Contrast

This morning I am thinking about two very small congregations and what a study in contrast they are. I recently met with both groups on the same day and am struck by their similarities and their differences. In an attempt to preserve some level of objectivity for you, the reader, I will refer to them as Congregation A and Congregation B, or simply as A and B.

First, lets look at some similarities. On the day in question, A had 6 people present, and B had 5 in attendance, not counting Joan and me. Two women and four men were present at A, while three women and two men participated in B. I estimate the average age at A to be 51, while B was about 31. The difference is significant but probably not hugely so. Both gatherings included a blend of new converts and 2nd or 3rd generation members. In both cases, some of the people who attended travelled from another community more than 40 kms. distant to be there. In both cases, it is the converts who travelled. Both congregations have very little income at this point.

Now for a look at some differences. Congregation A has a building, while Congregation B does not. For A, the building has become very much a part of their identity. Members of A regard the building as an important asset they can regretfully no longer afford. The selling of the building and the end of the congregation’s life appear to be both synonymous and inevitable. In contrast, B has no such identification with a physical location, and the lack of one is not an issue. They have never had a building and never wanted one. A building is not seen as either an asset or a liability. They never talk about it and probably never even think about it.

For A, the lack of congregational income is pivotal. It means the building must be sold, and without that asset there appears to be nothing to hold the group together. The leaders of B know they do not have much money, but it is not crucial. It just means there is a need to increase generosity as soon as they can.

During A’s congregational meeting, no ideas were put forward about things the congregation could still do or ways those present could work together to reach out to the larger community. The time for such ideas has passed, and the tone of the meeting was somber. Congregation B, on the other hand, is all about ideas. “Lets go to the mall on Mother’s Day and hand out helium filled balloons with a big smile and our logo on them! We can invite people to meet at the food court for fellowship after. Why not go to the park and do a bar-b-que and give away hot-dogs? Lets do a video survey of people on the street and ask what Spirituality means to them!” There is no shortage of ideas, and the enthusiasm for those ideas is creating wonderful, empowering community. The tone of this meeting was hopeful and enthusiastic.

Two small congregations with much in common, including valuing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Two small congregations, but what an interesting study in contrast!

Posted by Carman

Barns

As a former farm kid, I have always had an abiding interest in barns. For the benefit of our city-raised readers, perhaps I should offer a brief explanation. I have warm and deep childhood memories of working with my dad and sisters in the barn. I can still hear the rustle of straw being spread as bedding for the cows and see the animals doing all the things animals do. I knew every cow by name and every cat, pig and chicken by personality. I knew every crevice of the hay mow, and every passage in the stable. The barn was a warm, safe, and magical part of my childhood world.

This morning I went for a walk in the country to breathe in some much needed fresh air and sunshine. As I did so, I passed several barns (about seven), and realized again how much farming has changed since my childhood, and how it is changing still. Without going into a lot of detail about those changes, the impact that struck me is that most of the barns I passed on my walk now stand empty.

A barn that is not used will not stand for long, and I noticed several in varying stages of disrepair. First the roof begins to sag, then a wall starts to bulge. One night a wind storm tears a section of the roof sheeting off, and within a few years the barn collapses. Indeed, one of the barns I passed on my walk that was in a deteriorating state only a couple of years ago is now completely gone except for its stone foundation.

But to focus only on the empty barns is to look for a way of life that is no longer there; a form of farming that no longer exists. It is true that farming has changed, is changing, and will change even more in the future. Yet it is worth noting that every house I passed is still lived in and every field I walked by is still producing crops. The snow covered soil that appears dormant now will shortly be alive and brimming with life and energy. Farmers, some of whom no longer even have barns, will soon be tilling that land and planting corn, beans, or grain. Earthworms and insects will once again work their magic. Hay fields will soon turn green in a rush to respond to the warmth of sun and soil. It is too easy to focus only on empty barns as a symbol of death, but if one looks past them, one sees life!

As I walked, I couldn’t help but see the parallel to many of our church buildings, some of which are now also empty, with others nearly so. Just as the barns are to farming, these empty churches are symbols of the changing nature of our religious and spiritual life. Thinking of those empty sanctuaries, it is so easy to feel discouraged or saddened by loss. And yet, when we look past the empty buildings, do we not see fields of people who are alive and spiritually vital? Can we not see new generations of people who give expression to their relationship with God in a new way? Is God not, once again, doing another new thing?

I went to the country discouraged. I came back realizing that God’s Spirit is still active in the fields of life, still planting seeds, and still nurturing new crops of people, even if their spiritual expressions are different than mine. Is it time we looked at the world with new eyes?

Posted by Carman