders a lot of heartache. And they won’t see it coming!
There was a time when pastors were assigned to a congregation or called by congregational vote. There they stayed, baptizing, marrying and burying generation after generation of the faithful. A pastor might leave to serve a richer parish or to suit personal goals. The only other reasons to leave were seriously bad behavior or conflict. Poor performance was rarely a reason. Congregations can eke by with a poor, but beloved, pastor for years as resources dwindle.
Redeemer Ambassadors visited one congregation recently that had the same pastor for 18 years. It declined steadily despite the fact that their neighborhood was vibrant. They closed the week after our visit.
They had a “settled pastor” but where did that get them?
The reason the term “settled pastor” is used more frequently is that the concept is becoming rare. Pastors rarely settle into their communities intending to stay for decades—even when they accept calls as “settled pastors.”
Some accept calls to small congregations as stepping stones, proving grounds. Others don’t want a long-term commitment or even a full-time commitment. Their personal lives demand flexibility. Many enter the ministry as second careers and anticipate retiring within a decade or so. They will never be seasoned, full-time pastors. Frequently, they become “interim pastors”—also a new term.
It is probably the growing use of “interim” pastors that the term “settled” has become prevalent. The concept of “interim ministry” is short-term help while congregations consider long-term candidates. Interims terms should be a few months. They are often well over a year—intentionally so. The better to keep the stable of pastors employed.
Consequently, the goal of calling a “settled pastor” is archaic and unfair to congregations who buy into the concept that the pastor they are calling is deeply committed.
The modern congregation is likely to be equally unsettled. Demographics within communities can shift every five years.
So why is the Church pretending that “ssettled pastors” are either the norm or a good idea?
The concept serves another purpose that is rarely stated.
Settled pastors have significant constitutional advantages for clergy and professional leadership. In the Lutheran Church, the settled pastor can leave a congregation at any time with only 30 days notice. However, if a congregation is unhappy, stagnant, achieving none of its goals, declining in giving and attendance and facing a fragile future, they cannot make a leadership change without taking a vote—a two-thirds vote. Usually, twenty percent of an organization plays significant leadership roles. So lay leaders must convince three times their number, from a pool of less committed members, that a change is in the best interest of the congregation.
Having a settled pastor in place, means a problem for the regional body has been solved. A pastor has a job for as long as he or she wants it. Neither the pastor nor the congregation will be knocking on their door for a while!
Church lay leaders must be very careful. Making any kind of demand on a settled pastor can signal war. It won’t be declared as such but lines will be drawn. The settled pastor can easily use his or her position within the congregation and community to subtly rally support. The war will be fought with gossip and innuendo. “Hush! Did you hear ….?”
Lay leaders may be acting with the future of the church in mind, but soon they may be seen as malcontents and troublemakers. “Poor pastor! What he or she has to put up with!”
Their reputations in the community may be strong enough to bear it, but their voice in the church will be filtered.
Congregations will be divided. Conflict may take a serious toll and years to resolve—whether or not the pastor stays.
Perhaps it is time for congregations to insist on term calls as the norm rather than the exception, so that the comfort and security of being a “settled pastor” does not lead a congregation into long-term decline. If a course correction can be made, the existing pastor will have incentive to lead—create and meet benchmarks—and not take their call for granted.
“Unsettled pastors” might be the right servants to lead today’s church.
It’s more work for hierarchy and less secure for clergy.
But then church work is always hard and insecure for the laity.
Redeemer’s Ambassadors visited this congregation in Roslyn, Pa, on the morning they were hearing a sample sermon from a pastoral candidate. We expected a large crowd but there were only about 60 at worship.
They were considering the call to Rev. Ellen Anderson who was present with her family. One of the Ambassadors used to work with her recently deceased father, Arvid.
The opening announcements revealed the usual hodgepodge of good works. Their crocheters had contributed 243 squares to a blanket project and supporting an American Cancer Society event. Cancer causes are a focus of the congregation’s ministry.
The sample sermon was introspective of her own faith journey. After a brief recognition of the Gospel Story of the Widow of Nain, she witnessed to God’s influence in her personal life, calling it her Pentecost story. She invited the congregation to tell their “Pentecost” stories. Seems to the common theme this Pentecost. We heard a similar slant on Pentecost Sunday.
