A view from the parish...

My friends who are pastors are rarely one-trick ponies (and I am sorry if I gave the impression that I thought they were), they spread themselves thin in calling on those in hospitals, attending committees, I mean commissions, I mean ministry teams inside and outside the 4 walls of the church, ministerial associations, coaching soccer teams, working with contractors and repairmen, fund raising, mowing the lawns, etc. while praying, counseling, preaching, serving, their "flock," if I can still use that word.

Since I started writing these last few blogs, I have been hearing from people who are in agreement with some of the ideas, many through emails and the comment box, but some also have been inviting me to lunch and meetings where some of the ideas have been happening (I had nothing to do with them). One pastor told me that his church began a service to the Southeast Asian community who surround the church, hired two commissioned lay leaders from the SE Asian community to lead it and that once a month the two bodies gather together for the Eucharist. Those from the SE Asian community are a part of committees of the church and bring a delightful voice to the direction of the church. The pastors, some ordained and some not, are teaching the elders how to listen to the voice of God and to the voice of those in the parish for the direction of the facility and program. The elders begin to use their disciplines that they are educated, and practice through their vocations, to facilitate the mission programs. Afterschool programs are not "evangelistic" but demonstrate the love of Jesus through tutoring, basketball in the parking lot, and other areas that give them access into the youth groups and children's program.

In some community, the church building is the place community activities take place. Soup kitchen and open pantries are a regular occurrence, AA meetings, Boy and Girl Scouts, MOPS, MADD, Young Republicans, etc use the facility and grounds for their organizations. (Just kidding about the young republicans.)

But let me ask a question, if someone was sitting in their kitchen, looking out their window at the cars and people driving in and leaving our parking lots, activities on the front lawn, etc., would they feel like they could be a part of the church. Is there something there that gives them access into the Kingdom of God. Do we plant ourselves into the life of the parish or do we continue to relocate to accommodate the housing market trends of our congregation?

And those of us who are attending and are not paid to be there, do we give our abilities to the place and people surrounding the place where we worship? It cannot be left up to the "staff" but to the Body of Christ.

As the song says, "Let what we do in here fill the streets out there... let us dance for You..." What a great picture after worship a dance in the parish.