Calling the Disciples by Eric De Saussure
As I preach to different congregations each week, I have a recurring nightmare:
I drive to an unfamiliar church building, in an unfamiliar neighborhood, thinking that worship begins at 10 am but when I arrive I learn that worship actually begins at 9:30 and while the people were waiting for me to arrive, they just sat there. Waiting.
There is a corresponding fantasy that goes like this:
I drive to an unfamiliar church building, in an unfamiliar neighborhood, thinking that worship begins at 10 am but when I arrive I learn that worship actually begins at 9:30 and while the people were waiting for me to arrive, they started worship. One person led the singing and another led in announcements and prayers. One was prepared to share her faith story if I never showed up.
I find that some church people know they are free to worship and serve and welcome guests and share their faith and some church people do not know this. They erroneously believe that 1) they need a pastor to tell them what to do and/or 2) they can irreparably mess up if they do something the wrong way.
I’ve now seen sanctuaries with masking tape Xs on the carpet to ensure that the liturgist stands in The Right Place. I’ve seen volunteers chastised because they didn’t arrange the cookies The Right Way. I’ve witnessed people staying out of worship because they arrived late and this sign greeted them:
And I’ve seen – like this past Sunday morning – a vast array of elders leading everything from the pastoral care to the pastoral prayers. It’s not that they don’t need a pastor; it’s that the pastor (or somebody) has taught them how to lead and has set them free to do it. That’s what I call a healthy church.
A Church for Starving Artists 