Four options for an "astounding tomorrow"

A while back I had a conversation with an in-law who is an atheist. He’s also a loving, generous, decent man in his 30’s. As a Generation X-er, he is less than enchanted by the “institutional church” as he has experienced it. He acknowledges his attraction to the faith he sees in me, which enabled us to have the conversation we did about God and the church. He had two questions for me: 1) ‘Why do you love God?’ and 2) ‘Why church – why not just love God on your own?’

These are pretty basic questions and they offered me the opportunity to evangelize – to tell the Good News as I know and experience it. So, in response to the first question, I shared those moments in my life when my heart was “strangely warmed” as John Wesley called it, and those moments of surprising excitement, much like the disciples on road to Emmaus described. I spoke about times when the love of God filled me to overflowing with joy, like Mary Magdalene must have known when she heard the resurrected Jesus call her name; and those times hope had broken into my darkness like a light, bringing with it inexplicable confidence and comfort.

In response to the second question, I talked about the nature of Jesus’ ministry on earth which not only tended to the exiled, the unclean, the sinful, and the broken, but bonded them in love, made them whole, and connected them to a larger whole. This, I said, is why being part of a church matters: so we can continue this reconciling work of Jesus. To those looking from the outside in, it may seem impossible that such an imperfect institution, filled with imperfect people, could accomplish this goal, but we know that we are called to be faithful, not perfect. We also believe that “nothing will be impossible with God.” (Lk 1:37)

The church is where we who are many become one body, where our personal goals are relinquished to the will of God for the glory of God and the welfare of God’s people. As Dennis Campbell, author and expert in church congregations, wrote, “Shared vision emerges from the individual hearts and souls of people who have lived life and suffered and yet dare to risk struggling with the Holy Spirit to imagine the astounding tomorrow to which God is calling the congregation.” (Congregations as Learning Communities, Tools for Shaping your Future)

As we (the family of faith at Redeemer) journey together through our process of discernment, I ask you to consider how you might have answered those two questions. Can/will you talk about why you love God and why are you a member of the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer? I would also add a third question: Are you willing to imagine the astounding tomorrow to which God is calling our congregation? If so, what will you do to help us get there? (OK, that’s two questions).

At our Parish Meeting last Sunday, we discussed four options as part of our common discernment for our future path. Everyone is invited to participate by offering their time, gifts, and wisdom to one of the four committees formed to investigate these options and report back at next month’s parish meeting. If you missed the meeting last Sunday, the options can be read HERE (thx to our Sr. Warden, Jane Shooter for this flyer. It's at the bottom left on our homepage). To join one of the option committees, please contact the church office: redeemer@redeemershelby.com, or 704.487.5404.

God is calling us to an “astounding tomorrow” sharing the Good News we know and participating in the reconciling work our Savior began and called us to continue… for nothing will be impossible with God.