Epiphany 6 - Wednesday - Seven Questions Every Church Should Ask Itself - Number 2

The Rev. Dr. Gary Nicolosi, rector of Saint James’ Westminster Anglican Church in London, Ontario wrote a piece a number of years ago entitled “Seven Questions that Every Church Should Ask Itself.” It has stimulated my thought process for a long time. You can read his entire article here: Seven Questions At Anglican Journal

Today, I would like to give voice to the second question posed by Reverend Nicolosi: How does our church add value to people’s lives that they cannot live without – whether they know it or not?

Nicolosi writes: “Most secular businesses understand that the products they make need to add value to people’s lives – otherwise the products would not sell. Think of people standing in line for an iPhone because of the perceived value of the product. When my family went to the Cheesecake Factory in Buffalo, New York for dinner recently, we waited 80 minutes for a table. The place was packed, and I thought, “Gee, would these people wait that long to attend church?” What value are successful businesses offering that the church is not? And just as important, what can we do about it?”

These challenging words sent my mind into overdrive! Let’s start with the iPhone.

Wednesday nights I attend a weekly recovery meeting (D.A.) in Akron, Ohio. My routine is always the same. I head first to The Summit Mall for a slice (sometimes two!) of Sbarro’s pizza and, if I have time, a quick visit to the Apple Store. Then, it is back in the car for the two minute ride to my meeting.

It does not matter if the mall is crowded with shoppers or just about empty, for the Apple Store is always jammed packed with customers, onlookers, and gadget geeks. Why? I believe the answer lies in the fact that Apple has succeeded in convincing folks through their advertising that Apple’s products add incredible value to people’s lives. For example, check out this advertisement for the iPhone.

The young man believes that he has become a “Rock God” because of his iPhone. Now, theologically, there are a whole host of issues that could be discussed at this point. I will let the reader make those connections by your self. But in the end, Apple has appealed to the most base human desire – ME! ME! ME! I can become a “Rock God!”

The Christian Church proclaims another message. This message is not as hip or as trendy as what Madison Avenue portrays. It is a message that does not center on “me” but on “other.” In the midst of life’s storms, I would rather have Jesus than an iPhone! When I lose my way on life’s journey I would rather have a “divine spiritual” GPS than a phone telling me to turn left at the next traffic light! The values that Jesus made known in his teaching, preaching and most importantly by his actions are summed up in the following:

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

‘Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.’

(Matthew 5:1-12)

Jesus’ life could be summed up in the command that he gave to his disciples on the last night of his life: “I give you a new commandment: Love one another. Such as my love has been for you, so must your love be for each other. This is how all will know that you are my disciples: your love for one another” (John 15:34-35).

Those are the values of the Kingdom of God.

I chuckled when I first read Nicolosi’s retelling of his experience at the Cheesecake Factory. I have served four different churches over the course of twenty-three years and in only one situation did I ever experience people waiting in line to get into church. But it was for all the wrong reasons.

Christmas Eve in Charlotte, North Carolina. The parish I was working at had four services with at least 1200 people in attendance. When the recessional at the 3:00 pm service cleared the front door, people were hustling to get inside and claim a seat for the 5:00 pm service. The reason for this had nothing to do with the message of the birth of Jesus – that a multitude of heavenly hosts were praising God – or that Judean shepherds were having a once in a lifetime experience and transformation. No, the real reason, I found out later, was that these folks did not want anybody to sit in their pew! I am not kidding.

Nicolosi’s comment above raises another question for me that relates to what we are speaking about today. Does knowing Jesus add value to your life?

How would you answer the question? Why?

The Christian life is about a relationship with God. That relationship was best made manifest in the life of Jesus of Nazareth. It completely changes everything and leads to a transformation of one’s life. Marcus Borg even gave such a process a name – a transformation-centered paradigm. He writes: “The Christian life is not very much about believing a set of claims to be true, but about a path, a way of transformation that leads to God and to participation in the passion of God” (The Emerging Christian Way, page 18).

One of the most central themes in the New Testament is that of personal transformation. The early Church called it “The Way”. It is about daily dying and rising with Christ – dying to an old way of being and entering into a new way of being. This is where the 12 Step process is so much further along than most local churches or denominations. Step Two states: “Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.” This continues in Step Three: “Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understand God.”

The value of knowing Jesus is that he is the master who can overcome my unruly and selfish will. One of the important steps in this path called Christianity is to make a conscious choice, each and every day, to allow God to manage my life. I quit trying to rely on my own “disordered will to guide (me).” It is what I believe Jesus was embracing in John 3 when he called Nicodemus to be “born again”. Every member of Christ Church Episcopal is in need of this transformation, for we are each born of the flesh and need to be born of the Spirit, into a life centered in the Spirit of God which brings about abundant life, promise, and hope for the present and future. That is something that the iPhone, the iPad, and all the technology in the world will never be able to offer anyone.

The conversion of which I speak is not a private affair for once you have experienced this transformation you will want to share it with others. This is what happens over and over again in the Gospel of John between Jesus and the people that he meets. This is what I am reminded of every Wednesday evening when the 12^th Step is read by a member of the group: “Having had a spiritual awakening as the results of these steps, we tried to carry this message to other compulsive debtors, and to practice these principles in all of our affairs.” The path of transformation means participating more and more in God’s fervor for the world. It is not about “Me”. It is about “Other”.

Until local church leaders (I am talking about me), leaders of dioceses and judicatories, leaders of the denominations get serious with the members of our “flock” to embrace the values of Jesus, we will continue as the Church to engage in self-destructive and addictive behaviors. Left to our own devices and desires we will succumb to the latest “product” or “fad” that will claim to add value to our life and ministry. There is another way. There is a greater source. There is someone who can add infinite more value to our life.

His name is Jesus.

Love One Another - Brian