Emergent Church Movement

On Sunday, I was handed a news release entitled, "Emergent church movement comes to Sandpoint." The article was written by David Gunter, who is a feature correspondent for the Bonner County Daily.

 

The article is announcement of a new church start, I suppose in Sandpoint, located somewhere in Bonner County. It compares the present situation of the Church of Jesus Christ with that of the Great Reformation and even the human history of Jesus. Quoting the new start Pastor, Bob Evans, the article suggests that the Catholic Church at the time of Martin Luther failed to appreciate the radical actions and demands of the movement that resulted from Luther's theological disagreement with the Church. In the same vein, the Temple and synagogue at the time of Jesus failed to embrace his challenge to their traditional faith practices.

 

Evan's argument is that the Church today resides amid the chaos of such change. Like the 500 year cycle of seismic shifts that are suggested in Phyllis Tickle's "The Great Emergence," today's cultural changes demand that the Church of Jesus Christ change radically. If the Church is to survive, if it is to remain relevant to and within the newly developing culture, that Church will need to recapture a form of faith that precedes Pauline Christianity. That is, we need to recover the faith formation and spirituality of the "Historical Jesus." 

 

There is nothing new here for those who have been striving for decades to understand the cultural changes that necessitate spiritual evolution. Shiloh Church has been laboring for years to become the "Emergent Church" in a traditional setting. The questions raised by the article are important, but perhaps for a much different reason that the author or the Pastor intended.

 

The question is not whether or not a new church start can be the Emergent Church. The question is whether existing congregations, some traditional and historical, can change to become the Emergent Church. Is it possible for existing congregations to retool, both theologically and practically, to represent the faith and spirituality of Jesus? Is it necessary for existing congregations to go out of existence and new church starts to replace them? Can the Church be reformed?

 

The evidence remains mixed, even at Shiloh. Can the congregation represent emergent thinking and theology? Can it free itself enough from trappings of traditional and historical Christianity that it becomes relevant once again in a newly developing culture? Can a church population, traditionally and historically trained, change its thinking and behavior, or will everyone leave? 

 

Shiloh is, in many ways, a test case for the Emerging Church movement. Our time, talent, prayers and effort have, for more than a decade now, been dedicated to developing an emergent theology and practice from the traditional and historical foundations of the Church of Jesus Christ.

 

Shiloh relies upon the dedication, vision and focus of its members and friends to direct us toward cultural and social relevancy. We wish Sandpoint the very best in its new church start. We will pray for them. Perhaps they are the future of the Church of Jesus Christ.

 

See You Sunday! 

Culture Shock

I have been invited to speak at quite a few events recently, some in the wider church realm and some in the educational community. Most of the invitations have come with the plea to speak on how changes in the culture are leading to changes in the Church of Jesus Christ. I have written on these issues fairly widely here in The Shiloh Insider. I encourage readers to look back through the posts to attain a clearer vision of just how culture is leading the way in a universal church spiritual evolution.

 

It is something of a surprise, then, when I speak before an audience of persons who have seemingly never heard of such cultural influence on the Church. For many, the news of a changing culture directly impacting the direction of the Church catches them like deer in headlights. The news is met with icy stares. Heads shake. Tongues wag. "How dare he say such things?"

 

The first series of books on the subject of a changing culture shaping the future of the Church, at least within my experience, were published by The Alban Institute in the mid-1990's. Almost twenty years have passed since "Congregational Megatrends" was published. Of course, the initial writing took place almost thirty years after the advent of cultural transition. By the time we reach Thomas Friedman,'s "The World is Flat," in 2005, cultural transitions had taken full hold on the future formation of the church universal.

 

This is not news to those in and around Shiloh Church. We are fully aware that the digital age has brought new means of communication and information sharing that have rendered the old-world religious institutions irrelevant and counter-intuitive. Increased individualism and a distinctly anti-institutional attitude have led persons to opt for spirituality instead of organized religion. While the numbers of those who consider themselves "spiritual" has held fairly constant, the number of those who belong to any religious institution has diminished by more than half.

 

It is shocking that people in churches and the academy seem unwilling to notice. They certainly seem unwilling to change. This next step in the spiritual evolution of religion necessitates that the church become a training ground for the spiritually equipped. The Church must begin to understand itself as a means of the salvation of the global family of God, not so much by coming out from the world but by investing in its systems. If we fail, we die. If we refuse, we cease to exist. If we do not know, our ignorance brings the Church to the brink of extinction.

 

This week's contribution to The Shiloh Insider is therefore a call to my colleagues, to middle judicatory personnel, to denominational representatives, to church members and all who have a stake in the future of religious institutions of any kind, be emboldened in declaring the next phase of our spiritual evolution. Embrace it fully. Then, plan with us to alter the religious institutions of our age. If we do not, out fate is already written. If we succeed in changing the religious institutions to be more about the developing spirituality of persons in and around the Church, then we have at least a chance of survival.

 

See You Sunday!

Installation

A friend and colleague invited me to preach at his installation service this past weekend. On Friday, Lisa, my wife, and I traveled to Evansville, Indiana, where we had served a congregation before coming to Dayton, Ohio in 2000. On Saturday, I had some discussion with some of the church staff members and leaders. On Sunday, I delivered the message at my friend's installation.

 

Several things arise from the experience. As a rule, I do not attend installation services. I find the liturgy pedantic and tedious. I find the robing of clergy an arrogant example of what is wrong with trying to help laypersons embrace their own empowerment, when there is clearly a division for those who are "called to ministry." As a rule, I find the entire process a painful reminder of precisely that which younger generations find to be stuffy and repugnant about church life.

 

I do not know if others feel this way, but lack of clergy support and low attendance at this past weekend's installation service seem to indicate that there is something here that is not functioning. There were very few clergy colleagues in attendance. There was little wider church support, outside of those who had an official role in the ceremonies. Clergy robed...or most of them did. Despite the fact that they were "set apart," there was scant involvement.