The bulletin was mostly “reminders.” Their web site says they use an overhead projector to eliminate the use of paper. Still, Redeemer managed to print the entire service and reminders on less paper than they used.
Overhead screens have some limitations. They shift the focal point from the altar to technology and there is really no guarantee that everyone can read them.
Their approach to offerings was innovative. They do not pass the plate at all but invite people to place their offerings in a box at the back of the church. Passing the plate has become awkward in many churches, because they really don’t pass the plate. They reach into the pew, never letting go of the plate. This is an interesting solution. Hope it works!
The service itself was simple, using a couple of standard hymns and a few newer ones.This is the first we’ve heard the Peruvian Gloria in our visits. We used it almost every week.
We did not stay for the vote.
The call process is seriously flawed. Basing so much of your congregation’s future on a sample sermon and limited knowledge is calling a pig in a poke, so to speak. Congregations need to know so much more before making a major commitment affecting their future. Today’s congregations need so many skills that the call process doesn’t tend to showcase. Making a course correction after the call is issued is problematic and often divisive. Yet we keep following the same process!
Put the right person in charge and everything will be fine. The right person will come up with great new ideas. The people will execute the ideas flawlessly. The church will grow.
The right person will write a book. Hundreds of other churches will learn from the great success and the Church will grow and grow as a model for organizational success.
When it doesn’t work this way — and it rarely does — the blame game begins, it usually begins and ends with blaming the laity, because they have the least say in the organization we call Church. Least say. Most to lose.
Part of the problem is finding that right leader.
Often, the leader is chosen by the regional body for reasons known only to the regional body. Having a call for a pastor is more critical than having a successful ministry. Lots of square pegs get put into round holes for bureaucratic convenience.
This is rarely part of any evaluation when things aren’t working out. And so the same mistake can be made over and over with the blame game being the sole survivior.
The blame game does not lead to success.
Success, which we all long for,
is built upon failure.
We learn from failure. But not if we ante up for the blame game.
This is the biggest obstacle to church growth and it is exacerbated when regional bodies are failing. Shh! Some of them are, you know. They are the ones that are grabbing property.
When the regional body is failing, congregational failure becomes their salvation. Property values, if assumed well before true failure, can plug a deficit for several years.
Regional bodies have incentive to strangle innovation.
When regional bodies are failing, they quickly lose their sense of mission. Self-interest stops innovation in its tracks. The blame game kicks into full gear. The blame game is the fastest route to acquisition of assets.
Lay leadership didn’t contribute.
Lay leadership didn’t support the clergy.
Demographics have changed. (Don’t they always?)
Congregational members are resistant to change. (Who isn’t?)
It is a predictable litany usually chanted behind closed doors, where unopposed, it gains advantage.
Behind the criticism is the reality that a congregation’s failure will give the regional body a short-term boost.
This is tragic. The congregation might be on the verge of important self-discovery.
Many of the congregations that are on the verge of failure today, could teach us all something if innovation were fostered. Every innovator knows you have to work through the failures.
But the tragedy in the Church is deeper. There is a big cover up. The cover up is the use of the Resurrection story to justify failure and ugly behavior. Regional leaders would have us believe that is necessary for congregations to die in order for someone else to live. Christ died so that we might die?
What we must do is examine every failure with brutal honesty. Why didn’t our good ideas work? What were the obstacles? Money is often the assumed obstacle, but sometimes that’s a convenient illusion.
How can we remove or overcome the obstacles? What is worth risking for revival?
If the list of requisites creates obstacles in our pioneering efforts, then that list must be examined.
Failure is something the Church must learn to work through if innovation is to result. Team work would help but is unlikely given the coveting of assets. (That’s why “thou shalt not covet” made the ten commandments twice).
Every congregational resource must be available for mission—not protected for the day the regional body decides the assets are theirs.
If that money is allocated only for tried but failing mission strategies, then it is being squandered.
Freeing congregational assets for experiments in mission is the only road to success. Are we strong enough to follow it? Or are we reserving our legacy money to pay today’s bills?
Every afternoon, shortly after 4 pm, I get a series of phone calls. I know the callers well.
There are Matt and Brian. They are cheerful fellows who represent home security companies. There are Rachel from Verizon and Debbie who is sure my carpets need cleaning.
