Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend the Day of Homiletical Reflection at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis (yes, I'm back in St. Louis ... again). The keynote speaker was Dr. Leonard Sweet, a prolific author, speaker, and preacher whose writing played an interesting role in my life in that he helped me understand myself (yes, I once confused myself as much as I continue to confuse others).
While his primary topic was something to the effect of preaching the church through the perfect storm, with the storm being the convergance of post-modernity, post-Christendom, and post-scale), he made a couple of points that really struck a chord with me. The first deals with the idea of how we, as a church, can offer people "more".
When we offer "more" we have two options, the first way, which also happens to be the most common, is offering a "better" version of what we already have. In the church world this tends to be slicker productions, older liturgies, better music (organ, bells, or band), and an increased number of programs or educational opportunities. The basic philosophy runs with the idea that we're doing the right things, but they aren't going to work unless we do them "better" (note how this happens in traditional and non-traditional churches alike).
For another way to look at it, I'll point to one of Len's examples ... the XBox 360 and PS3 are the video game version of "more" in the "better" sense. They have improved graphics, sound, controllers, games, and speed. However, there's a different kind of "more" out there, one personified by the Nintendo Wii, which doesn't have anywhere near the memory or processor power of the XBox 360 or PS3, but it does offer "more" in that it is "different" and therefore has a radically different impact on the users experience (and as a result, stores can't keep them on the shelves).
For me, when I've been involved in churches where we try to do "more" in the "better" sense, it has always left me feeling like I was in "The Little Shop of Horrors" with the ministry being Audrey II and me being her next meal. This reality (which has huge connections into the doctrine of vocation) is a primary reason why I've haven't pursued the big, flash, sexy, "more as better" ministry that so many people expected me to start.
Rather, for me, "more as different" is the goal. It's not being different for the sake of being different, rather, it's how can a ministry shape lives that flow from grace and are, as a result, "more" because they are "different" from the lives that the rest of the world lives. This was the kind of "more" that reshaped the world in the 1st Century and it's the kind of "more" that I'm convinced our world needs today.
I like this idea in many ways. I think taking this route can get us out of much of the over saturation we are already living in and concentrate on many things that matter more but the saturation has passed by.
Instead of living like a PS3 we can live like a wii.....
This is part of the reason I've made the decision to step back from the music ministry at PWC. It's been turning into more and more of a performance than worship. At least, that's the direction one or more band members would like to take it. I would put a lot of time into choosing songs to fit and add to the message, but others wanted to add songs just because they were new and "cool".
I want to spend the summer refocusing and studying. I told the band that I'll let them know in September what my plans are at that point. Maybe God has other plans for me. I'm going to try and slow down and listen.
What and bold and difficult decision to make ... and yet one that I am sure will be very worth your while.