 

The congregation was only partially in attendance. Clearly, this was not a pivotal event in the life of the congregation. Despite the fact that it was the installation of the congregation's newly called Pastor, people from the congregation were simply not present. One might assume that such a pivotal event in the life of the church might be marked with wide involvement of those for whom the installation is taking place. Scant support from clergy colleagues and low congregational attendance indicate that there is something lacking in the process of installing UCC Pastors.

 

The service was a good one. Several people provided excellent charges. The music was plentiful and well thought out as part of the service. The Installed Pastor provided a very warm and engaging benediction. There was just no energy. There was no excitement. Persons under the age of 40 would have been bored and easily distracted. I imagine persons in any but the present age category, which may have averaged somewhere in the 60's or 70's, noting to not again attend a service of installation.

 

How can we breathe some excitement into the process of clergy installation? How can we make it less about the establishment and maintenance of a "clergy class" and more about the congregational calling and empowerment? How can we draw congregation members and clergy colleagues to be present, even if they are not directly involved?

 

These issues are, I think, rather important in how the church understands what it is doing, how it sees itself, and how it embodies the ministry and mission of Jesus Christ. It will certainly cause me to rethink installation services, and how they might be occasions for congregational joy and celebration.

 

What do you think?

 

 

 

   

 

 

Intrigue Expands

Last week, I wrote of the intrigue within the Ohio Conference of the United Church of Christ and its five component Associations. You may recall that the Ohio Conference Council decided to either ratify for implementation or ratify for study a proposal from a task group that had been named to study the systemic issues of Ohio's middle judicatory. Whether the proposal is ratified for study or implementation is a matter of debate, depending upon the source of information.

 

Last May, a group of those responsible for strategic planning within SONKA travelled to Columbus to meet with the Conference Minister and representatives from the other Ohio Associations. The theme was just such an investigation of the middle judicatory structure in Ohio. During that meeting, the SONKA contingent, of which I was a part, suggested that the Conference/Association dilemma in Ohio be resolved in favor of the Associations, and that the Conference be reformed as a collegium of the five Associations, thus reducing redundancy and unneeded overhead.

 

The Conference proposal recommended the centralization of staffing and OCWM collection and control  to the Conference level, thereby eliminating those actions from the Association level. This proposal was made without Association input or participation, outside of those representatives that sit on the Conference Council.

 

The intrigue expands. Last week, churches and leaders received a letter of resignation from Conference Minister, Bob Molsberry, who is moving to St. Louis, where he will serve a local church and be nearer to his children and grandchildren. We wish Rev. Molsberry all the best in his transition and future service in the Webster Groves community. But we wonder what the Conference Council will now do with the proposal that was made just weeks before. Will the Council adopt the proposal as implementable direction, or will it now construct as thorough study in and throughout the Conference? Will the conversation or implementation include Association leadership? How?

 

As the music rises in the background, SONKA's strategic planning team suspects a coming crescendo. If we are to avoid the coming cymbal crash, maybe it is time that Conference and Association leadership sit and work through some of the details, as the strategic planning team from SONKA attempted almost a year ago.

 

Ohio and northern Kentucky cannot yet claim with certainty the shape and structure of its future middle judicatory. What we have is not working, that is for sure. Just what we will shape as a result remains a matter of intrigue and contention.

 

See You Sunday!    

Intrigue in Ohio

Ohio is unique across the national United Church of Christ. Of the thirty-nine Conferences that make up the UCC, Ohio is the only one with strong Association organizations and a strong centralized Conference. There is a fair amount of resulting redundancy in the functions of the Associations and the Conference. Due primarily to shrinking OCWM dollars and the diminishing numbers of those involved, the middle judicatory level of our denomination must either change or die.

 

At a recent meeting of the Ohio Conference Council, the group heard a proposal from a task force that had been named to study the dilemma. Their recommendation, and that of the Ohio Conference Minister, has been interesting to those who have been in leadership in the Associations. The proposal seeks to further centralize the staffing and financial control of the Associations under the rubric of the Conference. No longer would monies flow through Associations to the Conference. If this proposal were established as practice, all OCWM contributions would flow from the Conference to Associations. Staff configurations would also be determined by the Conference. Associate Conference Ministers would be responsible for the regional and area functions now performed by Association Ministers. The number, site placement and function of each Associate Conference Minister would be determined by the Conference.

 

As one might imagine, there is a fair amount of push back coming from Association leadership. Association leadership wants to maintain control of OCWM financial contribution, as well as function, site placement and number of staff.

 

The process of developing the Conference proposal did not include Association leadership. Many of the Ohio Association leaders are planning alternative proposals that reverse the control and judicatory function to Associations instead of the Conference.

 

There is great intrigue in the Ohio Conference of the United Church of Christ. How will the middle judicatory change to meet the challenges of decline and diminishing dollars? Will we have a centralized Conference or reasonably autonomous Associations? The local churches can no longer support both.

 

I invite you to become part of the conversation by planning now to attend the Spring Association Meeting of the Southwest Ohio Northern Kentucky Association, where we will discuss in plenary and small groups, both the Conference proposal and any that might come from a joint effort of Ohio Associations. That meeting will take place on Saturday, April 27. It is to take place at one of our congregations in northern Kentucky. Why not make an overnight of it and combine it with some fun and fellowship?

 

See You Sunday!

Marching on Jerusalem

Lent begins on Wednesday. As unbelievable as it might seem, Ash Wednesday is this week. Shiloh Church will recognize the change of liturgical season with a special evening Ash Wednesday service, which will start at 7:00 p.m. in the church's sanctuary.

 

Because Ash Wednesday is this week, Shiloh is suspending its Bible @ Boston's program for a week. There will be no session on February 13. The program will resume on the 20th, with an examination of I and II Timothy, followed on the 27th, with study of I, II and III John. The two-year chronological walk through the books of the Bible will come to an end on February 27. Thanks to all who have taken part, to Dave Boston, who allowed us the back room at his bar, and to people bold enough to think about and allow Bible study in a bar.

 

But Lent is upon us. Throughout the season, we will walk with Jesus toward Jerusalem, where he will sacrifice himself for the salvation of people everywhere and throughout time. This year's Lenten theme is "Marching on Jerusalem." By using the term, we mean to suggest that Jesus' march on Jerusalem is about the liberation of God's people from the dual powers of sin and death. It is the ultimate act of liberation.

