One’s resistance against the principalities and powers must be diligent! I disappointed myself and, I am afraid, others on Sunday morning.
We have been having very joyful Sunday mornings for about a month or so. They have been awesome, and we have left encouraged. This last Sunday was not the same. There weren’t nearly as many of us. So many people were away. The weather was rainy and dismal. I was asked by the worship leader if I would play electric guitar since the regular player was absent. I said sure. I usually don’t play in the band because I want to be attentive to what’s going on.
Almost as soon as worship started I could tell the mood in the room was not a happy one. It was obvious to me that there were many people who were very down and discouraged. But I was so involved with the music, playing the guitar, that that intuition fell back in line, giving way to my present priority of trying to play an instrument half decently.
Then after I taught and closed things up and we went home, I realized then what had happened. It was a tough morning. I would have been more aware of it almost immediately and stopped everything to address the actual condition of the people there. But no… the machine ground on. Even though some think we are free of liturgy, that is completely untrue. We have our own kind: we start with worship for about half an hour, then announcements, the a short break, then teaching time, then ministry time for prayer, etc.. And that’s exactly what we did last Sunday morning. The machine kept dutifully and faithfully turning to the neglect of the actual flesh and blood people sitting there in their sorrows. So like an institution, an organization, and its cronies, to be so consistent in its neglect of people.
I was distracted. I have to remember that even though one can be aware of the principalities and powers and their relentless insistence on neglecting, abusing and destroying people, it doesn’t mean that once you understand this they go away. One must be continuously and incessantly on guard. That’s if you want to love people and care for them. Which I failed in last Sunday.
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‘One must be continuously and incessantly on guard.’
That doesn’t sound very healthy to me.
less healthy not to.
There is so much excellence in this post.
That you noticed this alone – even afterwards – sets you apart from every church I know.
I love the fact that you think this is a big deal. It is.
I agree with you Trupedo Glastic…recognizing a mistake, admitting it, and amending it, which I’m sure will come, is powerful. And it certainly sets David apart. My only hope is that the congregants realize just how blessed they are.
You are a true pastor. And that is incredibly rare and priceless in the Church today, unfortunately. The sheep are safe with you.
It’s not just David’s thing. A room full of folks let each other down. I mean, they are the body, members of one another. It can’t be all about David and a bunch of baby birds with their mouths open.
This is why I love ya Dave. Even tho I have never met ya. Thanks for this. What a reminder.
What Mark VH said.
David, I appreciate the pastoral concern that you dedicate to your congregation (and the internet congregation that gathers here, at nakedpastor).
Your pursuit to provide an environment where we can safely question ‘main-stream’ christianity, and live out a Christ centred life, does not necessarily mean that you alone are responsible for the spiritual environment. Your on-location congregants, as well as your on-line followers should be standing on guard with you.
Together, as a body, we are to share each others concerns and struggle, including praying/sending out positive vibes for you, your church and your on-line community.
I may not always agree with you, or your commenters, but I value everyone’s contribution to the discussion.
Oh my gosh, David. Are you not a human being?
I couldn’t possibly belong to a congregation that was so heavily reliant upon the minister for it’s well being. What kind of whimpy congregation is that?
It’s great that you care. But it’s not all on your shoulders, is it?
I feel alone in my dislike for electric guitar music as a part of worship. It would take a lot for anyone to convince me that electric guitars and drums do anything to enhance the experience. I’m sure you did a fine job of it last Sunday…….but basically I think people ask for and receive the tinsel they deserve.
(pssst….and I’m a child of the 60s who loves rock ‘n roll…..)
arulba: oh i am a human being. no one there would’ve thought anything of it. i’m sure no one left blaming me for anything. i’m talking about my own lack of awareness.
Thanks for sharing this, David. I think I know these situations an my guess is that in 19 out of 20 cases, the machine guy in me is stronger. But the twentieth case is worth fighting for: The moment, when I (or anybody else) have the awareness and courage (if not to say obedience) to address the “elephant in the room”. What beautiful sense of belonging that creates!
David – I’m curious what you would have done differently? I know we can’t go back, and I’m not asking you to relive it, but for the constructive conversation going forward.
