AFRICAN WISDOM

We were blessed to have students from Africa University with us a week ago. Many of you hosted them in your homes.

Our Bishop, Mike Coyner, recently wrote about some of the exchanges he had with the students as he traveled with the choir. They were surprised, for example, that in North America we are closing churches while in Africa all they do is keep opening new congregations.

The Bishop remembers sitting down with a Bishop from Africa. Over coffee Bishop Coyner asked what advice the African bishop had for the American church so it could be growing, joyful and alive. This was the wisdom offered by the African Bishop:

1. Prayer -- he said "The American church is not a praying church. You say lots of prayers, but you don't pray deeply and listen to God. If you really want your church to be more alive, you need to pray for your church, your pastors, and your leaders."
2. Love -- he said, "You Americans love one another in your churches, but you don't extend love beyond your close group of friends in the church. In Africa, we love people into the church; we don't just love other church people."
3. Indigenous Worship -- he said, "In Africa the church only began to grow dramatically after we were freed from the colonial style of worship from France, Portugal, and Britain. We brought our drums into worship, and we learned to sing the Gospel in the languages of the people." He went on to advise, "Your pastors need to learn the culture of those outside your old churches and bring worship to them in words, music, and style that they understand."

Our Bishop adds, “Now, I know we can quickly say to our African friends that Elkhart, Muncie, Terre Haute, Bloomington, and Madison are not Africa. We can keep on doing church the way we know how to do church and hope to get different results. Or ... we can listen to the wisdom of Africa.”

In Christ and for Christ,

Mark

“BE BLESSED BY THIS…”

The way the song was introduced caught my attention. With six or seven hundred people I was in a hall at the Indianapolis Convention Center as the Africa University Choir sang, and before each song a member of the choir would tell us the title, the language the choir was using, and then they would say, “Be blessed by this song.”

That’s how it was this past Wednesday in the sanctuary. Students from different nations all over Africa took turns introducing the songs. And each one said, “Be blessed by this song.”

I was intrigued by that as a way of seeing everything we do as a community. “Be blessed by…Vacation Bible School…the food we’re sharing…the shelter we offer… Jubilee College Ministry…our small group…the room your recovery group uses each week…these minutes we share together in the hospital…by the parking we provide across the street…by the prayers we offer…by this worship gathering.”

Do you see your life, do you see today, as a way to bless others? I hope you do. I think the African students are reminding us that we are on a journey of blessing…others! And in that we’ll be blessed…discover joy.

Some of you know our Church Council worked really, really, really hard—and long--Monday night. Some of us were exhausted….

…and then God gave us Wednesday.

God blessed us with Wednesday… halls full of children and volunteers and music and laughter. Our Bishop visited with some lay leaders. Families and teachers and children gathered for a VBS carry-in, and then the Africa University filled the sanctuary with EXUBERANT joy!

Erin, the amazing woman who is our building manager, sent a note out the next morning that said (in part): “”Everywhere inside the church–and across the street—I witnessed amazing acts of team work. From VBS and young adults helping, to snack makers and leaders of games. There were women in the kitchen preparing for the VBS meal. The Staff was pitching in, getting snacks, prepping for our guests and the evening concert. All the different people involved in the life saving exercise on the old post office property. It was a beautiful Dance of Team Work in motion.”

We’ve still got work to do on finding new, healthier, more loving and effective ways of making decisions inside the organization of the church. Even in the middle of this birth, struggle for a new way of doing life together God is running on ahead…doing beautiful things in our midst…blessing us!

“Be blessed by this…” Who will you bless today? I’ve been blessed this week by God in so many ways my heart is dancing like an African choir!

In Christ and for Christ,

Mark

(ALWAYS) UNDER CONSTRUCTION

There was a time when I would drive down I-65 and I-75 puzzled by the frequent construction projects on the roadway. Traffic would slow, lanes would change, and we would wonder when the road was going to be “done.”  After years of this it finally dawned on me that highways are nearly always in the middle of some kind of repair work or construction. Upgrades are required, the deck of a bridge needs replacing and the cloverleaf that worked in 1978 is inadequate now. Highways are—somewhere—always under construction.

And so it is with those living, breathing, evolving communities we know as congregations.

We work hard, lay leaders and members and ministry teams and pastors, and we move forward. Shalom is begun, The Open Door is launched, Jubilee begins to reach college students and other young adults, worship schedule changes are made, leaders work through “Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations,” staff go off for continuing education…we change, we grow, God builds. The construction is never done.

We’re always, in a sense, on the way. Paul would say we are pressing on with our eyes looking out ahead.

This is true right now in very obvious ways at First UMC/The Open Door. The old post office building is about to come down, dirt and grass seed will be brought in, the pavement will be repaired and lined. Down the road we’ll make long-term decisions about what to do with the land so its use fits our God- given mission.

Soon we’ll be signing a contract and work on the courtyard project. This will include a labyrinth, peace garden, columbarium, and water feature (fountain).

We’re under construction in other ways. Like other large churches, we are often in the middle of staff changes; people are leaving and new people are coming. Darren Wright is moving down the road, a search committee is looking for a new director of youth and young adults, and Pastor Mary will be moving over to Nashville, Indiana.

Our staff is in the middle of a conversation about how we can develop a pastoral care plan that will utilize the gifts of caring lay people. The Church Council on Monday will hear me say I believe our congregation needs to enter into a two year visioning process called Fruitful Congregations. We need to be clear about who we are, whose we are, our particular setting, and our mission in this place.

Being under construction is exciting. And it is tiring. Change is good. Change is stressful.

As a driver you finally come to terms with the reality that the roads are almost always under construction. And that is true with the church. We are always on the way…making new discoveries, finding new paths, reinventing what once worked well, but isn’t so effective anymore.

Hebrews 3 points out that every house is built by someone. God, the Bible says, is the builder of everything. Jesus was faithful to God, Hebrews 3:6 says, and “We are his house if we hold on to the confidence and the pride that our hope gives us.”

See you in the construction zone!

In Christ and for Christ,

Mark