This Christian Life

A Sad Day

Today is a hard day for me. I found out last night that my pastors have been voted out of my church. This is hard because I love them. Hard because I believe many in my church are not being honest with themselves about the state of the church and the state of their own spiritual lives. Hard because this won’t solve any of the problems that are at the root of our churches problems.

Last night our church elders and deacons made their final decision to vote out the husband and wife pastor team that has been at our church for 3 years. They have led us in a direction that many are unwilling to move to. Rather, they have tried to convince an increasingly older congregation that things can’t always be like they have been and that we need to refocus some of our energies on attracting a new generation of believers. Our church is stuck in a place of comfort, denial, and pride. Until these issues are dealt with, the church will sit in a murky pool of stalemate. Either they are dealt with, or we move forward—that is the choice.

Who’s going to run the basketball tournament in June? Who will cast a vision for our church? Who will convince a dying church that we need to make changes? Who will pour the communion cup this Sunday? How am I going to lead the congregation in singing this Sunday when I know many people are singing because they’ve been doing it out of habit and actually don’t pay attention to the words when they sing?

Argh. I’m sad. That’s mostly what it is at this point. I’m hopeless that no one gets it. I’m afraid of my upcoming deacon position which starts in June. I’m afraid this is indicitive of the church in America.

God, help me.