I’ve tried simply explaining that I have no interest in what they are offering.
I’ve tried asking them to not call again.
Now I just hang up.
They’ve given themselves permission to annoy me with their message which is about their needs — not mine. They do this because they can. Technology makes it possible.
A few minutes ago, my computer started talking to me. Someone had found another way to intrude.
I will never buy a home security system from Matt or Brian. I try to remember the advertisers who abuse their relationships with me.
So how does this relate to life in the church? How do our worship services intrude on worshipers and their relationship with God?
We tend to make assumptions. After all, the congregation is a captive audience. Our presence at worship can be seen as permission for anything church leaders wish to do with us.
I’ve heard pastors force agreement from their congregation. “Let all the people say …” They wait for an “Amen.” It’s just a like a pep rally. If the response isn’t strong enough, they try again. “Let all the people say . . ” “AMEN.”
I’ve seen pastors approach people who have chosen to not participate in communion and try to force a blessing on them.
I’ve attended worship to hear five minutes of ads from the lectern or pulpit before prayer.
I’ve been invited to prayer by pastors who came to our congregation with clear intent to do harm.
I’ve been passed the Peace of God from people who brought enmity to our doors.
I was in church. I was expected to Make Nice.
It’s part of modern society to assume that what we want from people is so important that we have a right to pursue it in any setting. All we need is the ability to force our way into their thinking.
Church has one major goal: to bring people into relationship with God and his people. The relationship with God is most important. If we put the needs of the community first, with all our pet agendas, we risk intruding on relationships that we should be fostering, not milking.
We should not treat worshipers as if they are part of a captive audience. We don’t know what brought them to our door. We should make an effort to find out! Recognize that they are individuals at varying places in their faith journeys. They may not be ready to agree or support our ideas. They may not be ready to pray with us. They may be truly questioning what they hear. They may be angry or hurting and looking to make sense of things with God. Their presence is not an invitation to sell them on the next Potluck Dinner.
It’s church. We are supposed to accept whatever comes down the road and make nice—no matter what. Compliance spreads throughout church life.
One pastor once said to one of our Ambassadors, “Why don’t you people just move on?” In other words, “Hand over everything you own to us, allow us to lock you out of your faith community, don’t care, don’t stand up for what you believe, and do as you are told.”
Faith actually requires independent thinking—not group think. When we foster group think we are not fostering faith.
NO is often the right answer.
It’s hard for the worshiper to hang up on someone making an unreasonable request in the Church. It’s easier to stay home.
How do we foster independent thinking in the corporate community?
This is an important question. We’ve addressed it before, but the answers keep changing. The answers of 20 years ago will not be the answers of the next 20 years. The answers this year may not be the answers of next year.
Old answers address old concerns. Here are some old answers.
A successful church has
a membership of at least 150 adults.
supports a budget of $150,000 with offerings.
has a settled, full-time pastor that intends to stay for more than seven years.
can boast of no conflict.
contributes 10% or at least $15,000 to the regional body each year.
supports at least three part-time auxiliary staff (sexton, secretary, and organist).
has a weekly worship service that one-third of the members attend regularly. That translates to a weekly attendance of at least 50.
has a Sunday School for children 3-11 and an adult forum.
has a five-day Vacation Bible School.
accepts 20 new members a year.
These old measures allow for a status quo existence.
A traditional church can be criticized if their members do not live within five miles. It’s a sign that the church membership has left the neighborhood and can signal the regional office that the church is ripe for takeover. They equate “scattered” with “diminished.”
Geography is not that important anymore. Even our bishop travels about 20 miles to the church she chose to join!
At times the church sets goals for us. One such goal is diversity. Despite the emphasis on inclusion, the church has been largely unable to achieve diversity in the congregational setting. The answer has been to set up separate but equal worship venues. Two or three populations worship at separate times in the same building or are encouraged to serve others like them in their separate location. These multiple communities can worship in the same building for years and know nothing of the “others.” This is playing at diversity. It helps provide some statistics so that it looks like goals are being achieved while congregations remain comfortably homogenous. Homogenous congregations face fewer faith challenges and are more likely to contribute more.
Settled pastors with settled congregations are the goals. So the value of these statistics is rarely challenged.
