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September
| 2006
THE CHURCH OF
IRRELEVANT CHRISTIANITY
Recently, I attended a leadership conference in San Antonio. While there,
I heard a pastor speak about his ministry. He told us that for many years,
he had pastored a church of irrelevant Christianity. He went on to say
other things, and other speakers came after him. But something about that
phrase stuck with me. It was a moment of power and clarity. With tears in
my eyes, I chewed on that phrase, over and over.
THE CHURCH OF IRRELEVANT CHRISTIANITY. That’s how I saw it in my mind,
like a sign or a masthead, in all caps. “What is going on here?” I asked
myself. I realized I was almost shaking. “Why is this speaking to me so
strongly?” Speaking? Screaming was more like it. I sat there in the
darkened auditorium, the conference moving along all around me, thinking
about this phrase, “The Church of Irrelevant Christianity”, when I heard
something else.
I’ve heard the line, “my soul welled up within me,” a hundred times. Maybe
it’s Scripture, maybe Shakespeare. It’s one of those sayings for which
I’ve always grasped the connotation without bothering to know its true
meaning. Well, now I know. Because it happened to me. My soul welled up
within me. It was strange, because it had a voice (who knew?), and it was
yelling. I heard it first as though from a distance. It moved closer,
upward, growing in volume and power, shouting the same phrase again and
again. “I don’t want to be irrelevant!”
Not, “I am not irrelevant.” Not, “I won’t be irrelevant.” No, very
clearly, my soul screamed, like a hammer striking a nail, like a wave
crashing against a rocky New England shore, like an unending bass rhythm,
“I don’t want to be irrelevant!” Just like that, I knew why this had such
power over me. I was afraid. Terrified, really, that I was, and had been,
and will be. Irrelevant.
So I prayed. Or rather, I moved over and let my soul pray, and I vowed
(again) not to lead a Church of Irrelevant Christianity. I promised
(again) that I would not stand before my Lord and Maker on the day of my
judgment, head down, kicking the dust, hemming and hawwing as He asked me
what I did with His Church. I swore (I know priests aren’t supposed to
swear) that I would not pour out my life as an offering to irrelevance.
You see, the Church of Irrelevant Christianity crosses all denominational
(and non-denominational) boundaries. It is the Church turned inward. It is
the Church without children. It is the Church who says “Believe like us,
or you’re out,” instead of “Come in with us, and believe.” It is the
Church who argues about sexuality while thousands die of AIDS in Africa.
It is the Church who argues about border politics while children in Mexico
die from tainted water. It is the Church as museum, not hospital, with
curators in place of priests, tour guides instead of leaders (… and on my
left, you’ll see the pews were actual people used to sit…), patrons rather
than disciples.
In the end, the Church of Irrelevant Christianity is, quietly and without
fanfare, empty. It is the Church that cannot make it’s budget, that cannot
keep a priest, that begins each sentence with, “Remember when….” It is the
Church that chose not to make a difference when it could have, and no
longer has the choice.
We will not be that Church. We will not be the Church of Irrelevant
Christianity. I will not lead such a Church. No, I won’t, because God did
not call me to irrelevance. You will not attend such a Church. No, you
won’t, you’ll leave, because really, what would be the point? The
irrelevant church of today is the non-existent church of tomorrow, and we
will not go gentle into that good night. We will be a Church of Relevant
Faith, and next month, I’ll tell you how.
A Vision for Wednesday Nights
The church should be a place that encourages the spiritual growth of
people of all ages. With that in mind, we have developed programs for
Wednesday night for the entire family. Our goal was to provide different
programs for all ages, so that, if they so desire, the entire family may
be involved at the church on Wednesday nights.
Adults: Alpha is a course designed to create an environment to explore the
basic questions of the faith. Alpha begins at 6:30 with dinner in McKeogh
Hall. Also, several of our GC small groups meet on Wednesday nights
because of the availability of child care.