 

Because we are in year "C" of the Revised Common Lectionary, and because I choose, as a personal and professional discipline, to follow that lectionary, our focus will remain on the Gospel According to Luke. Written sometime after the fall of Jerusalem in 70, probably during a time of persecution, like that under Domitian, in the 80's and 90's, Luke's Gospel is written to a Gentile community. Its agenda is the recruitment of Gentile followers for Christ. Its Christology is unique among the Gospels. in Luke, Jesus is superhuman, sent from God to serve as Savior of all humankind, universal and cosmic.

 

Luke's Gospel is also concerned with social justice and civil rights. This Gospel is as much about the equality of those who had been systemically rejected in Jesus' day, as perhaps now, as it is about the reformation of the synagogue and Temple. Jesus seeks in Luke to change the people and systems that reject the lame, the blind, the oppressed, the prisoner, the poor and the genetically "other." Luke's Jesus leads us on a march on Jerusalem, where we demonstrate concern and care for those who suffer at the hands of our systems and cultural prejudices.

 

Join us each Sunday through the Lenten season. March on Jerusalem with us, and with Jesus. Be a part of the movement that claims equality and justice for the invisible and unmentionable populations of our age. Come and walk beside us, as we accompany Jesus in the work of universal liberation.

 

See You Sunday!

Spiritual Evolution

I have been thinking lately about the possibility of spiritual evolution.

 

Accepting the science of physical evolution, that species, through time, develop in ways that better suit survival in changing environmental systems, I am interested in the notion of the same survival mechanisms in the realm of spirituality.

 

Let me explain my curiosity.

 

The recent inauguration of an African-American President, juxtaposed with the celebration of the ministry of the champion of the Civil Rights Movement in America, has led me to wonder about cultural change. Is cultural change actually an aspect of a spiritual evolution? Is the move toward wider acceptance and embrace of cultural diversity less about cultural maturity than it is an indication of progressing spirituality?

 

Since around 1968, American culture has been undergoing seismic shift. Characterized, as such cultural shifts seem to be, with means of communication, (This new age is often referred to as "The Digital Age," or the "Technological Revolution.") the shift in which we find ourselves is about electronics and technology. While it is dehumanizing and isolating, at least at its onset, the shift is also characterized by a renewed acceptance of ethnic, behavioral, racial and gender diversity.

 

Perhaps, our culture has matured to the point where we sense that it is in our best interest to accept persons who are different from us. Maybe the acceptance of diversity is simply a utilitarian aspect of communal life. Thomas Friedman may have approached suggesting such a thing in his 2005 book, "The World is Flat." As our communities expand, due mainly to improvements in information and communication, our experiences of other cultures and life-styles expands. As our experience expands, our acceptance increases.

 

Perhaps there is something more powerful afoot here. Maybe the correlation between expanded communication and increasing acceptance is simply part and parcel of our improved spiritual existence. More than simple utility, maybe a spiritual relationship with a progressive divinity is compelling us toward, forward, outward.

 

Is spiritual evolution as much a part of the human story as a physical evolution? Does our sense of being improve through time, and is its culmination qualitatively different than what our religious tradition refers to as "The Kingdom of God?"  I choose to entertain the possibility, if not the probability, of a spiritual evolution that accompanies or leads our physical one. Maybe there is not much difference between the worlds of science and spirituality.

 

What do you think? Spiritual evolution?

The Cost of Discipleship

I spent much of the day on January 21 watching dual events. The primary event that held my interest was the celebration and recognition of the ministry of Martin Luther King, Jr. Though I had seen many of the scenes, and heard most of the stories of the Civil Rights movement in America, for several decades, I was moved again by the willingness of those at the head of the movement to step so far out against segregation. Certainly, they knew that what they were doing was dangerous. Certainly, they understood that their involvement was likely to cost them their lives.

 

I saw in many of the historical documentation, whether print or film, names like Andrew Young and Jesse Jackson. I saw Harry Bellefonte and white clergy leaders who marched alongside their brothers. Each of them had something meaningful to lose. Each had compelling reason to remain silent in the face of considerable social pressure.

 

I was moved again by the power of the movement, by the nearly intuitive right of all humans to live with equal rights. I was astounded again by the ignorance of those who were deeply convinced that it was right to restrict civil rights to particular types.

 

I changed the channel to watch coverage of the Presidential inauguration. There, standing before tens of thousands of supporters and interested onlookers, was an African-American man, Barack Obama, who was sworn into his second term as this nation's President.

 

The juxtaposition was providential. The cost of discipleship, paid by King and others in the civil rights movement of the 60's, was repaid, some fifty years hence, with an American President who just happens to be of color. King's assassination gave birth to genuine social change. King's ministry made possible the inauguration of Barack Obama.

 

Whether or not we agree wholeheartedly or in part with Barack Obama's policies, we must see his Presidency as the result of half-a-century's worth of struggle for equal rights. Obama is product of   the maturation of our culture. He is a sign that America has approached the will of God, that all humans are seen as equal, despite the insignificance of their skin color.

 

Therefore, I make a simple request. Whether or not you believe in the policies of this Presidency, whether or not you embrace Obama's social and economic policies, I would very much appreciate if you were to extend to him the respect of his office and his historical significance. Please refrain from calling names and using political epithets. I am offended by them. In the centuries to come, I am convinced that this Presidency will be seen as a turning point in American history.

 

I hope that this Presidency leads us nearer to God's kingdom. I pray for it. Whether or not you like the party or the politics, I hope that you join me in that prayer.   

Life Long Learning Institute

Once again, I will be teaching a class at the University of Dayton's Life Long Learning Institute. The class will run from January 14 through the end of February. Class sessions are scheduled for Mondays, from 12:30-2:30 at UD's River Campus. Registration for the class is full, with a waiting list, and is now closed to further registrations.

