There's A Church in the Valley by the Wildwood - An Outdoor Worship Experience With the Presbyterians

“There’s a church in the valley by the wildwood,

No lovelier spot in the dale;

No place is so dear to my childhood

As the little brown church in the vale.”

So began the morning worship at the First Presbyterian Church of Hudson, PC(USA). I had been invited by the Reverend Sue Tinker to join the congregation in an outdoor worship experience at one of the local parks in town. In my continued quest to explore and participate in Christianity in 21^st century America, I found my time with this small faith community both enlightening and concerning.

When I arrived I was warmly greeted by members of the congregation. One woman in particular went out of her way to make me feel welcomed and part of the community, which I very much appreciated. There were probably about twenty of us gathered out under the picnic pavilion. What struck me at first was the maturity of those gathered. No one was under the age of 45, with the exception of the pastor. At times in the service, my mind drifted as I looked around at those who had assembled wondering what is the future of the American branch of Christianity if we continue to serve only “the greatest generation” and the like? Why are the established denominations of the Church making so few inroads into the “X’ and “Y” generations?

A few years back, Pope Benedict (not a celebrity I regularly quote from) speaking to a group of clergy in Rome made a statement that has remained with me to this day: “There is no longer evidence of a need for God, even less of Christ. The so-called traditional churches look like they are dying.” Judging from what I experienced on Sunday, the pontiff may be correct.

In a piece entitled, “The Sad State of Religion in the U.S.”, the author Davidson Loehr writes: “When you count the people in the pews on Sunday rather than having a pollster ask whether or not they attend church, fewer than 18% attend church regularly. From 1980 to 2005 in the Southern Baptist Church, baptisms of people between 18 and 34 – in other words, the next generations of leaders – fell 40 percent, from 100,000 in 1980 to 60,000 in 2005.

“But the U.S. population grew by 27% during those 25 years, so the Baptists would have had to baptize 127,000 in 2005 just to stay even; they really fell by 52%. In 2006, the Southern Baptists – who claim six times more members than any other white evangelical church – made a concerted effort to baptize one million people. Not only did they fall over two-thirds short, they actually baptized fewer than they had the year before.”

Loehr went on to say, “You might think that some faith groups must have grown during the last thirty years, and you would be right: atheists and nonbelievers more than doubled in the eleven years between 1990 and 2001, from 14 million to 29 million: from 8% to 14%. There are more than twice as many atheists and nonbelievers as there are evangelical Christians. And since it is hard to believe that all atheists/nonbelievers would be willing to confess that to pollsters, the number is probably much higher. From 2000 to 2005, church attendance fell in all fifty states.” (inewp.com)

The experience on Sunday, reaffirmed my belief that if the institutional Church does not radically change most aspects of its current ministries, styles, and ways, the writing is on the wall and we will be the witnesses to the end of Christianity as we have known it for generations. Yet, in the midst of this demise was there was a clear and abiding sign of hope.

At the portion of the service set aside for community prayer, Sue Tinker asked those of us assembled if there were intercessions, concerns or thanksgivings to be shared. An older man, who had a difficult time standing, rose and spoke eloquently about a struggle he was having while offering thanks for his wife who had stood with him and supported him in this trial. Another woman asked for prayers for her son who was dealing with a grave situation at his work. Another gave thanks for the young people she taught at school and for the blessings received. Another person asked for prayers of thanksgiving for being spared in a traffic accident.

In this moment, the Spirit of God was visibly present and alive as heart spoke to heart. The folks gathered seemed to listen more intently at this portion of the service than they had at any time before. It was clear that these twenty or so members were devoted to one another and the sense of community and belonging was tangible and authentic.

This is where the Body of Christ still has a place – a voice – in our world. From my experience of fifty-one years, one of the most important needs of the human being is that of being part of a community, knowing that there is a place where one belongs. I see this need being expressed regularly on Friday evenings with the members of the High School Band; at my volunteer job at the cable television station, at the weekly DA meeting in Akron, and on Sunday mornings at Church. I know of few places where there can be such authenticity for community than in the Church following the example of Jesus who welcomed one and all.

As I pulled out of the parking lot yesterday reflecting on what I had just experienced, I wondered if a “liturgy” could be created that stripped away all of the unnecessary pious phrases; all of the out dated music in key signatures that made it virtually impossible to sing(!); and all the superfluous verbiage that often plagues our worship. After stripping away the non-essentials, we would be left with the words of the Scriptures, the power of intercessory prayer, the sharing of bread and wine in memory of our Master, and the vulnerability of being in authentic community. It sounds like an Acts 2:42 community to me.

Love One Another - Brian