Youth (7th-12th): The teenagers will be participating in their own version
of Alpha. They will also begin at 6:30 with dinner, but they will eat over
in the Youth Building.
4th-6th graders: There is going to be a new program for older children
called ‘Kids for Christ.’ We are very excited about offering a program for
those kids who are somewhere in between being a child and being in a part
of the Youth. The Kids for Christ will start at 6:30 in the Youth
Building, where they will eat and worship with the Youth before they head
over to the Children’s Chapel to do their own thing.
Children from 4 years old to 3rd graders: There will be a Children’s
program on Wednesday nights beginning at 6:30 in the 1st-3rd Sunday School
room. There will be food sent over for the children who did not eat before
they arrived.
Nursery (under 4): The nursery will be open for children under 4 from
6:30-8:30.
The Wednesday night programs were designed so there is something for
everyone. If you want to go to Alpha, you can drop your infant in the
nursery. If your 5th grader wants to do Kids for Christ, you are freed up
to join one of the small groups. If your junior in high school goes to
Youth Alpha, she can drop her 2nd grade brother off at the Children’s
program. I hope your family will take advantage of this opportunity.
~Father Michael
God of Irony
Irony is one of my absolute favorite literary devices. Yes, I admit that I
am a nerd who got a degree in English just because it meant sitting
around, reading and discussing good books for four years. But I am so
often struck by the irony in real life, which is often every bit as
dramatic as literary irony.
I have a good friend who lost her dad recently. I look at her and see a
strong person. But she says she feels weak. The truth is, she is both;
because ironically, real strength can’t exist where there is no weakness.
Strength isn’t about the absence of weakness; it’s about the overcoming of
it. It’s about being weak and pressing on anyway.
The same is true of bravery. I think back over my life, to any given
moments when I was brave. As a kid, when I broke my arm... Or as an adult,
on the days my babies were born (especially the one without pain relief of
any kind). And as it turns out, every time I was brave, I was afraid.
Whoever said that the brave are fearless had it wrong. You can’t be brave
unless you are afraid to begin with.
I’ve been thinking about how God, like a great author, lets irony play
itself out in our lives as Christians. And in every instance, it seems
like the gaps in our character are wide and visible, and God is walking
behind, filling them in.
Take forgiveness. Sure, it would be ideal to be without sin. But if you
never sinned, if you never messed up, you would never experience
forgiveness. A person without sin would never know the overwhelming and
humbling power of grace.
What about the times in life when we are most alone—those times so
desperately painful that they take us down to our knees? It turns out that
we find out in the most profound way that we are absolutely the opposite
of alone at those times. If we are never broken, we can never come to know
the God who loves us so dearly that he would pick up every little piece
and put us back together even better than we were before.
And on any given Sunday, the church is full of good and decent people and
the church is full of sinners, and they are all one and the same. We’re
there to be a part of the community of faith, to feed others; but we
ourselves are starving, and we are there to be fed.
As it turns out, in the scheme of things, we are defined by these
ironies...by the weak moments...by the times we are scared stiff...by
those moments when we are lost. God can take those moments, show us the
incredible strength He has built into the human spirit, and at the exact
same time, show us that it is not enough. We need something more. We are
restless for something more. We need God to meet us where we are, to pick
up where we leave off, and make us more than human….and make us holy.
And that is the power that lies in the irony of all of God’s creation. Sin
brings grace. Suffering brings hope. Brokenness brings a wholeness you
never knew existed.
This must be what James was talking about when he said we should think of
the trouble we face as pure joy, knowing that ironically enough, joy is
just the flip side of trouble, because it produces strength. And getting
through that trouble is the only way to win the crown which is life
itself.
So back to my friend who lost her dad. How can I tell that she is
incredibly strong? Because even in this weakest time, she’s still
standing.
How can you tell if you’re passing the tests which an imperfect world will
put you through every single day? At the end of the day, do you still know
you need God? Then you passed.
