Apparently, the Annual Meeting was a success. The attendance was among the highest, if not the highest, of the ten annual meetings I’ve presided over at Christ Church. I also had numerous folks reach out to me afterwards, to tell me what a good meeting they thought it was, which is also unusual – at least the number of positive comments was. Maybe it was because Ed Turner showed off his standup comedy skills during the Junior Warden report, but there was a lighthearted, celebratory nature to our meeting. Even though the “numbers” we often associate with parish success weren’t there. We reported less income from the previous year, by a noticeable amount (although we managed costs to a small net deficit), and we were still noting the smaller attendance figures at our worship services.
So, what are we to make of that? Can a church be “successful” when it’s gotten smaller? Clearly, the answer is yes. Maybe the answer lies in another question, which is more appropriately asked, but also more difficult to answer: has the church gotten more faithful? Because successful and faithful are not the same thing. They are not mutually exclusive, either. Recent lectionary readings reminded us that God’s measuring sticks aren’t the same as human ones. The calculus of our relationship to God is not transactional, but transformational. I think our celebration is born of a sense of faithfulness to the movement of the Spirit among us. Striving to be faithful is always the healthiest recipe for success, no matter who’s doing the measuring. And yes, sometimes the two don’t match up in the short term.
Does that mean we weren’t faithful a few years ago? What does faithful even mean? It’s fair to say we’ve been consistently faithful throughout our history. The specifics of what constitutes faithful may change a bit over time, and depending on the context of a given era, but we have always striven to preach the gospel and make disciples. Arriving back at a place of “normalcy” in the second half of 2022 was a great reminder to many of us of the cost of the season we had come through. We realized in powerful ways the value of our common life when we couldn’t gather, couldn’t receive the sacraments, and couldn’t be community, in the way that feeds us on such a deep level. We have rediscovered the joy of the gospel and our faithful response to it. As we’ve come back together, we have come back with a lot of energy. We have attracted others, as well. We continue to meet people who are happy to have found their way to Christ Church and are exploring joining this little band of Christians. What is faithful? Faithful is showing up, listening to what God might be saying, and then responding as best we can.
Let me use our Episcopal Church Women (ECW) as a case in point. There was great concern that the Tour of Homes might never come back after it was cancelled three years in a row. Where would we find the volunteers and the will to undertake such a large and complex event after getting out of our rhythm? I don’t know that the board talked about it, but I know that there was talk among some in the parish about whether we even wanted to have another Tour of Homes. Out of the uncertainty and scarcity of those years, however, the Tour is roaring back with new energy and new ideas. There is a lot of interest in this year’s Tour. No one knows yet if the Tour will be a success in the traditional ways of measuring it, but from where I sit, it’s a success already. The excitement that is circling around this Tour is something to celebrate!
What I’m noticing going on parish-wide is similar. There are more ministry ideas rising to the surface, and more people willing to take them on than I have ever seen. There may be a great sorting and upheaval in the Christian Church as a result of the pandemic, but there is also the spark of something holy and faithful in the uncertainty of these days. It’s like the wave that takes you down and turns you all around as it crashes onto the shore. It’s a rough ride, but then we’re ready and excited to get back out there and look for another swell to ride. Many churches are struggling with making sense of regulars who haven’t come back, but also seeing a wave of new faces eager to engage and grow in their faith. God certainly works in mysterious ways! I am not about to suggest that Church participation is going to come roaring back and prove all the predictions wrong, but God is at work in the changes within the institutional Church. Which shouldn’t be surprising!
God is also at work at Christ Church. There is no mistaking it. I think that’s what was on display Sunday evening. The fellowship of the chili cookoff; the learning and celebrating done during the meeting; the joy of singing together and cheering on our young people; all of it is rooted in the Spirit’s nudging, leading, and blowing. I don’t know where it will take us, but I’m excited to tag along for the ride. I’m not entirely sure that anyone knows what post-2020 church success looks like yet, but I think we’ve remembered how to be faithful. If that’s all we achieve, it will be more than enough, and I’m sure that God will continue to celebrate with us.
Tom+
Almighty and everliving God, ruler of all things in heaven and earth, hear our prayers for this parish family. Strengthen the faithful, arouse the careless, and restore the penitent. Grant us all things necessary for our common life, and bring us all to be of one heart and mind within your holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.