 

The class is entitled "You Believe...What?" The course sub-title actually gives away more of the course content. "Comparative New Testament Literary Diversity as a Source for Contemporary Theological Diversity." The course is actually more about the diversity of New Testament literature than it is about our theological differences today. Understanding that theological foundations differ, however, and realizing the distinct way that those literary streams have flown throughout subsequent history, gives us particular insight into what divides us theologically today.

 

The theological diversity of New Testament literature is actually part of Shiloh's Confirmation program curriculum. Many of you, who have been around Shiloh for some time, have seen the basic information. It consists of a chart that lists the five component parts of systematic theology: Christology, Pneumatology, Anthropology, Soteriology and Ecclesiology. The chart then divides the four periods of literary New Testament development: Apostolic Age, Gospel Era, Institutionalization, and Historical Jesus. The chart demonstrates that each phase of New Testament literary development results in distinct systematic theologies.

 

Though we are largely unaware of it being the case, much of our current theological diversity stems from the divergent view of New Testament literature. Much of it stems from scriptural diversity, but certainly not all of it. We must also admit that very few of us, including denominations and theologians, share theologies that are shaped systematically. Truth be told, each of us picks and chooses parts of theological constructs that do not necessarily cooperate with others that we might favor. These two factors, I think, give rise to contemporary theological diversity.

 

Because the traditions that we embrace are less than systematic theologically, and because individuals tend to accept the teachings of the traditions in which they were raised, much contemporary theological belief resembles an ala carte menu from which we make fairly random selections. Much of our contemporary theological diversity lies somewhere in the gap between systematic theology and the lack of systematic theology in our traditions and personal belief systems.

 

I think that is probably a good thing. There is really no need for us all to believe or act alike. There is no requirement of detailed unity in the Christian Church. Perhaps if we spent as much time and energy understanding and accepting the views of others as we spend in defending our own views, the world would be a more peaceful place.

 

When Shiloh completes the initial curriculum at Boston's - 6:00-7:00 on Wednesday evenings - we will likely utilize this same curriculum. I am happy to be part of UD's LLI program, and to offer what we already do here at Shiloh to the wider community. 

New Year

Welcome to 2013. Thankfully, 2012 is now behind us. In many ways, 2012 was a difficult year. It was filled with tragedy, partisan politics, and natural disaster. It was characterized by continuing warfare and the meteoric rise of social media run amok.

One particular cultural development, perhaps central to much of the character of 2012, was the ability and willingness of persons, whether on social media sites or through political campaigns, to print or say absolutely erroneous things about others, without repercussion. Fact finding political pundits built careers around debunking claims that were made in the campaigns of 2012. So egregious were the misrepresentations that one such political pundit claimed that nothing said in a political ad was to be believed.

 

The same was true on social media sites. On such sites, people are free to claim anything that they see fit to claim. They can write anything about anyone. Many do. Electronic bullying runs rampant on facebook and twitter. Certainly, much of that which is claimed against persons  on social media sites is overstated, or foundationally untrue.

 

This leads me to make a suggestion for 2013. What if we, members and friends of Shiloh Church, were to take a stand against personal attacks of any kind? What if we refused to heed news reports that sensationalized the deeds and foibles of celebrities? What if we refused to be swayed by personal attacks on politicians or persons in authority? What if it were not okay with us to tear others down in order to build up one's self, or to support one's own opinion over that of the other?

 

Can the Church take a stand against personal attack? Can we each act in such a way that we begin to formulate, at least around ourselves, an attack-free zone?

 

In 2013, I resolve to tolerate no personal attack. I vow to stand against those that are made in my presence, and to call those that I come into contact with, through social media, for instance, what they are. I would hope that my friends would call me to accountability for those times when I fail to honor this commitment.

 

Perhaps standing against personal attack is a means by which we would restore the fabric that ties us all together. Maybe it is a way for us to construct anew a culture wherein we see one another as brothers and sisters instead of sides of an aisle or sides of an opinion.

 

Will you help in making this a movement? Will you join me?

 

See You Sunday!

 

    

White Christmas

Actually, it has been a white several days after Christmas. Casey, our 22 year-old daughter, and I shoveled six inches of snow around 12:00 noon on Wednesday, December 26, then another 3" at around 4:00 p.m.

 

Two stories come out of the snowstorm.

 

Our snowblower has been in the shop for close to a month. Having used the machine less than a dozen times, this is the second time that it has been in the shop for extended periods. It has a gas leak that no one seems to be able to repair, but it is not safe to use. It just so happens that the fellow who was attempting to repair the snowblower owns a truck with a plow. Because he has my snowblower in his shop, and because he felt badly for his failure to repair it, he came over and plowed a part of our driveway.

 

While dealing with the initial snowfall, Casey and I were assisted by a man who was traveling the neighborhood with his industrial-sized snowblower. He had done several neighboring sidewalks. On seeing us shoveling, he came over and asked if he might save us a little time. Casey and I were several hours into the labor, so we were thankful for the help. I never learned his name and have no way to repay his kindness, except to pass it on to others.

 

I saw others helping neighbors and strangers. Every act of assistance was simply an additional Christmas gift, honoring the spirit of the season. While there was no mention of Jesus in the course of either act of kindness that I personally witnessed during the snowstorm, the generosity and compassion demonstrated were directly in line with the reason for which Jesus had been born.

 

I am reminded also of the woman in New York City who paid $200 to purchase and obviously stolen dog from a fellow whom she suspected to be a criminal. She then took the dog to a vet, who used the embedded chip to return the dog to the owner from which it had been stolen. That was $200 well spent!

 

There are a million such stories.

 

Maybe it is time that we begin to focus on them, instead of telling the tales of theft and violence that seem so prevalent. Perhaps, if we told of kindness and generosity, the telling would foster further acts of compassion. Maybe that is precisely the way to celebrate Christmas, practicing random acts of kindness and telling stories about the acts of others. Maybe that is a good way to progress toward God's kingdom on earth.

 

See You Sunday!