I’ve felt the same way at times, as one of the pastors of a local church, when it’s obvious there’s something going on – in the realm of “principalities and powers” – what should I do? I’ve not even had the electric guitar distraction to point to – in the past, I’ve recognized it and just done nothing … frustrating and deflating to see the “machine” roll on. Would love to hear some thoughts on a better way.
Oh, I’ve had experiences like that…
Wayne Cox: To answer your question… the last thing I’d want to do is fall into another program, like, “Okay, this is what we do when…” I think it is okay and natural to follow some sort of liturgical process… except when it interferes with the actual people who are there. So, if I could do it again, this last Sunday I would’ve stopped and pointed out the obvious. I’ve done this before. I would’ve perhaps asked, “What do you want to do? What shall we do right now? Does anyone have a suggestion we could agree on?” Maybe we would’ve broken up into smaller groups and just related on a smaller safer level… I really don’t know. Somehow, we could have provided a way for people’s needs to be met.
As long as you are preaching God’s law and handing over His forgiveness of sins in proclaimed Word (and the real presence of Christ in the Supper), then you are not neglecting anyone.
If those things aren’t being said and done, then you are neglecting everyone.
steve: none of us are lutherans.
You don’t have to be a Lutheran to proclaim the law and the gospel.
The proper understanding of the sacraments would be nice, but proclaiming the law and the gospel is a good start in giving people what they really need.
The machine wasn’t big enough, apparently.
I actually think that the liturgical machine should role on. You said that you “could tell that the mood was not a happy one” and that it was obvious to you that people were down and discouraged. How could you tell? How was it obvious? Maybe something you said or did moved them to a deeper place than ‘happy.’ Maybe the Spirit was working through the liturgy (with you on the electric guitar) to move people in profound ways that only had the appearance of sadness and despair. I can’t tell you how many times when preaching that I’ve struggled for the words and the connections, and essentially thought I’d blown it, when someone (often more than one) will later tell me how much they appreciated that sermon and how it felt like I was speaking directly to them and their situation. The whole point of doing liturgy – any liturgy – is that ritual and symbol and song take us places that words just can’t. Don’t bail on the liturgy. It doesn’t have to be ‘happy’ all the time.
Brian said, on November 18th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
It doesn’t have to be ‘happy’ all the time.
—————Great words of wisdom, Brian.
fishon
David said:
I disappointed myself and, I am afraid, others on Sunday morning…Which I failed in last Sunday.
————-Interesting, for a guy who distains goals, vision, and expectations.
To disappoint means that you have to have a goal and expectations.
“…I failed in last Sunday,” indicates you had a goal and vision for Sunday.
fishon
David – I agree with your comment about following a “liturgy” but not at the expense of the people present. You talked about meeting people’s needs and breaking down into smaller groups – I like this! It resonates with me to address these (hopefully) rare times in a relational way.
This seems so hard to actually do. The pressures I see are 3: the commitment to the worship flow/process/liturgy that we (generally) trust will create space for God to encounter everyone; the “pressure” of the stage and the show and the machine …; and the fear (for me) of misappropriating what I’m sensing – discernment is a tricky deal for me.
Thx for the post -
Why does the idea of breaking down into groups during a worship service make me feel uncomfortable? I read that and I physically became uncomfortable.
It’s especially strange because I used to get paid for being a small group leader before we left the church.
But one of the things I really did like about the Unitarian Universalist church we belonged to for a while is that you have all kinds of disparate groups within one church. You have the Buddhist UUs, the Pagan UUs, the Hindu UUs, the tribal Jewish UUs, the Christian UUs, the atheistic humanist UUs. Each is a completely separate group with activities that are separate from the whole. The Christian UUs have a separate Christian worship. The Buddhists got together every Wednesday for meditation. The tribal Jews were doing some sort of funky thing that was related to Native American Spirituality. But every Sunday, all these disparate groups came together as a whole for a community service. Granted, it was a kind of washed out service since it was geared toward everyone. But everyone came. And it could be volatile. Extremely volatile sometimes. But everyone came together as a whole for those services. They didn’t split up.
Clarification – I was not a small group leader at the UU Church. Those groups occurred spontaneously. I was a small group leader at a United Methodist Church. Not near as cool!!