Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to spend some time with several colleagues in a retreat setting. The retreat was called “The Great Escape” (no doubt a reference to the process of “escaping,” spiritually speaking, into the depths of God’s transforming presence). Because of teaching responsibilities that I had on Wednesday evening, I had to leave the retreat earlier than I wanted to.
The primary facilitator of the retreat was Gil Rendle, an author and ecclesiastical consultant. I greatly appreciated Rendle’s presentation, especially his liberating acknowledgment of the fact that the decline in the American portion of United Methodism is not a problem to be solved but a condition for which to be trained. Although most clergy, myself included, have been reflecting on the issues of a changing culture for a number of years, Rendle’s presentation added substantive analysis to the shifting “tectonics” of American culture and the ecclesiastical implications of this shifting.
As is frequently the case following such a presentation, I find myself struggling with the question of how conversion, repentance, and transformation figure into the shifting culture that Rendle so thoroughly describes. For example, Rendle made frequent reference to the “narrow margins” of time in which people are currently living their lives (compared to the much wider margins that characterized the time management of previous generations). In a nutshell, the imagery of “narrow margins” is Rendle’s way of illuminating the ever-shrinking amount of unscheduled time that is likely to be found in the jam-packed lives of postmodern people.
According to Rendle, the church, if it wants to connect with such busy souls, has no option but to change both its expectations and its understanding of committed involvement. In a world of narrow margin living, says Rendle, infrequent participation in the church’s ministry is the new norm, while the covenant promises of membership are little more than an institutional relic of a bygone age.
But what about the Holy Spirit’s capacity to transform, not only our consciousness, but also our conceptualization of time? In other words, doesn’t the Holy Spirit have a way of converting people to a “wider margin” way of living? Isn’t it part of the Spirit’s work to sanctify a life to such an extent that people begin to change the way they prioritize their activities and spend their time? And, if this is indeed the case, isn’t it a dangerous thing to begin tampering with what the church has expected of people over the centuries?
A few weeks ago, I had a conversation with a man who recently entered into a much deeper place in his relationship with Jesus Christ. Since this experience of deepening, his life has undergone some significant changes, not the least of which has been a restructuring of his schedule. “I always used to say that I was way too busy for church stuff,” he said to me. “But these days, I would never miss the opportunity to worship with the congregation…Church used to be an optional hobby that I would feel free to jettison from my schedule when other things came up. But now, I build my whole schedule around the church. Worship on the weekend, Bible study in the middle of the week, small group on Thursday…These have become the pillars that hold up my week.”
When I reflect upon that conversation, I cannot help but think that the Holy Spirit has been about the business of widening the margins of that man’s life considerably, thereby creating the kind of redemptive space in which a newly-developed devotion to the church’s ministry might be nurtured.
Please don’t misunderstand the nature of this post. I am not setting myself against Rendle’s viewpoint. His analysis of the current cultural climate is right on target, as is his emphasis upon the urgency of adaptability in the church’s ministry. All that I am asking is this: Is it possible for us to become so eager to accommodate the culture’s proclivities that we truncate our theology of sanctification? To put it another way, is it possible to be so quick to lower the bar concerning what we expect from people that we lose sight of the Holy Spirit’s capacity to inspire within people a deeper devotion than we could ever envision?
Was Rendles description of the new norm an observation or a something we are to accept. Because I agree with you that accepting and following Jesus demands much more of us than just a slice of our time. When you encounter people that have had their margin widened do you find there was a “trigger”? Something unfortunate/tragic that undid the foundation of the way they were living? something that would break them from their former habits? I think that when we are talking about trying to expand an adult’s desire for worship and deepening of their faith, we need to understand that patterns of behavior get more engrained the older they get and if we don’t continually try to meet people where they are, then the only time we will see them grow is when there at a “trigger” time. I am thankful that during these times the Holy Spirit can lead them to the church, but I think we can keep trying to seep into their lives when they allow us in order to prepare the way for the Holy Spirit to deepen that devotion.
Oh yeah, did you see that today Winnie the Pooh turned 80!
Hi Allene.
I agree wholeheartedly with your point that meeting people “where they are” is essential to the church’s ministry of making disciples. In that regard, Rendle’s analysis of our cultural climate is a tremendous help to us as we endeavor to impact the lives of the people in our community.