 

 

Sandy Hook

Last Friday, the nation was stunned by yet another senseless act of mass violence, this time at an Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. A 20 year-old gunman, wearing a bullet proof vest and brandishing at least three weapons - one an automatic assault rifle - and bearing literally hundreds of rounds of ammunition, broke a glass door and began a rampage that left 26 dead. The young man obviously intended even more death, but was stopped by those who were first on the devastating scene. In a final act of cowardice, Adam Lanza took his own life.

 

It is now Tuesday of the following week. My disbelief and sorrow has turned to anger. Perhaps unfairly, I am outraged.

 

I am angry at Adam Lanza. He looked innocent children in the face and shot them repeatedly with ammunition that was intended to do maximum damage. He shot some as many as eleven times. He chose these days, approaching Christmas, to engage is unspeakable and intolerable violence. He killed administrators and teachers who sacrificed their own lives to protect the children who had been entrusted to their care.

 

I understand that Adam Lanza suffered from some emotional and mental defect. I understand that he was psychologically damaged. My anger at him may be unfair. It may be better placed with those who allowed him to function, untreated, as a part of society. But Mr. Lanza armed himself intentionally. He put on a kevlar vest to protect himself. Instead of facing the ramifications of his acts, Adam Lanza, as authorities approached, took his own life. He make conscious decisions. He made plans. He intended destruction and devastation. His acts infuriate me.

 

I am angry, too, at his mother, Nancy Lanza. By all accounts, she was a gun enthusiast, who wanted to protect herself and her family. Mrs. Lanza did not act responsibly with her weapons, however. She made it possible that her troubled son might have access to them. ( In a majority of the events of mass-killings, perpetrators used weapons that were either registered to others or purchased illegally.) Mrs. Lanza failed to protect the public from her exercise of individual rights. To do so in unconscionable.

 

I am angry with those who have made the incident about gun control, arguing on both sides of the political debate. I am even angrier with those who have claimed that the event arose out of lack of prayer in public schools. Nothing is more ridiculous! I am even angry with the President, who said, during his address, that "God has called these children home." What? You have got to be kidding me! God did not call these children home. They were killed by a madman. This was an evil event. God did not allow it as part of some divine plan, and the God I know simply grieves with us, is present to us, and remains with us, even in these devastating times.

 

I know that there are other steps in the process of grieving. Right now, I am just angry. Adam Lanza has affected us all this Christmas season. Maybe God can bring my anger to praise. Perhaps God can overcome in me the tendency to blame. Maybe God can help me find some peace.

 

See You Sunday! 

It's Christmas!

It is an interesting phenomenon. Over the past few years, it seems as though Christmas begins for me during the week following Shiloh's Christmas musical. Don't misunderstand, I have completed the vast majority of my Christmas shopping, the house is decorated, and I am all but ready for the Christmas celebrations. Some of these tasks were completed weeks ago.

 

But it has not yet felt like Christmas.

 

Do you know what I mean?

 

There is something, deep down inside, that either does or does not feel like Christmas. To this point, Christmas has been a list of to-do's. It has been an addendum to my already impossible calendar. Things that I have to get done. People that I need to see. Places that I need to go. Cards to buy and mail. Decorations to hang. Lights to adjust. Parties to attend. Presents that I need to get. Clothes to plan and prepare. The list goes on and on.

 

To feel like Christmas, however, requires none of these things, I suppose. Maybe the lights and decorations and presents and carols get in the way of the real Christmas season. Now, I am not just referring to "Jesus as the reason for the season." I mean to suggest, instead, that there is something deep within each of us that resonates with the foundational experience of Christmas. At it's core, Christmas represents the onset of God's work among us. It represents God's love for God's people. This love is universal in nature and character. It is not just for those who rightly believe or rightly practice, or who believe exclusively that "Jesus is the reason for the season."

 

Perhaps the feeling comes with Shiloh's Christmas musical. Maybe it is from the Shiloh staff Christmas party, which has just happened to fall, over the last few years, on the weekend on the musical. It may be the more than 70 families that Shiloh is able to help this Christmas season, as an outcome of our annual golf outing. It may be the 120-some bags of food that Shiloh collected for the local food pantries, or the Heifer Project International Ark that Shiloh will, once again this year, provide for needy families and communities around the globe.

 

Whatever the case, I feel the love of God being poured out for all people this Christmas season. The feeling is palpable and overt. I hope you see it. I hope you feel it. I hope that you can join me in being a part of its planting in the world.

 

Merry Christmas! See you Sunday!    

The Christmas Musical, "Come and See"

This coming Sunday, December 9, Shiloh Church offers its annual Christmas Musical, "Come and See." The Musical will be presented at both 10:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. and will feature Shiloh's joint choirs, handbells, an all-volunteer orchestra, the congregation's new pipe organ console, sacred and secular selections, and a good time for all.

 

Shiloh's music department operates under the direction of Mr. Mark Barnhill. Mark is assisted by Martha Kirkland and Linda Peterson. Shiloh's organist is Rev. Aaron Sheaffer, who has served at Shiloh for several decades. The Pastoral staff is comprised of Rev. Dick Van Tine, Pastor Jay McMillen and myself, Rev. Carl E. Robinson. The office staff consists of Business Manager, Judy Peck, Administrative Assistant, Ashley Pack, and a host of volunteers. Our building and grounds staff includes Facility Manager, Sid Manley, and Custodian, Ken Todd. Decorations have been coordinated under the direction of volunteer, Connie Neef, who also happens to serve on Shiloh's Worship Committee.

 

Another interesting feature of this year's musical will be a reception that takes place immediately following each of the two presentations. Thanks to Shiloh's Hospitality Team, participants and audience of the musical can meet and greet, while sharing light refreshments in a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Glenna Higgins is assisted by JoAnne Orihood, who, together, shape Shiloh's Hospitality team.

 

Come and join Shiloh Church at its annual Christmas musical. Start your holiday celebrations with us. "Come and See" the magical message of the birth of Christ Jesus. The musical will be presented this coming Sunday, December 9, at both 10:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.

 

See you Sunday! 

The New Chancel

Shiloh Church is growing into its newly expanded chancel. We suspected that it would take some time for members and friends to explore the vast array of possibilities that the new chancel affords us. I am pleased to say that Shiloh is investigating some of those opportunities in creative and imaginative ways.

