Tim's Back To Church Sunday message
What is church and why do we go to church ?
When I was growing up, it was culturally expected your
family went to church. On Monday, you did not want to hear “We missed you in
church yesterday”.
In our little town of 5,000 souls in Quebec we had Anglican,
Presbyterian, United churches. Baptists met in a hall, rejecting the pomp and
circumstance and trappings of the “established” denominations.
At the other end of the spectrum, were the Roman Catholics.
If you were English, and Roman Catholic you went to a French Roman Catholic
church. No problem, the services were in Latin.
We each had separate communities. When I met a new friend at
school and told my father about him, my father said “oh, the Hawker boy eh?
They are Baptists”. I didn’t know what he meant. Later, while attending a Baptist
church our pastor preached about Jesus’ first miracle where he turned the water
into grape juice. (done in humour).
Here is a story of cultural differences among churches.
There were three Canadian Anglican ministers doing mission
work among the homeless in New York city. There was an altercation where their
money was stolen, and a bottle of Bourbon was smashed drenching their robes.
They went to Evensong at the local Episcopalian church. After the service the
Episcopalian minister talking to the servers asked about the three visiting
ministers. One said “Well, they looked Anglican”. The other piped up “But they
gave like Presbyterians”. And then the third said “But, they smelled like
Catholics”.
Today, the “established” churches have gone the way of film
photography, or music recorded on LP’s or tape.
Today, if you use a film camera, you are quaint and old
fashioned.
Likewise, if you go to church you are also considered quaint,
old fashioned and mis-guided. Going to church is no longer culturally
acceptable.
What does church mean in the “post Kodachrome world”?
In this century, church is a source of community, and
opportunity for moral guidance to deal with issues of broken relationships,
addictions, strife, fear, confusion. Church is a place to learn and experience
the fruits of the spirit, joy, peace,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Perhaps today, the desire for church is more internal, more
truth based, and inclusive and all-welcoming. The barriers of denominations are
dissolving.
In our church in Port Alberni, Anglicans and Lutherans pray and work together
in a single church.
We had a funeral last month at Trinity Anglican/Lutheran
church. The deceased was a parishioner who was born in Germany, and who bore 3
children in Germany between 1938 and 1945. In her eulogy, we were reminded of
her time hiding in bomb shelters with her infant children.
After the service, I was talking to another of our parishioners
who attended the funeral. He said he
related to her story, for at the same time he was hiding in bomb shelters in
England.
Today, Anglicans and Lutherans pray together.
So what is church in the “post Kodachrome” era?
It is authentic, it is inclusive. The true message of Jesus
that “ALL OF US ARE CHILDREN OF GOD AND RECEIVE GOD’S GRACE” is evident and
practiced.
We may revere and remember each of our historical roots, but
they will not be impediments to receiving the Good News.
[ I then played a two minute video from the “Back to Church”
US national website which claimed
“Our church welcomes Pentecostal, Baptist, Catholic,
Lutheran, Anglican, Presbyterian, Church of God, Mennonite, etc. etc. etc.” ]
