Thus says the LORD: "Stand by the roads and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls."O yes! to that, but the verse goes on...
But they said, "We will not walk in it."LORD, in your mercy, may that not be true.
What might the "ancient paths" be for us? I'm thinking of the ways of the Bible and the Prayer Book, the 39 Articles and the Solemn Declaration. Hopelessly reactionary and old-fashioned, I know. Sigh.
If it was a simple as selling your inshore fishing permit or your big city taxi license there would be a clamor to buy your pew on your departure. God willing I ever wear the collar one of my planned sermons is to have everyone stand and then sit in progression as we identify the younger. Those will be the future of the church. Too many of us are guilty of going to church Sunday and returning home. We the Occasional Christians do not invite others to join us. My stepchildren are C & E but at least then they show up and are exposed to our worship. In the media savvy 21st church events are relegated to the page before the color funnies.
ReplyDeleteA secular parallel, I managed a small taxi company in a market with eight other competitors, several who told me the city didn't need another company. I replied the market will decide. We blossomed because of innovation. I tired of hearing 'that's how its always been done'. We splashed a huge phone number on the side of cars, we became recognizable and memorable. Our call volume skyrocketed, we couldn't keep up. Sadly we just closed. We placed too much trust in our contract operators to be loyal and they weren't. Six lost their jobs.
I'm wandering. It is OUR church and in a way OUR responsibility not our clergy's to maintain and grow our community of worshipers. We place too much emphasis on expecting others to do this.