 

This week, on Tuesday and Wednesday, volunteers will gather in the sanctuary to begin the process of Christmas decoration. The process promises to be a bit of trial and error. Because of the expanded chancel, the decorations will not be the same as they have been for the past decades. Worship Committee has been working hard to plan for the changes, and has a couple of possibilities. None of us will be certain just how it will all come together, however, until we actually get in there and begin hanging the greens.

 

As planning has progressed for the Christmas Musical, presented at both 10:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 9, Shiloh's Music Director, Mark Barnhill, has been working at ways to fit the entire production to our new chancel. Because of the 12' extension in the rear, and 4' expansion in in front, we are fairly confident that the entire production will be presented from the chancel. There should be no need to move chairs or place part of the production on the floor.

 

Shiloh members and friends may have noticed that the chancel expansion project has included a new lift. The lift resides on the left side of the chancel, as one faces the front, behind the piano. It is barely visible, unless one walks to the side of the chancel and notices the mechanism. With the inclusion of the lift, the project is now complete.

 

Shiloh is fortunate to have had the ability to have done a vast majority of the work itself, relying on staff and volunteer labor. While we ran considerably over budget, the project would have cost us at least $54,000 more, had we not been able to rely on doing the labor ourselves.

 

As I have been saying frequently, way to go Shiloh!  

The Holiday Bazaar

If one considers Shiloh's Fall Fair and the Holiday Bazaar as a continuation of the congregation's annual "Shiloh Church Fair," this past weekend marks Shiloh's 70th annual celebration. Five years ago, Shiloh moved the single event back to its own facility from Hara Arena, split the event into two separate ones, and continued the tradition. The leadership of Shiloh Church has since wondered whether or not the event(s) could be so successful as they had been.

 

Thanks to the efforts of countless persons throughout the congregation, I can certainly claim for the leadership and staff of Shiloh Church that this year's Holiday Bazaar was a huge success.

 

To make that claim, however, the congregation has to understand why we hold such an event. The "Annual Shiloh Church Fair," now "Fall Fair" and "Holiday Bazaar," has never been primarily about money. I can think of at least three more compelling reasons for holding the annual event(s).

 

One: Shiloh Church pulls together to hold the event. The dual events would simply be impossible without persons in the church who take responsibility for the hard work that it takes to make crafts, bake delicious pies, cakes, breads, muffins, etc, make candy, mincemeat and feed hungry shoppers. members and friends of the church spend countless hours in gathering and creating the goods that we sell. The unity formed by working together is palpable throughout the events.

 

Two: Shiloh Church attracts the neighborhood and community. Interestingly enough, the first two persons in line for Friday's opening of the Holiday Bazaar were from Beavercreek. Folks come from far and wide to attain the goods that Shiloh sells. We saw and met more of our neighbors this year than ever before, particularly on Saturday.

 

Three: Shiloh Church practices and extravagant welcome. Those who came to the Holiday Bazaar were affected by the congregation's warm welcome and enthusiasm. The humor became infectious. The mood spread quickly through the crowd. People left smiling and laughing. It is no exaggeration to claim that those who came had a great time.

 

Oh, by the way, alongside working together to provide our community and neighborhood a warm and extravagant welcome, Shiloh raised over $11,000 toward expanding the congregation's ministry. Has it worked to bring the event back to Shiloh from Hara? Yes. Has Shiloh accomplished what it hopes to achieve through the Fall Fair and Holiday Bazaar? Yes. Is it worth it for the congregation to build upon 70 years of tradition? Oh, yes!

 

Thanks to all who helped. Thanks to all who came. If you have yet been involved in the Fall Fair and/or Holiday Bazaar, let this stand as your invitation. Work has already begun on next year's event(s). Join us!   

What a Week!

It is my custom to proclaim at the start of Shiloh's weekly 8:30 a.m. Sunday Mediation Service that this has been yet another busy week in the life of Shiloh Church. It is the closest that that particular service comes to liturgy, as its structure is mainly reflection on and around the Revised Common Lectionary text(s) for the week.

 

I said it again yesterday. As usual, I sincerely meant it. Shiloh is an amazingly busy place. Let me show you a slice of what that statement entails.

 

Shiloh spent months in planning and preparing for the fall meeting of the Southwest Ohio Northern Kentucky Association, which was to be held here at Shiloh on November 10. The planning and preparation certainly paid off. Shiloh's hard work was evident. From the remarkable hospitality, to the great food, to the shape of the facility, those who gathered were impressed. Thanks to Shiloh's Hospitality Team, people felt an extravagant welcome. Thanks to the Next Steps caterers, actually a fundraising arm of Shiloh's chancel expansion, the breakfast, snacks and lunch were wonderful. Thanks mainly  to Sid Manley, the facility was ready for visitors, including those with physical limitations, who might otherwise not have been able to reach Shiloh's renovated chancel.

 

Mostly, the success of the fall association meeting was due to the energetic tone that was established by the joint Discovery Teams. Their unique brand of praise music and sincere worship leadership carried the day. Even the keynote, provided by Ohio Conference Minister, Bob Molsberry, was affected by our Team's leadership. Particularly, the addition of "Big Mighty God" into the context of Molsberry's message of statistical decline overshadowed what might have seemed hopeless or negative. Thanks to you who serve on our Discovery Teams. Your ministry has touched the entire Association!

 

Last night, Sunday, November 11, after our 7:00 p.m. Discovery Time service, the teams and volunteers helped to remove the chairs from the front of the sanctuary, in preparation for Shiloh's 70th annual Holiday Bazaar. Again, Shiloh has spent months in preparation, planning, collecting materials, crafting,  baking, making mincemeat, and cleaning. The congregation is ready to welcome our friends and neighbors in for holiday decorations, baked goods, antiques, jewelry, artwork, raffles, and a few meals together. The Holiday Bazaar will be held this coming Friday and Saturday, at Shiloh Church.

 

Remember the congregation's annual meeting, scheduled for December 2, immediately after the 10:30 service.

 

Yet another busy week at Shiloh Church! See you at the Bazaar!

