Give Us That Country Club Jesus

 Give us that Country-Club Jesus

and that Country-Club Gospel
with that Country-Club Commission
to bring in the people
with the 'right' pedigree.

You know the ones--
the ones who can write the big checks
for our aging building
who can park their fancy new cars
in our empty parking lot
who have nice architectural homes
in enviable neighborhoods
and fashionable clothes
and all the right connections
with all the influential people, and
whose children are magically silent
at all the right times
but they look so nice,
dressed up, picture-perfect
like accessories in the pews
and make us feel good about ourselves
and magically never have needs.

And then perhaps they'll bring
their Country-Club friends, too--
with their own big checks
for our aging building
and their own nice cars
for our empty parking lot
and their own fashionable clothes
from all the right stores
and all their right connections
to influential people
and their own magical children
to make our church look less old.

But God,
it's all going wrong:
You keep sending us people in poverty
people who are hungry
people who are homeless
and foreigners
and unwed mothers, and
people with disabilities
and people with problems
that make us feel uncomfortable
and they probably can't even afford
to donate anything for our building.

And they bring regular children
who make noise at all the wrong times
and who wiggle
and who are not in picture-perfect dress-up clothes
and who make us feel old and tired.

And God help us if they bring their friends
with their beat-up old cars
or no cars at all
and no fancy clothes
and no influential connections
and no architectural homes
in enviable neighborhoods.

They'll probably let their kids
play basketball in our parking lot
and run around on our lawn
and they might scuff the paint.
God, we really can't have that.

Jesus, why do you keep sending us
all these undesirable people?
Don't You know
this isn't going to work?
Haven't You ever attended
a Church Growth seminar?

This just isn't going to get us anywhere.
And if we welcome them in,
then maybe others of us will leave
and go to some other church
where we don't have to worry about
these things.

Le Anne Clausen de Montes, 2024

Can You Dream BIG Enough?

Luke 20:27-38; Haggai 2:6-9; Psalm 145:1-4, 17-19; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17

I bet when you think about Consecration Sunday, you don’t immediately go to the Gospel story for today.  It’s a little weird, this story about seven brothers who all married the same wife and all died childless, and whose wife is she going to be when they all get to heaven?

Actually, it sounds like a great plot for a soap opera.  You could call it The Days of Our (After)lives, All My Husbands (But None of My Children), My Seven Sons...my point is, it sounds a little scandalous; and the Sadducees point is, wouldn’t it just be more convenient if there was no resurrection, because isn’t that going to be one messed up family fight?  It’d be way better if all the characters just stay dead.

And Jesus is listening to all this, probably thinking the real soap opera drama is what’s going on in front of him.  

The big deal about this marriage thing, which is called Levirate marriage, is that it’s all about money.  Marriage throughout Biblical times became about property acquisition, and a wife was regarded as property.  If the husband died, a brother was required to marry the wife to produce heirs to carry on his brother’s family fortune, and to provide for his brother’s widow, otherwise the widow was out of luck. This meant the brother was left with less of his own inheritance and fortune.  Now the widow is obviously out of luck in this case, (and I think she kind of was all along), but the point is, Jesus isn't worried about money and property and inheritance in heaven.  Jesus is concerned about relationships that are bigger than property lines and inheritance.  Jesus is concerned that people are just valued for who they are, not what wealth and security they can provide.

Jesus is basically saying here, guys, you are not dreaming big enough.  Heaven can’t be bothered with these earthly hangups.  We are all children of God, alive in the Resurrection, and not mere property.  We're meant for something bigger.

++

You remember the song Imagine, by John Lennon?  I was listening to it again this week and have been thinking it over.  It’s really not a godless song, as some have criticized it, but actually a very Godly one.  I especially appreciate the line which says, “You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one….”

What if we could dream big enough, and weren’t limited by our own pre-set mindsets?  

When I dream bigger, I realize everything I have belongs to God.  I’m more willing to share, more willing to forgive.  More willing to think outside the box.

In our own lives, we are more than our property, right?  God doesn’t call on us to simply pay the bills and that’s that.  After all, whose heart can be stirred by the monthly bills?  Is your joy and purpose for being when your water and sewage bill arrives at home? ( If so, we need to talk.)  No, but the joy comes in watering flowers and seeing them grow, or seeing the kids splash around in the backyard on a hot summer day, tubtime when they’re little, or even all those showers when they’re teenagers.  We can be proud of a fine-looking house, but chances are good we sacrificed for that house so that it could be a home where our loved ones gather and are fed and nurtured and where everyone inside knows they are loved and safe.

Church is more than an hour on Sunday mornings, we know.  But, “Church” used to be held in people’s homes--the places where they ate, went to the bathroom, washed the dishes, slept, read, sometimes fought, and where they raised their children; often where they gathered as friends and maybe even where they earned their livelihood.  The connection between worship and daily life were unmistakable.

