As I've been preparing a sermon for Palm Sunday I've been thinking about the passion displayed by that ancient Jerusalem crowd. On Sunday they were chanting, "Hosanna!" By Friday they were chanting, "Crucify him!" If they had had access to facebook and twitter, perhaps the turnaround would have been even more swift.
Yet there is no denying the passion of that ancient Middle Eastern crowd. 2011 has been a year for passionate crowds in the present-day Middle East. The passion of the crowds toppled regimes in Tunisia and Egypt, and that passion has spilled over into Libya, and even into Jordan, Syria, and Yemen. Passionate crowds are bringing about swift political change.
Do our Sunday morning crowds display anything like that degree of passion? Not too long ago I saw a report which indicated that the churches that were growing tended to be either conservative churches that were passionate about their mission and vision OR liberal, progressive churches that were passionate about their mission and vision.
What does that say about moderate, middle-of-the-road Presbyterian churches that try to be all things to all people? I actually remember a seminary professor who told us--perhaps only partly in jest--that our role as future Presbyterian ministers would be to exhort moderate congregations to be even more moderate!
Last year Methodist minister and youth ministry professor Kenda Creasy Dean published a book entitled Almost Christian which argued that many, mainline churches are failing to keep their youth because they are failing to give them anything that is worth being passionate about. A community whose basic vision does not seem to be much deeper than "be nice to people" is a nice enough place to visit but you wouldn't want to live there permanently, so many youth who grew up in the church end up moving on.
I believe strongly--dare I say, passionately--that our churches can be welcoming communities to people of diverse views and backgrounds AND still be passionate about telling and living the Jesus story---the story about the Jesus who loved us enough to suffer for it and who inspires us to love others and God with that same kind of passionate love.
What do you think? Where have our churches exemplified that kind of passion? Where have they failed? How can they maintain or rekindle that kind of passion? What are you most passionate about?
The way I see it, Church was one purpose. To strengthen the connection between people and God. Those of us who attend Church understand that we are quicker to strengthen that life line when we do it in numbers rather than alone. Of course, it can be done alone, but together we move mountains, hold each other close, and feel our hearts protected and directed by God. I am not sure that "failing to keep our youth" is not better explained in that many youth don't feel the connection like we do, without some grand passion, ie...a bit of theatre. I was a kid once, and my Protestant church was a calming place with an active youth program that keep me there. I loved it. You asked about rekindling the passion. How about just some straight talk between adults and kids where the adults express their hearts for the Church and Jesus. Why does the Church matter to us? And how being one of God's Own is going to matter all the days of their lives. And that's how I see it. Posted by Kathy Benedict
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