Why is this the goal? Without this financial foundation of the pooled resources of “settled” churches, the hierarchy will fail.
This archaic way of defining and promoting diversity eases the comfort of pastors as much as the comfort of parishioners The pastor of the homogenous congregation feels less challenged when a pastor with different skills serves the diverse congregation. There is peace in the diverse, but divided, kingdom.
This is all preserving the past while feigning innovation.
Here are some statistics that churches should be measuring if they want to survive in the Information Age.
Community Involvement: How many community events did your congregation participate in as a congregation this year? How many times did you write about this on your blog and link it to local press sites?
Events: How many events in addition to worship did your congregation host? These can be charity events, artistic offerings, workshops, online events. In a diverse world multiple entry points to church life are needed.
Email List: How many people in the community can you reach by email should you want to rally support for a cause? How many on your list are members? How many are nonmembers?
Many churches used to remove nonmembers from mailing lists to save print and postage. This reinforced the thinking that evangelism is communicating only with people you know.
Since email costs practically nothing, this thinking (which was frugal but unwise) needs to change. Grow that email list!
Website and Blog: Do you have a web site with a blog attached? How many times a week do you post? How many people in your church are involved in the web site? How do you promote your posts to build your online witness? Are your subscriptions growing? Are you getting online feedback?
Collect Statistics: In the old days, an usher stood at the back or the church and clicked a counter as people walked through the door. That worship attendance statistic was all important.
That statistic is fairly useless today. There are so many other ways to measure involvement and provide ways to contribute.
How has your website grown this year? It should grow at least 15% every year. (2×2 doubled its readership in its second year and is on track to quadruple it second year statistics this third year.) Web sites with blogs are easy to measure. You can measure reach, numbers of readers and time spent on the site. This information will help you plan your ministry offline.
How are you enriching your members’ lives? How are you providing a faith-building environment that involves life-long learning? How are members able to express their faith?
These are some of the measures of the emerging church. They used to be difficult to measure. Not anymore!
The new successful church may look more like this:
has a local membership of 20.
has an email list of 6000.
has a budget of $12,000.
uses the legacy of property to fund ministry (if the regional body hasn’t seized it for themselves).
meets in homes or rented or borrowed space.
has no single pastor but many contributing clergy.
addresses conflict and causes regularly.
worships locally, acts globally.
contributes nothing to regional body because the regional body doesn’t recognize them.
provides diverse educational opportunities daily online.
is open 24/7.
supports mission efforts outside the denomination because they’ve learned about the opportunity and need online.
has virtual members and supporters worldwide.
We know this can be done. Redeemer has already proved it.
Today’s object is a dollar bill or an assortment of paper money of different values.
Today’s Gospel mirrors an Old Testament miracle in 1 Kings 17:17-24.
In the New Testament, Jesus raises the only son of a widow. In the Old Testament, Elijah performs a similar miracle.
There are differences in the stories.
Elijah resurrects the dead son of a widow who has shown kindness to him. The widow is wracked with guilt. She holds her son to her bosom and examines her soul for her sinfulness that cost her the life of her son.
We don’t know if similar thoughts were going through the mind of the widow of Nain. But we can guess that she was feeling just as desperate.
In the New Testament story, Jesus is a stranger passing by who senses her distress. The widow is not looking to him for help. She is wrapped up in her own misfortune. Jesus sees through her agony and intrudes on a funeral procession. He raises the dead young man. The son sits up on the funeral bier and speaks as his body is being carried to a tomb. He was probably wrapped in a funeral shroud, his gray skin coated with fragrant oils and dusted with spices. He is dead beyond doubt. But he sits up and speaks. Dramatic!
What value is there in these two miracles? Hold up your paper money and ask your congregation to answer this question in today’s terms. What is the value of a resurrected life?
There is a dollar value (denari value). The social order of the day provided no Social Security. The son was the provider for the mother—the only provider. As she grieved for her son, she faced destitution.
There is value in the fact that she need no longer question her sin. Whatever divine power had judged her and taken her son from her had just reprieved her. Foreshadowing of a resurrection yet to come! Every writer knows the value of foreshadowing!
There is value to the young man and society. He will earn a living, marry and enjoy his own family, and contribute to society.