   

For Whom to Vote

Our home telephone has been inundated the past few weeks with robo-calls, live appeals and personal requests that ask that we vote for one candidate for another. Perhaps out of curiosity, or maybe the political process has worn me down to the point of helplessness, I actually took a few moments the other day to be part of one of the "polls." The questions were about the state of the economy, and how I feel as an Ohio citizen. I answered as best I could. At the end of the poll, the live questioner asked, "So, does that mean that you will be voting for (candidate X) on Tuesday?"

 

"Ummm, no," I said. "I will be voting for (candidate Y)." The caller proceeded to argue with my decision, even though all the answers that I provided were consistent and logical. She continued to try to convince me to support her candidate, even though I had been clear that I would not. Finally, even more deeply irritated by the current political process and tone of this campaign, I hung up.

 

If I were to believe everything that attack ads have claimed about candidates in this election, I would not vote for any of them. The process has become ridiculous and revolting. It insults our intelligence and attacks the personhood of those who are willing to run. It is disgusting. It is embarrassing.

 

Unfortunately, it is the only process that we have available to us. Therefore, I try to rise above the muck and determine for whom to vote. I have decided.

 

Let me help you decide for whom to vote.

 

If you know what a candidate stands for, and if you believe in what that candidate claims, then vote for her or him. If you think that what a person offers is best for whatever level of government that person is running for, then vote for that persons. Be clear, however. Do not be manipulated by the empty, meaningless drone of the media or the vitriol of opposing parties or special interests. Do not concern yourself with what a candidate is not or does not, that she or he failed to do this or that, that a candidate lacks qualities that have absolutely nothing to do with public service, or that he "no longer beats his spouse, tortures kittens, or steals from the church offering plate."

 

Rise above it. Learn that for which a candidate stands. Vote exclusively on that standard. Then, after the election, work with whomever is elected to form a more perfect union. Work side by side with those who voted for the other candidate. Join, hand in hand, to fix the problems that we face as communities, states and a nation. Repair the damage done by the election and campaign process. Let the purpose of shaping a great nation, great states, and great communities override the partisanship and biases that have victimized us all.

 

Vote. Then work with whomever is elected. God's kingdom is available to those who rise above it in order to bring God's will to the process of being a people.

 

See You Sunday! 

Under the Radar

Many times, both here at Shiloh Church and in the wider community, the efforts of those who work behind the scenes seems to function "under the radar." I want to take just a moment to thank some of those who work there.

 

Thanks to Trey and Larry Jones. The Next Steps chancel renovation is complete, though Shiloh has yet to receive contributions that match the expense of the project. Larry and Trey helped us move toward meeting the expense with their effort. Last Friday, in the cold rain, Larry and Trey helped me load and deliver to a recycling center the aluminum siding that the Robinson family had replaced with vinyl. It was a day-long effort. Larry and Trey helped raise $478.00 toward the Next Steps expense. All they got out of it was a free lunch. Thanks, Larry and Trey!

 

Thanks to all those who worked in the Pumpkin Patch. Because of the efforts of all those who singed up to work shifts in the patch, who helped unload the two trucks, and those who promoted the patch in the community, Shiloh was able to raise just over its goal of $7,000. That means that Shiloh will generate about $2,100 for its Next Steps fund raising effort. Had Shiloh raised under the $7,000 mark, the congregations would have retained a lower percentage of sales, and netted only about $1,500. Thanks particularly to Jay McMillen, who heads the project. Remember that we are looking for a group in the life of the church to undertake leadership and planning for the Pumpkin Patch. If no one steps forward, 2013 will be our final Pumpkin Patch.

 

Thanks to those who work so hard in the Bake Shoppe. In preparation for the Holiday Bazaar, November 16-17, a large group of individuals have been working night and day, making pies, baking, donating ingredients and coordinating efforts. Particular thanks to Shiloh's music department and to Patty Farinet, who works behind the proverbial green curtain to make it all happen. Thanks to you all!

 

Thanks to Martha Kirkland and her crew for all their hard work in organizing Shiloh's new Pictorial Directory. As most everyone is aware, a pictorial directory is an invaluable tool in congregational life. Thanks to this crew's efforts, the process ran seamlessly. Shiloh should see the new directories soon. By the way, if you were not able to schedule a session, but would like to be included in Shiloh's membership directory, you may still submit a photo. Cost is $10.00. Get those photos to Ashley Pack in the Church Office as soon as possible.

 

Thanks, too, to those who have made the Mincemeat for this year's Holiday Bazaar. For some reason that I cannot quite fathom, there are people in our community who just love Shiloh's homemade mincemeat. (It is not that I do not like Shiloh's version. I cannot imagine meat and fruit in the same concoction.) It is a real draw for the Holiday Bazaar. Thanks for all your efforts! 

 

A special ongoing thanks to Connie Neef, who, week after week, prepares the sanctuary for worship. This has been a particular challenge throughout the Chancel Renovation, but I am certain that members and friends of the church will agree with me that Connie has done an outstanding job.

 

Remember the Fall Association Meeting, scheduled here at Shiloh Church on Saturday, November 10. Members and friends from SONKA's eighty-some congregations will gather for a day of business and worship, featuring Shiloh's own Discovery Team worship leaders. While I am thanking those who fly "under the radar," I think Shiloh needs to express its appreciation for the efforts of our Discovery Team. They practice and lead worship week after week. Their efforts make a difference in what we do here at Shiloh Church. Thanks, Discovery Team!

 

See you all Sunday!

Reformation Sunday

This coming Sunday, October 28, 2012, is Reformation Sunday. While the annual recognition that the United Church of Christ owes its identity at least in part to Reformation theology is part of our corporate memory, we must admit that the occasion barely matters.  I imagine that the lack of interest in Reformation Sunday, and in Reformation theology, is part and parcel of the contemporary church's tendency to remember events but ignore the impact of those events on the present.

 

The contemporary church has thought that Reformation Sunday was a means to remember the past, to wave the memory flag over names like Martin Luther, Ulrich Zwingli and John Calvin. It is a way for us to honor the heroes of the faith, without really considering why those great leaders did what they did, what it cost them, and what they would have us do today.

