Rethinking Church I

As you probably know, the United Methodist Church and UMCOM (United Methodist Communications) have launched an advertising campaign called 'Rethink Church.' In my opinion, it's about time.

When I was a small mouse I sat in Sunday School assembly with the rest of the church and learned the same hymns which many of the same people had been singing since the 1930’s. ‘Whispering Hope’ was my favorite for a long time. I loved the harmonies. ‘Peace Be Still’ was another one, and of course there were the more upbeat, rousing ones like ‘Wonderful Words of Life,’ and one I can only remember the bass part of the chorus, ‘grace ...deeper than the mighty rolling sea.’ ‘Wonderful Grace of Jesus,’ that was it.

The setting could have been the 1930’s, and I loved the slightly musty smell of old wood and dust. This was, of course, the 1960’s. I loved singing and I loved just being there with everyone else. But I did wonder how I was supposed to communicate the love of Jesus to someone who had not had the same experience I had had. Were they supposed to learn the old songs, too?

I have been to a number of funerals lately, so when I saw a description of Thomas G. Long’s 2009 book, Accompany Them With Singing; The Christian Funeral, in a catalog, I naturally went and found it in the public library. (I may be as poor as a church mouse, but anyone with access to a public library as good as ours is rich.) A funeral, says Long, is a drama in which the Church sends a saint off on his final journey home. We are, after all, pilgrims in this life.

The ancient symbol for the Church was a sailing ship. If we are pilgrims on our way, why does it seem like we are sitting in small boats still tied to the dock? Maybe we are waiting for the cruise director? And if we are indeed pilgrims, it seems like we have an awful lot of baggage. Pilgrims travel light.

What kind of baggage am I referring to? Buildings, for one thing. Pilgrims surely need to find way stations for rest and food and to re-fuel. Unfortunately, in some cases we have settled in and gotten nice and comfortable. In other cases someone else may have been comfortable at one time, but now the facilities do not fit our needs and we are still having to pay to fix the air conditioner. Or perhaps the inn is no longer open for business and now functions as a mausoleum.

Then there is the music. It is a well-known fact that we like best the songs we know, usually what we grew up with. Unfortunately some of those songs have become extra baggage, although they are dear to our hearts. We are further along the road and we may need to cull or recycle those we have, as well as learn some new ones. And keep culling and learning. Poetry as well as music.

Having just attacked two sacred cows—please excuse the mixed metaphor/pun—it might be a good idea to consider what we need for our pilgrimage/journey. The first thing we need is the Scriptures, which are our map; our GPS; our emergency rations;  our stout walking stick; our songbook; our textbook and our bedtime reading.

The second thing we need is our fellow travelers, because this is not a journey we want to make alone. We need someone to share rations and conversation with; to pick us up when we stumble; to sing harmony; to swap tales with; to teach us new songs, and help keep us on the right track. We also need new recruits along the way to teach and learn from and to keep the journey interesting. 

It goes without saying that we have a companion who goes with us all on this journey: the head of the Body, the captain of the ship, Jesus: God himself who has promised to be with us. When the time comes, I hope someone will sing that old spiritual at my funeral:

     I want Jesus to walk with me,
     I want Jesus to walk with me.
     All along my pilgrim journey,
     I want Jesus to walk with me.