CHAPTER 2

Pastor: Connie, open our meeting with prayer, please.

Connie: Lord, we meet in Jesus' name. We believe you're present with us. You know we're concerned about our church, and we ask you to help us to know your will and be obedient to it. You know I struggle with a lot of things going on around here. So help us all to understand what this all means. Amen

Pastor: Thanks, Connie. I appreciate the word, struggle, that you used. It probably describes where a lot of us seem to be these days. All week long I've had Yvonne's comment rattling around in my head.

Yvonne: Did I say something wrong? What?

Pastor: Well, you didn't say anything wrong, Yvonne. But what you did say was a heads-up to me about the way we've been taught to think about the church.

Yvonne: So what did I say?

Pastor: You don't remember? I can't forget it. You said something like, 'All I want to know is who stole my church. I'd like it back'.

Ernie: I remember what Yvonne said. I told Gretchen about it, and she said she felt the same way.

Pastor: Well, I suppose a lot of us could say the same thing. Maybe we all have the feeling that our church, at least the version of the church we like the most, has been hijacked.

EVERYONE SPEAKING AT ONCE------ Varying opinions about whether the word steal was appropriate.

Stan: (in a loud enough voice to bring everyone back together) If the people who stole the church-----Yvonne's word, not mine---are younger or newer people, then let 'em steal it. It's going to be theirs in a few years anyway. I vote we give it to them and go off and start our own.

SEVERAL PEOPLE GROAN

Arlene: Stan, get a life!

Pastor: Here's my problem. Yvonne said, 'someone stole my church'----or words to that effect. Some have told us how Yvonne's comment has affected them, and we pretty much know how Arlene feels. So let me tell you what Yvonne's comment meant to me. And the best way is to tell you a little story.

EVERYONE REPOSITION THEIR CHAIRS SO THAT THEY ARE FACING THE PASTOR

Pastor: When I went to seminary almost forty-five years ago, the church in America was in tough shape. At least that was the impression of seminary students in my generation. There were books being published----every week it seemed----that foretold the demise of preaching, spoke of the irrelevance of the church, and even predicted that Christianity was on its way out. Many of us had graduated from colleges where we'd been involved in parachurch ministries-----

John: Para-what? Never heard that term before.

Ernie: Oh, come on, John. We talk about parachurch organizations in the missions committee meetings all the time. Everyone knows what a parachurch organization is?

Ted: I'm not sure what it is.

Stan: Me either.

Pastor: Parachurch ministries are organizations like Campus Crusade for Christ and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. Youth for Christ is another parachurch ministry. The word describes an organization that is not a church but essentially does one particular Christian thing, such as evangelism or working with the homeless or counseling pregnant teenagers. Take Young Life as an example. It works with high school students and basically does one thing: points teenagers toward Jesus. A church, on the other hand, is a community of diverse people doing all kinds of things, such as worship, discipleship, pastoral care, children's work. It's supposed to serve people all the way from birth to death. Make sense?

John: That makes sense to me now.

Pastor: Standing in front of the students: So a lot of us when we came to seminary were used to the parachurch organizations. Everything was about action--- making things happen. There was a lot of vision, innovation, and strong fellowship. But when we left college and reentered the world of the local church we found things to be rather dull and uninspiring. In most places churches didn't seem to be doing much except holding everybody's hand. (SIT)

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STUDENTS

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Pastor: Standing in front of the students: Would each of you take out your Bibles, please and turn to Acts 20, verse 28.

Pastor (again) This is where Paul was saying what he thought might be his final good-byes to the leaders of the Ephesian church. Ernie, would you read this for us?

Ernie: Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.

Pastor: That was the verse the professor wanted me to read. When I'd read it that day, he said 'Think you could read it again? And I did. So Ernie, how about reading it again?

Ernie: Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.

Pastor: After I'd read the verse twice, the professor asked me, 'What are you hearing the text say?' And I'm going to ask you guys the same question: What are you hearing the verse say? (SIT)

AWKWARD SILENCE

Connie: I think Paul wanted the leaders to take special care of themselves and the people of the church

Pastor: Good! The professor would have liked your answer. That's pretty much what I said to him. Now talk about what term Paul used when he spoke of leaders.

Mary Ann: He called them shepherds.

Pastor: And what do you know about shepherds?

Mary Ann: That they're responsible for the protection and the health of the sheep????? (make it sound more like a question than a statement)

Pastor: And who are the sheep in this text?

John: The church .....in Ephesus.

Pastor: So about that church in Ephesus. Whose church is it?

MOMENT FOR EVERYONE TO LOOK BACK AT THEIR BIBLES

Clayton: God's church.

Pastor: Why did you say it's God's church, Clayton?

Clayton: Because he bought it.

Pastor: Bought it? For how much?

Lillian: (with some impatience in her voice) With his blood....Jesus' blood actually.