On this Consecration Sunday, are we dreaming big enough?  Sure, the lights and mortgage need to be paid.  But why?  Is that where it all ends?  No, of course not.  Everything we do here we need to do for mission, to make God’s presence and God’s kingdom, a kingdom of good news, known here on this earth and all around us.  Sure, pay the light bill--in fact, run it up because we’ve got people filling this place, filling the rooms, using up the toilet paper and paper towels and such.  Even clean that greasetrap some more--and that is the number one least glamorous thing in our yearly budget--because we’ve had to wash so many dishes, because so many people were welcomed in and fed here, not just feeding their bodies but feeding their minds and spirits here.

So yep, let’s pay that snowplow bill--so people can find a home of welcome here all year round.  Let’s pay to maintain our lawnmower, so our lawn can be filled with people enjoying God’s good creation, whether playing sports or listening to a lawn concert or planting flowers or watching the wildlife go by. Let’s even maybe pay off the mortgage on this house of worship early, so we can start spending that money building houses for people who need them.

Let’s ask ourselves, what is this lightbulb, that chair, this table, that greasetrap doing to advance God’s reign of love and welcome in this corner of the world?  Don’t let your dreams stop at the property line.  Dream bigger, break down the barriers, and together let us be living, fully alive, and joyful children of God. Amen!

Prayers this week:

People of the Philippines and others suffering from the storm

For all struggling with addiction, and those who love and care for them

When Young People Leave the Church

Isaiah 5:1-7, Psalm 80:1-2, 8-19; Hebrews 11:29-12:2; Luke 12:49-56

Friends, if you haven’t heard, over the past few weeks, there has been an awful lot in the media, especially the religious media, about young people leaving the church.  It has been on the minds of every pastor I know.

Now, I want to say, that these articles are nothing new.  Right now they talk about Millenials leaving the church, but a few years ago, it was about Generation X leaving the church, and before that, there were actually articles about Baby Boomers leaving the church.  Well, I know that my audience this morning is primarily Baby Boomers, as well as folks who are in what’s called the ‘Greatest Generation,’ who survived the Great Depression and World Wars.  But friends, I know that many of you, because you have told me so, are worried about young people not being in the churches.  Sometimes you are worried about your own young people, your grandchildren and children, not being in church.  So I know this is on your hearts, even if you haven’t seen the news.

In fact, the way you feel about this might even be well described in today’s scripture readings, when you’ve tended the young vine and given it every form of nurture you could, and saw how strong and vibrant it grew for a time, and now you’re left shaking your head and wondering, with a worried heart, what exactly happened?  You might even feel, if you’re the parent or grandparent of a child who is no longer involved in church, like you live in a house divided, like the Gospel says, two against three.  You may even be looking around this room, and many of you do tell me you notice more gray heads in here now than there used to be--and you may be wondering how to interpret the present time.

So let’s talk about that.

First of all, I should say that at age 35, I am firmly planted within Generation X, and I have spent a fair amount of my pastoral career helping interpret the actions of adult children my age and younger, such as Millenials, to parents, who are usually Baby Boomers.  And I don’t actually mind this, it is kind of fun.  But if you find yourself in this category, I want to first say, relax.  More often than not, your kids are actually fine.

When to Worry:

Granted, there are times to worry.  If your kid is heavy into drugs, drinking, gambling or crime, headed on a path to destruction, then yes, it is time to worry.  In fact, not having a church might be the least of their worries at that moment.  Even then, Jesus still loves them and they probably still love Jesus, but the depth of their problems is making it hard to focus on that relationship right now.  What they might need more than anything in that moment, is you and a strong network of friends who can be that love of Jesus to them, truly invested in their well-being and recovery.

When NOT to Worry:

However, I also believe, and it has been true for me and most of my pastoral colleagues, that there is some need for young people to become independent and define themselves, not only in becoming independent from you, but also even from ‘Mother Church.’  After all, there is more to the world than you have taught, or your home congregation has taught, however lovingly, and to an extent it is healthy to take time away and question those things, and decide which parts to carry forward--just as we all here probably do not do everything exactly as our parents did, now that we are adults.

And I have to confess, that while I did go around to lots of churches of different backgrounds in my twenties, I admit I also spent a fair number of Sundays just simply sleeping in.  Part of that was being at work until two or three am the night before (if you’re curious, I worked at both a bar and grill and a Pizza Hut).  Other times, it was sheer laziness, or the opportunity to go to brunch. I spent plenty of time worshipping at the “Church of the Holy Comforter,” complete with pillow.  And all of this was knowing full well I was going to be a pastor.  Perhaps, in part, because I was going to be a pastor, and would never sleep in on a Sunday again.  

And, granted, some young people are still in the church!  As a young person, when I was in church, I hated having it pointed out to me that very few young people came to church.  Sometimes I felt it was hard to be seen for me, and not just my age.  More on that in a moment.

