About preaching | Songs of Change
I am healthy again just in time to head to Marquette, MI for a leadership retreat with the staff at Episcopal Divinity School.
I'm going early to do tourist activities. I packed my bathing suit but I can't imagine getting into the very cold great lakes! LOL.
-Liz
Getting Started
I was a gathering recently where a pastor wondered how to get started on justice issues with a church that had never addressed such issues before. I also have a friend, lay, who is part of a church that talks about justice all the time, but does very little. Both of them asked about how to begin creating a church that is part of the resistance right now.
My first piece of advice on this is to remind you that we will need to be resisting for a long time. It is mostly churches that have a foundation of ministries and actions outside their doors that quickly mobilize for action. It is worth starting now to build that foundation, because by next year, you will wish you started today.
My second thought is encouragement: it is worth it to make the effort. Churches that don't speak to the most important issues of our day will become irrelevant. Frustratingly, church will even be peripheral to the lives of the people who are afraid of acting forcefully.
Taking the risk to speak up for justice could be the action that saves the church. Whether or not it saves the church, God's justice demands us to speak up.
Growing the strength of your leaders and members to take risks for righteousness is a community organizing exercise. It is primarily internal work for members, although you might invite some outsiders to be part. The tasks are the same as the basics for community organizing: one-on-ones and small groups, before you do any thing else. Churches need a significant formation component as well.
Gather a group of supporters to strategize: Don't try to change the congregation alone. Pastor's need the support of lay leaders, hopefully some in decision making roles, and activist members need the support of the pastor. Make a team whose primary role is to be wise in this work. This team should include people who are good at hearing what others in the congregation are saying.
One-on-ones: People from the strategy team then have meetings, one at a time, with members of the church. Gather in your congregation, at coffee shops, over a meal, or on the phone, taking the opportunity to hear what their thoughts. This is not sharing your plan, but encouraging their input. As you engage you will also start to see where there will be stumbling blocks. Listen also for people's strengths and passions.
Small Groups: Set up meetings of three to five families in homes and in the church to discuss what role your congregation might play in your neighborhood. Unlike a one-on-one, in these small group discussions people are affected by each other's viewpoints -- so plan carefully who is invited to each conversation. If you can have at least one person in each group who wants to be doing more for the resistance, you'll make more progress.
Formation: Formation is education that "forms" us as Christians. It is spiritual exercises, bible study, book groups, retreats, and more. It is where we make the point that we are not standing up for a particular political viewpoint, but for God's message of radical love, radical welcome, radical forgiveness. It is more a place to discuss than a lesson to be learned. Members should be helped to develop their own theology of justice. Formation happens concurrently with any other actions you are taking.
About preaching: Whether, or rather how, to preach on resistance is a complicated question. I would argue the Gospel demands it. But for the words in the pulpit to lead to transformation, you must pair it with formation. For you to know the hidden dangers, you will need one-on-ones. I've written longer posts on how to use preaching effectively. For certain consider this: if you go too far the "on the fence" people, with regard to resistance actions, will fall off the fence into the safety of hiding inside. To help a congregation take risks, your risky sermons must be prepared for so that the listeners are able to hear.
Talk to the nay sayers early and often: While the strategy group is made up of supporters, do not avoid conversations with those who are opposed to action. You do not need to stop because they object, but it is important to hear what their objections are, to affirm what you agree with, to be respectful of how they feel. Do not try to convince nay sayers, but do share why you feel called to act.
Getting to a new way of acting as church, a new way of being church, will take significant time. Get started now. I am available as a consultant for churches that want advice specific to your context.
How did you church get to the path of being part of the resistance? I'd love to share stories of what it takes to get started. Reply to this email to let tell your story, or to arrange time to talk about it.
The Act! Be Church Now newsletter on preaching is here, suggesting a balance between sitting with God and rising up to action. It is from a couple months ago.
Berklee School of music offers twelve songs that have become anthems of change for our culture.
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