My only point is that, sometimes, our analysis can morph into a “well, that’s just the way it is” kind of attitude that prevents us from generating a sense of vision concerning the transformed life to which God is calling us.
You’re right–trigger times are key. Margins have a way of suddenly widening in the midst of trigger or crisis events.
Pooh is 80 years old?!! Wow! You’d think that he’d have learned to wear pants by now!
I love the image of margines, I have seen them get smaller in my life all the time.
My thought is, what does the church want of persons, who are trying to widen their margines? As a pastor I have seen people get turned off by the church’s desire to have them help with fund raising, serve on boards, attend mindless Conference meetings. As you journey into your new position as a District Superintendent, this will become even more obvious. Your new position requires pushing for apportionment payments, getting folks to serve on district committees, receiving reports from the local church on how they are doing getting folks to serve on committees! Is it possible to worship, have Bible Study and then just go home?! I sense the local church causes as much tight margines as the world.
Barry-
Thanks for your good thoughts. I completely agree that a church that is nothing more than program and administration runs the risk of becoming as confining as the world in terms of the narrowing of margins (if not more so).
However, my theology of the church is high enough to believe that the church, at its best, has the potential to incarnate what might be called the rhythms and patterns of the kingdom. They are the rhythms and patterns of worship, prayer, study of Scripture, Eucharist, confession, repentance, mission, and disciple-making (to name a few). If practiced well, these rhythms and patterns can become something more than a margin-narrowing list of activities on a schedule. In fact, these patterns and rhythms (as I’m sure you’ve come to know) can become a margin-widening way of life for people who have come to recognize the need for some new impulses in their living (i.e., new margins).
I hear what you’re saying, brother, about the church’s difficulty in moving beyond institutional maintenance. My hunch, however, is that much of the question of whether something is margin-narrowing or margin-widening depends upon the spirit (Spirit?) that we bring to it. It can make the difference between fund raising and joyful stewardship; between serving on committees and investing ourselves in the church’s administrative ministry; between mindless Conference meetings and attentive holy conferencing.
Given where I am headed come January, I suppose that I have no choice but to believe that it is possible for a district superintendent to be an agent of expansion when it comes to life’s margins! Pray for me in that regard, Barry!!
I continue to be convicted that there is an illness within United Methodism’s structure that contributes to the kind of margins you are talking about. Take for instance the lay person who is asked to serve on Trustees and in addition must represent that committee on the Church council, the Day Care center Board, and the Finance committee. In order to balance these conectional activities more work goes into sitting on committees than doing the work the person was identified as having gifts and graces for. OK, so I am speaking from personal experience here as a Chair if the Order of Deacon-Bom member-Bom Executive team member=believe again implementaion of Bom nurture and support for clergy-representative of BOM on the Health and Wholeness team. Now, I realize that I said yes to all of this (which is where the problem ultimately lies) AND there is a cultural/denominational expectation that this is how business is done. I find myself being called further and further away from the church at this point in my journey in an effort to take into account the stewardship of my time and the care of my body, mind, and spirit. But I have to tell you, I feel anxious and defeated about it.
Eric, thank you for this post. I am midway through a post dealing with my OWN questions regarding the retreat, and I share your concerns as well.
Wow, Debra.
There’s not much to say about all of that, is there my friend?
Even as I type these words, I am praying that you experience the church’s ministry—somewhere, somehow—in a way that is rejuvenating rather than alienating or exhausting.
Part of your struggle, I’m sure, is you that and others like you are caught in the middle of a denomination’s ongoing struggle to build a consistent theology around the Order of Deacon. I can’t even imagine your frustration level over that. But I’ve had enough conversation with deacons to know that it is not always a smooth and affirming journey.
You are one of the best people I know at finding a way to redeem administrative processes and discern spiritual purpose in even the most mundane tasks. (You are a mystic, after all. That’s what mystics do—they see the intersections between divinity and humanity that others tend to miss.) I am praying that you will find a way to live afresh with mystical sensibilities, and that those sensibilities will enable you to feel less “anxious and defeated” and more encouraged for the days ahead.