PARISH

Parish.

Though the length of stay for many preachers is trending longer, still the average pastor only stays at a church for 3 to 4 years. Most of these pastors have a membership mentality. They are hired by or appointed to a church and all of their focus is on caring for the members of that church. Baptisms, weddings, funerals, visiting the sick, preaching, and programs all tend to be member-centric. The new minister spends a year getting to know his or her congregation, then spends a year trying to lead them and hopefully grow the number of members, and then he or she spends a year saying goodby.

It is not a good model for success. Because of ministers having a membership mentality, they have very little interaction with the larger community outside of the church. They tend to spend all their time with people who look alike, think alike, vote alike and fight alike. The people and the needs of the community are often overlooked.

John Wesley once said "the world is my parish." Many Methodist think that his words were a call to world evangelism. Actually, it is because the Anglican priests in his day were complaining that Wesley was preaching in their parishes. 

Anglicans and Catholics (and some others) have a parish mentality. Their reach goes beyond the members of the church into the community in which the church exists. But, at that time, Wesley had fallen out of favor with the Church of England and did not have a parish assigned to him. So, he went to the mines and factories of England and preached to the common people who were not welcome in the stuffy churches in England. He told people that were not a part of the church that God loved them, that they matter, and that they were loved. And the people responded. Ultimately, the Wesleyan movement became the Methodist Church. 

While Wesley would have encouraged world missions, his "the world is my parish" statement reflected his belief that wherever he was - in the church or outside the church - that place was his place of ministry. He did preach in churches, but he also preached in cemeteries, in bars, in homes, and in the foundries. He did not minister just to those who were like him, but he ministered to people of various cultures, socioeconomic groups, education levels, races, ages, and other groups.

Our ministers and churches would do well to develop a parish mentality. By doing so, the people who live within the shadows of the steeple become the focus of ministry - the homeless person in the alley, the elderly couple across the street, the family around the corner, the widow and the widower, the people of other races that cause us to lock our doors rather than opening the doors to them, the people who might vote differently, the sick, the lonely, and others. 

People gain energy when hospitality is offered to them. As the church lives out its message of love and hope within the neighborhood, then lives are changed as new relationships are formed.

Parish. The Wright Word for Today.

ECUMENICAL

Ecumenical. 

In our anti-institutional culture, it is common to promote a church as "anything but." Some churches go to great lengths to downplay or disassociate themselves with denominations like Baptist, Methodist, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Catholic and others. Terms like nondenominational, independent and even community suggest a pulling away from traditional institutional organizations. 

Yet, independence comes with a cost. Many churches are small and do not have resources to make a dramatic difference in the community. Larger churches have larger expenses, and while they can have greater impact, there is only so far that they can go without being connected to a larger organization. Members often become frustrated with their church when leaders and other members do not find the same calling of God to meet a need within the community. 

Unfortunately, both the denominational and the non-denominational church are limited in the impact they can have on the world beyond the walls of the church. Salaries, utilities, and the various worship and educational programs often leave little for service. Emphasis is put on style of worship, doctrine, membership connections, and on matters that make one church unique from another. Each church worships in its own way and believes in its own way. But, all people are called of God to do something to make a difference in their community and the world. 

Yet, churches continue to try to make noble efforts with scarcity of resources. 

A better way is for church members to join hands and lock arms with members of other churches when addressing needs in the community. One Methodist, one Baptist, one member of an independent church, and one from any of the countless congregations can work together. Together, they form a critical mass. Together, they can accomplish far more when they bring their gifts and graces to a person, to a family, or to a situation in the community or world. Regardless of denomination, we are all called to respond to the cries of the lonely, vulnerable, and hurting. Working together makes a difference beyond what we can do separately. In Southeast Georgia, we do this through FaithWorks. Families are assisted with financial help and food; recidivism is reduced as formerly incarcerated get jobs; people who are homeless are treated with respect and dignity while opportunities for employment, healthcare, and safety are provided; elderly or the sick persons are encouraged to continue the good fight; and people who live in the margins of our society are embraced and valued as God's children. 

While non-denominational or independent suggests a pulling away, the term ecumenical suggests a coming together to attack a common concern. Joining forces on the streets that work for justice, equality, and peace can change the world. Six days a week we can work together and one day a week we can worship with others who believe the way we believe and worship in ways we feel comfortable. 

Many decry the fracturedness of the church in the world. But a commitment to working together can prove to the world that we are actually on the same team. 

Ecumenical. The Wright Word for today.

ORDER

Order.

For the past several decades, we have been pulling apart at the seams as we choose camps on various social and political issues. A host of ideologies vie for our attention and when we decide that we support one, we separate ourselves from those who are in other camps.

It is nothing new. The Jews in Jesus' day had Sadducees, Essenes, Zealots and Publicans. In the early days of our country, the various colonies and then states formed due to different religious or philosophical beliefs. We fought a Civil War over the issues of slavery and states rights.

Today, we argue about civil rights, women's rights, children's rights, birth control, abortion, the environment, homosexuality, and the definition of marriage. We divide along denominational lines, style of worship, the existence of heaven and hell, and whether or not we should paint the social hall. We choose to be Democrat, Republican, Independent, Tea Party, or disinterested. We choose to own guns, to control guns, or to ban guns. We choose to be liberal, conservative, evangelical. We have become a nation of letters: CNN, FOX, MSNBC, CBS, ABC, NBC, and CSPAN - each defining who we are or who we are not.

Do we send in troops? Do we build walls and fences to keep others out? Is our barbecue

vinegar, mustard, or tomato based?

We have pulled and pulled ourselves apart and we find ourselves out on the edges so that we can't possibly see the point of view of others and we get angry whenever anyone disagrees with us or tries to convince us that we should change our minds and hearts.

We live on the fringes and it is pretty tattered out there. We have moved so far to the extremes that we live with gridlock, isolation, sequestering, lack of communication, failure to act, and fear. The result is a world full of chaos.

Is there any hope for us? There is always hope. The very first act of God was to bring order out of chaos. Later, the children of Israel were living in chaos when God gave the Ten Commandments to bring order. God asks us to offer hospitality to the stranger, to set aside food for the hungry, to care for those who are most vulnerable, and to rest on the Sabbath inorder to reflect upon the goodness of the previous six days. All of this brings order.

The cure for our mess is that we are to love God and to love our neighbor. We might not change our minds about things that are important to us, but when we follow that simple request to love God and neighbor, then our ideologies cease to be our idolatries. With God, we will be able to weave a new tapestry out of our tattered threads.

Order. The Wright Word for today.