We are in the midst of the pledging season within the church. The monies that are pledged for the ongoing ministry of the parish help the vestry develop a budget for us to live by in the coming year. Oftentimes, this activity is referred to as stewardship. Too often, unfortunately, it is only pledging that is associated with the word stewardship.
Of course, the term stewardship rightly underscores the use of our gifts for the ongoing ministry of God at St. Francis. This certainly is stewardship. However, if that is all we associate with stewardship, then we are, as the apostle Paul said, most to be pitied. Stewardship is not synonymous with fundraising. Stewardship is all about care. Care for what we have been given. Care for the facilities and programs in our charge. Care for those with whom we worship. Care for the larger creation. Care is stewardship rightly understood. Thus, it is not a "fall pledge drive", rather it is a daily and lifelong activity in which we are all engaged. At times we may be more aware of how we are caring, but the call to care never ceases, and the care that we provide--to self, to family, to friends, to parishioners, to the other, and to the larger world--expresses the fullness to which we have incorporated the hospitality and grace teachings of Jesus and the radical love of God.
Another term that usually gets short shrift or is avoided by many in the mainline churches is evangelism. Too often we associate this word with door-to-door proselytizing or in-your-face EVANGELICAL preachers who we would rather turn off than listen to.
However, many years ago a wonderful liturgist in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America--Paul Nelson--offered a wonderful reflection on, of all things, the connection between worship and evangelism that I have never forgotten. Basically, he said they are the same thing.
What he meant was that evangelism comes from the Greek root euangelion, which means to bring good news. Hence, the street corner preachers and door-to-door proselytizers don't have it completely wrong. They truly believe, regardless of how tone deaf and/or over-the-top they are, that they are bringing good news to people. The message of Jesus Christ saves. Kind of hard to argue with that.
Yet, while the form of the presentation has a lot to be desired on the part of rabid evangelicals, the call to spread the good news is one that extends to all of us. And we all have our unique ways of spreading that good news, which is: God loves you unconditionally in Christ. End of sentence. Period. No more. And no qualifications!
God. Loves. You. Unconditionally. In. Christ.
What Paul Nelson realized (and what so many people realize) is that worship, at its core, is all about sharing that message with whomever is present. In prayers, scripture readings, hymns, anthems, sermons, the creeds, more prayers, the peace, and the Eucharistic liturgy, the fundamental and critical message is that God loves you unconditionally in Christ. So, worship is intimately connected to evangelism.
Of course, those who are familiar with St. Francis understand that the "sell" is pretty soft--no in-your-face altar calls--and the atmosphere is appropriately western, modern, and respectably normed to the gatherings of many mainline churches and organizations in southern Fairfield County. What we should not forget, however, is that even though the message comes in ways that we may find easily digestible, the message, nonetheless, is quite radical.
God loves you unconditionally in Christ.
Who says that? In a world that demands conditions and people to pull themselves up by their boot straps, the message of Christianity is that it's already been done for you. There is nothing that we do that saves us. Even the ability to assent to this grace of God is, itself, something that has been done for us. Think of it.
God's love. Unconditionally given. For you.
Thus, the extension of worship as a form of evangelism is to lead to further evangelism in the many and various ways that we, in all our diversity and uniqueness, can express, offer, and embody it to the world. We all are evangelicals. Though we need not be tone deaf and in-your-face. We are evangelicals in that we are called to share the good news--God loves you unconditionally in Christ--in the many ways that we can. Sometimes we say it. More often than not we live it. We extend a helping hand to someone in need. We mourn with those who mourn or rejoice with those who rejoice. We bring communion to or visit a shut-in. We work for justice for those in our community or in the world who have been denied justice. We work for peace. And on an on.
Thus, we recognize that not only are worship and evangelism related. Indeed, all of life may be considered an opportunity for worship and, thus, evangelism.
Blessings,
Mark
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