If you’re never sick, you can’t be healed. If you’re never weak, you can’t
be strong. If you’re never afraid, you can’t be brave.
If you’re never lost, you can’t be found.
~Tracy Aubin, Editor
No Building Experience Required!
St. Andrew's is scheduled for Habitat for Humanity workdays the second
Saturday of every month, and we want you to join us! Upcoming dates are
September 9th, October 14th, November 11th and December 9th. We try to
start by 8:30 a.m. and finish up before it gets too hot—between 1 and 2
o’clock, but keep in mind that no one is obligated to stay the whole time.
The location of the house we are working on now is in the 700 block of
ELLEY STREET off Heideke Street, second block north of Kingsbury Street.
Construction-in-progress can be seen on the north side of the street. We
will try to post an announcement in the narthex a week prior to our work
days, with an update on work completed and information about what’s
expected to happen the next week.
Habitat relies on volunteers every week and anyone from St. Andrew's
interested is welcome anytime—not just on our Saturdays. Remember that
there are always plenty of jobs to do around the worksite that don't
require climbing on the roof or knowledge of building. Questions? Ask one
of the Board of Directors: Scott Hahn, Warren Wundt, Darrell Huck, Anna
Schodowski or me—Mickie Teagarden.
DO YOU WANT TO HEAD UP A COMMITTEE FOR PROVIDING HABITAT LUNCHES FOR OUR
WORK SATURDAYS? We need volunteers to fix lunch on those
Saturdays--sandwiches, chips or something light and cool. There are
usually fifteen to twenty people at work who need to be fed. The Board
Member on Duty that day will call early to provide a head count. Respond
to one of the board members listed above if you’d like to help. Thanks!
~Mickie Teagarden
Come To Me
“Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.”
(Matt 11:28) Join the Women of St. Andrew’s for a Fall Retreat, October
27th – 29th, at Mo Ranch in Hunt, Texas. Total cost for the weekend is
only $125 per person if we fill all of the spaces. Only 30 spaces are
available, so reserve your spot quickly!! A Deposit of $75 is all it takes
(checks made out to St. Andrew’s – Memo: Come To Me) Contact Jamie George,
401-5983, to reserve your spot.
Please do not let the cost be an obstacle to attending. Scholarships are
available. Call Jamie for any special needs.
Make a Note:
- It’s time again for one of St. Andrew’s most beloved traditions: our
annual Parish Picnic at Nolte Island. This year’s picnic will be a bit
earlier than usual—on September 17th. Look for details in your Sunday
bulletin, and plan on packing up the kids, the in-laws, the
neighbors—anyone who would enjoy some good food and fellowship in a
beautiful spot! Don’t miss it!
- Need to know where you stand on your pledge? Pledge Reports will be
available to pick up on Sunday, September 3rd at the Church Office after
the 8:00am and 10:30am services.
- The beautiful new Gudadalupe County Veterans’ Memorial will be unveiled
and dedicated on September 23rd at 10 a.m. at the courthouse. The public
is invited, and all who purchase bricks are urged to attend. Plan on
coming by the American Legion Hall afterwards for a light lunch.
- Did you know that St. Andrew’s is one of the sponsoring churches of the
Guadalupe Valley Christian Counseling Center and has a representative on
its board of directors? The Center offers help to individuals, couples,
and families in the form of individual and family therapy, and also offers
specialized services such as testing and educational programs. There are
four therapists on hand, led by Dr. Nick Wilkens, a psychologist and
pastor. A statement for their brochure says, “Above all, we are a safe
place with skilled staff to whom people can entrust or refer family
members and friends when the world is overwhelming and God seems far
away.” The Center is located at 314 N. Austin Street. Phone is 303-3161.
Payment is based on a sliding scale or through insurance.
Happy Birthday to all of you celebrating in September! Have a great year.
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