Pastor: Standing in front of the students: Again, that's exactly what I told the professor. He asked me the same questions I'm asking you. And I was just as uncomfortable answering them as I think some of you are right now. Want to know what he asked next? (SIT)

SEVERAL RESPOND-------------SURE!

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STUDENTS

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Silence while everyone recalls how many times they too had spoken harshly of the church----our church in particular.

Clayton: You know, you're reminding us of something we've all known. Of course it's God's church just as the man said. But it's something that's easy to forget. I mean, you put a lot of work into a church...you give money...you're there every time the doors are opened, and the next thing you know, you're thinking the church is more yours than God's. Any of you feel like that?

Several Nod in agreement

Arlene: Clayton's right. Fact is, we've all been taught that Jesus gave his blood for each of us....me...you. But you almost never hear anyone say that Jesus gave his blood for the church.

Ted: So what's the bottom line here? That no one is ever supposed to criticize the church?

Pastor: No. In its physical or visible expression, the church is full of human beings----we are a good example----who make lots of misjudgments. If we don't have some system of checks and balances that comes through frank conversation, even criticism, then we're going to be in trouble. But I do think the point is this: we probably need to make real sure that when we do criticize our leaders or a ministry or even the church itself and where it's going, we do it with great respect and only with the intention that the church be everything God wants it to be.

Clayton: To be truthful with you, there are a lot of times when I just don't feel safe among most Christians, especially in this church.

Pastor: What are you saying, Clayton?

Clayton: I'm just saying that you never know when someone has a long memory and has been holding a grudge. Or they're ready to fight you to the death on a political or doctrinal issue. There are a lot of things I never talk about around here.

Winn: I can tell you that it was a long time before I felt safe in this church. Matter of fact, when I first came, I wouldn't have lasted very long here if Shirley hadn't made it abundantly clear that if I didn't attend church with her that would be the end of our dating.

Evelyn: Shirley always was a strange kind of evangelist, and look what it got her----Winn!

Winn: You all know I go to some of these megachurch conferences because I need to get pumped up with vision. I don't get that around here. I'd lose heart if I didn't get out to some other places. you should see how they welcome strangers like me and make you feel like a million. You know, last month when I went to that evangelism seminar, there was a young woman out in the parking lot with a yellow sticky pad. As I parked my rental car, she came up and handed me a sticky-note with the location of where I'd parked. She said, 'Sir, keep this handy in case you forget where you parked after the session.' She'd written MM-14 on it. Now that's how to make people feel a part of things!

Clayton: Being in real estate, I meet people all the time who are moving into our city. They want to know about schools, shopping malls, libraries, the whole nine yards. I always want to tell them about my church, but, you know, I usually don't. And I guess it's because, even though I love my church----I really love all of you----sometimes I'm embarrassed about it. I just fear they're going to be disappointed if they come. Are they going to see real Christianity here? Or are we just a bunch of people running a Bible club, more worried about what's in it for us than for someone looking for something better than what they've got?

Lillian: I've had the same feeling.

Yvonne: Let me tell you what God is speaking to my heart right now. A while ago the pastor told us about a moment in his life when he was forced to face his lack of love for the church. I have no doubt that he loves it today. But I'm not sure that I have loved the church in the right way. I'm not sure any of us do. And in a sense we've proved that by dredging up all the stories we've been telling about the past. Not one of us has told a story about the times when we've been enriched by this church. Last week I said, 'Somebody stole my church. I want it back.' And I was wrong. It isn't my church. As Pastor said, it's God's. He owns it, and I never thought of that before. I should have known better. Now, our church is changing, and I can see that. But maybe God is doing the changing. If anyone's stealing the church, it's him. He's stealing it back because we haven't been doing a real good job with it. So I think we need to keep on talking together and asking if God isn't dealing with us at heart levels we've forgotten about. Winn, I've heard you tell that story of the girl with the sticky pad two or three times. But tonight I really heard what you were saying for the first time. It would never have occurred to me that I should do that. Who knows? Maybe Jesus would be the one doing the sticky pads if he were in our church. Anyway, I'm going to pray that God will take 'my church' back and make it his. Now, that doesn't mean I don't have a lot of questions. And it's very hard---very hard for me to see some things I've loved so much disappearing. But, Pastor, if you want to keep these meetings going, I'll probably push you hard on some of the things that are going on around here. I'll try to understand, but you need to know that it's hard for an old girl like me..

Evelyn: Thank you, Yvonne, for your candor.

Stan: We need to hear that.

Winn: I promise I'll be a little more careful with my words at the next meeting.

Pastor: Let's end with prayer. "Lord, when this meeting began this evening, Connie prayed that she struggles with a lot of things going on around here. She also prayed for you to help all of us to understand what this all means. I have a feeling we've taken a first step in the direction of receiving an answer to that prayer. Thank you for being with us this evening, Heavenly Father. Amen

Arlene: Alright, we are all committed to meeting next week, right?

Russ: I'll bring apple and cherry pies from my restaurant if someone else would make coffee.

Arlene: I can take care of that