There are a few things though, that I think we as Christians, should probably talk about first:

Organized religion has a lot to answer for, and I’d almost be more worried if your kid hadn’t noticed.  Let’s list the things....clergy sexual abuse.  Homophobia.  Sexism.  Racism. No drinking, dancing or playing cards.  Corruption, and million-dollar preachers on corporate jets.  Hating people of other faiths.  Bombing abortion clinics.  The list goes on and on.  And when you see Christians on TV, not just in the movies, but speaking as experts on the news, they tend to be the most hateful and least reasonable.

I’ll admit I cringe, even as a pastor, at the word ‘Christian,’ because of the deeply nasty, negative connotations it carries. Sometimes, when a person says, “I’m spiritual but not religious,” what they mean is, “I have faith, but I don’t want to be lumped in with the extremists.” Not always, but often enough.

It’s almost never about not loving Jesus.  It is often about how to follow Jesus faithfully in a world where churches and Christians don’t often seem like friendly and welcoming places that really want you.  It’s hard to belong to a church and call yourself Christian when doing so may make you look like you identify with the people who are hateful and intolerant.

That’s the big, wide picture.  Now let’s talk closer to home, just being a younger adult, looking for a new home church in their new adult life:

An Invitation to Life Together:

Finding a new church can be as intimidating as finding a life partner.  And your church probably is, in a way, your life partner.  A young family says to a new church the things that you say to a new spouse: “I want to raise my kids with you.  I want you to be there when I’m hurting, and I want to be there when you’re hurting.  You and I share the values that I think are the most important.  And, we can really have fun together.”

There are some other things about the home church.  Especially given that everyone has graduated and moved on, well, you don’t really belong to the high school youth group anymore.  You also don’t really belong at the senior ladies’ coffee, no matter how cute they think you are.  It’s, um, a little like moving back into your parents’ basement.  Or maybe worse, back into your old bedroom.  Sure, there’s a little comfort in the familiarity, but everything has also changed.  Sometimes, finding another church is like moving into somebody else’s parents’ basement.  In the ‘social real estate,’ you don’t have to ‘own’ a whole big thing to feel like a real adult, but it helps if there’s at least a little something that’s really yours, which you can claim for yourself.  It’s similar with church.

It’s hard to come back and be the only one like yourself.  We might say, “bring more people like yourself!”  But it’s just not that easy.  For those of us at different life stages, it’s like being the only single person when all your friends are married now.  Or being the only couple with kids when everyone else isn’t at that point.  Or, it’s like being the only widow in your bridge club, or anywhere else you used to socialize as a couple, and everyone else in your social circle still has their husband.  You all still love each other, but it’s honestly very awkward.

As churches, we have to do our very best to make it not awkward.

Just a few more things:  It’s not all about the music, but it is just a little bit about the music. And, it’s not all about the technology, but it’s a little bit about the technology.  It’s not all about the liturgy and tradition, but it’s a little bit about the liturgy and tradition.  Simply put, everybody has to take turns, just like in any family.

There are churches that are all about the new music, technology, and traditions, and they do attract many young people.  Young adults can also outgrow them when they become older, and some do.  We don’t have to get rid of everything we hold dear, but we do have to make room for young adults--and not just at the kids’ table.

I want to break away a bit from the age groups and talk more about the life stages.  After all, I’m 35, and I have tiny kids at home.  Other people my age have teenagers at home.  Yet other people my age aren’t married, or have no kids.  We’re at totally different life stages.  Jorge’s in his early fifties and has small kids at home.  The other guy his age here is Tom, who has grandchildren the same age.  Same age, different life stages.  Which is not all bad.  In fact, sometimes that is the glue that can help bridge the generation gaps.

Finally, I’d like to talk about how the world has changed.

Fifty years ago, in reality, life was probably simpler.  There was a time not so long ago you could marry straight out of high school, get a job that supported your family, and live on one income, freeing up (usually the wife) to raise the children and be active in the church.  This all helped people who were raised in the church to stay in their same churches, or at least easily join a church and find your place.  Now, it’s not right to get married so young.  You have to get your education.  Both spouses usually need to work full-time to make ends meet.  This leaves a lot less time to volunteer everywhere, including the church, and many young families are pulled in so many directions that they don’t have any real time together.   I’ll be honest--many churches today exacerbate that problem, because we are built on a model that worked really well for the baby boomers, fifty years ago.  

A lot of times, young people come back to church when they have kids, who have faith questions, and they don’t feel equipped to answer them on their own.   They need to learn alongside their children.  They need mentors to be their own heroes of the faith, people to tell them and show them how it is possible to grow meaningfully in our lives of faith.  When church can be a place that families are truly together,--and not again pulled in all different directions, there is a real blessing that we have to offer today.

The Good Gardener

Friends, the good news is (and there is always some good news somewhere) is that God, the constant gardener, is a good gardener, who still loves everything God has planted.  God has regard for the young vine, and also for us.  Where we have wandered, where we have failed, and where we have failed to welcome the wandering--God still nurtures us.  God still loves us, and calls us together as one people, all family, all children of God.

Prayers This Week:

For those facing addiction, and their families

For those wrestling with mental health issues

For those recovering from stroke

For those struggling to find a church home

For all who travel

For children and teachers preparing for back to school