But the focus on this story is the value of the miracle itself. Each story has a similar ending.
The Elijah story is more personal and private.
So the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.”
When Jesus resurrects the son of the widow of Nain the value of the story is in that it is witnessed by the village. The village is joined in grief. Together, they witness a miracle.
The value of that miracle begins with economics and ends with “buzz.”
Buzz leads to belief. Belief leads to faith.
Here are verses 16-17.
Fear seized all of them; and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen among us!” and “God has looked favorably on his people!” This word about him spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding country.
How do we look today look upon our works as a community of God. Do we measure them for their monetary value? Do we measure them by their ability to witness?
This is an important question for today’s church as we increasingly rely on the funding of secular programs to do good things in our society.
Our choices are often driven by economics. A church’s dollar seems to go farther when it is pooled with government dollars or well-funded and publicized not-for- profits.
But missing from these good works is an important value that has a less obvious value monetarily. The work of the church can be a compelling witness beyond the value of the deed. The work of the church can bring people to faith. Faith-driven people can do wonders, practically and economically.
You can finish with the closing verses of today’s Psalm.
Psalm 30:11-12
You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, so that my soul may praise you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever.
Seth Godin, one of the earliest and most prolific bloggers, celebrates his 5000th post today. Congratulations, Seth. You make a difference in many worlds!
2×2 is approaching 1000 posts. We have a way to go!
In Seth’s reflection on his exercise in sharing an observation with the world daily for more than ten years, Seth writes:
My biggest surprise? That more people aren’t doing this. Not just every college professor (particularly those in the humanities and business), but everyone hoping to shape opinions or spread ideas. Entrepreneurs. Senior VPs. People who work in non-profits. Frustrated poets and unknown musicians… Don’t do it because it’s your job, do it because you can.
Why don’t more preachers blog? Surely they see themselves as shaping opinions, values and spreading ideas.
Blogging is a gradual art. It’s like having coffee or tea with your neighbor every day. The bonds build slowly.
Once a day, you take the time to share.
Once a day, you take the time to think through issues and ideas that might benefit other people. Writing really pushes the thought process!
Once a day, you see something new in the ordinary.
As you search for ideas, you will start to connect with other thinkers and bloggers. Their thoughts will enrich your own. You will benefit personally.
Day by day, you will build your voice and influence.
Why don’t more preachers blog? It’s work. The rewards are not immediate. It’s not part of the job description.
Preachers still think the world is going to come to them.
I’ve noticed a few church websites that contain blog entries. They tend to be once a week for about six weeks before they drop off. I remember one that I opened eagerly from the link on the home page. The announcement was so enthusiastic! It had just one blog entry that had been posted more than a year earlier.
2×2 challenges pastors to blog daily for a year. If that’s too hard, blog daily for three months. Any shorter and you won’t learn from the experience.
Do it first thing. Share with your community before 9 am. Or post at the end of the day—whatever rhythm works for you.
See if it doesn’t make a difference in your community. It may also make a difference in you!
As Seth notes:
I’ve never once met a successful blogger who questioned the personal value of what she did.
Join Bishop Ruby Kinisa as she visits small churches "under cover" to learn what people would never share if they knew they were talking to their bishop.
Undercover Bishop will always be available in PDF form on 2x2virtualchurch.com for FREE.
Print or Kindle copies are available on Amazon.com.
For bulk copies, please contact 2x2: creation@dca.net.
Contact Info
You can reach
Judy Gotwald,
the moderator of 2x2,
at
creation@dca.net
or 215 605 8774
Redeemer’s Prayer
We were all once strangers, the weakest, the outcasts, until someone came to our defense, included us, empowered us, reconciled us (1 Cor. 2; Eph. 2).
2×2 Sections
Where in the World is 2×2?
On Isaiah 30:15b
Be calm. Wait. Wait. Commit your cause to God. He will make it succeed. Look for Him a little at a time. Wait. Wait. But since this waiting seems long to the flesh and appears like death, the flesh always wavers. But keep faith. Patience will overcome wickedness.
—Martin Luther
Luke 7:36-8:3
Peter Paul Rubens, a century earlier, has the action front and center. Both artists have Jesus and company seated at western table. It is likely the real feast table was closer to the ground.