 

Reformation Sunday is not so much about the 16th century Protestant Reformation in Europe as it as about the willingness and need of the contemporary church to continue the effort of ongoing study, investigation and self-examination. As we learn more and more about the ministry of Christ Jesus, as we more deeply encounter him and his message, we experience the need for new avenues of ministry and service. When our institutional orthodoxies, formal and/or casual, do not allow us to alter actions based on those investigations, then we reject the Reformation spirit. We cling to traditional values and practices, even ones that counter what we have learned about Christ Jesus.

 

Therefore, Reformation Sunday is a challenge for the contemporary church. It dares us to keep alive the spirit of faithfulness to Christ Jesus, as a movement that follows him, wherever his ministry leads us. As we learn increasingly more about Jesus, our practices and traditions must be altered in cooperation with that which we have come to know. Anything less is hypocrisy.

 

Join us this Sunday at Shiloh Church for a look at Reformation spirit, what we have learned about Christ Jesus in through the past few decades, and how that information changes everything that we do as a church.

 

See You Sunday!

Grace over Law

From the beginning of human religious culture, there has been an interesting dynamic between a concentration on LAW and a practice of GRACE. It is a dynamic that lies at the core of contemporary religious conflict. 

 

In the Judeo-Christian tradition, the dynamic between grace and law is first experienced in the ancient literature that forms the foundation of Torah. In the divided kingdoms of the 8th century, in the polemical kingdoms that gave rise to competing historical tales, the northern kingdom reflected in its literature a Royal Theology. The southern kingdom practiced a Covenant Theology, meaning that it defined a conditional relationship with God that was based on adherence to codes of behavior.

 

Both points of view appear in Torah, since much of The Law is derived from editing together the ancient documents of the northern and southern kingdoms. Priests retained both points of view. An oversimplification might suggest the Levitical Priests governed the law codes and the Priests of Melchizedek oversaw the application of grace.

 

When Jesus was born, the Pharisees and Sadducees ruled over the Law codes of Judaism. They placed stern demands on practitioners of Covenant Judaism. To these political and religious leaders, salvation was earned by faithful practice of the law. Salvation was neither freely given, nor easily retained. The Suzerainty relationship between God and God's people was seen as remarkably fragile. If it were broken, by individual unrighteousness, the nation would pay the corporate price for its citizens' unfaithfulness.

 

Jesus rejected this form of relationship with God. He practiced its alternative. Jesus taught and practiced grace. Grace is an unconditional acceptance of every other, based on the notion that all humankind is saved exclusively by God in Christ. Salvation is accomplished for humanity. Men and women do not and cannot earn salvation, because it is a universal human condition that God achieves in Christ Jesus.

 

Within a century of Jesus' Crucifixion/Resurrection, the Church that developed in Jesus' name had returned to a practice of law instead of grace. While the Great Reformation of the 16th century was an attempt to recover the theology of grace, it resulted only in law-based denominationalism.

 

Today, however, the Church stands at the precipice of changing culture. The culture is moving in a direction that demands diversity and universal acceptance. The Church, while lagging behind in the transition from a theology of law to one based in grace, is offered the opportunity to recover an ancient theological stream. Maybe now we can recover the theology of grace. Maybe now the Church of Jesus Christ can return to being an institution free of the restrictions of exclusivistic law to one steeped in inclusivity and universality.

 

The pendulum is swinging between the ancient dynamic of grace and law. Maybe this time we will embrace Jesus Christ.

 

See You Sunday!

Organ Console and Chancel Dedication

Yesterday, October 7, 2012, Shiloh Church United Church of Christ, at its 10:30 a.m. worship service, officially dedicated its new chancel and organ console. In less than a calendar year, Shiloh Church was able to finish the entire project, moving the church's grand facility plan toward completion. 

 

That plan, devised, through a lengthy process, in 2007, consists of updating and renovating the sanctuary, adding an elevator for access to every floor of the facility, a central and identifiable "front entrance," updated bathrooms, hallways, fellowship and educational space. Despite the challenges of economics and lower participation, Shiloh has been able to achieve several portions of this $3.7 million plan. Already the church has renovated the Omega Hall, the Christian Education wing, replaced the antiquated boilers and windows, and now the chancel and organ console.

 

The congregation is well on its way to updating its facility, making this place of worship, study and fellowship more attractive and significantly reducing the church's carbon footprint. Simply replacing the boilers and the windows has saved us tens of thousands of dollars each year, and has greatly reduced our use of non-renewable resources.

 

An upcoming phase of Shiloh's facility plan further reduces our use of the world's resources. As we move toward updating the sanctuary lighting, we know that simply replacing incandescent lighting fixtures with LED lighting is at least 40x more efficient, thereby reducing both costs and the use of the earth's resources.

 

While what Shiloh Church has achieved is remarkable, what lies before us us is at least equally important. While we celebrate the dedication of a remodeled chancel and a new organ console, at a value of something in the neighborhood of $200,000, there are other important projects waiting to be achieved.

 

I hope that members and friends of Shiloh Church feel as energized as I do for the tasks that lie ahead. While we surely deserve to take time to celebrate what has been done, I sincerely hope that those celebrations feed the energy that moves us forward and outward.

 

Thanks to all those who supported the chancel renovation and organ console replacement. Thanks to those who gave time and expertise, to those who gave countless hours to the project, and to those who led the way. Your efforts will long be remembered!

 

See You Sunday! 

Cozumel

Early on Saturday morning, Lisa and I returned from ten days in beautiful Cozumel, Mexico. Not only was the weather in the mid-to-high 80's every day, with continuous ocean breezes and occasional rain showers, but the people of Mayan Mexico stole our hearts. These are fabulous people, living in less-than-fabulous conditions, who have a genuine passion for improving the lives of others.

 

Each time that we vacation in Mexico, we like to get off the resorts in which we stay and meet the people of the land. This year was no different.

 

Cozumel is a small island, located several miles off the coast of the Yucatan, adjacent to Playa del Carmen, south of Cancun. It is 56 kilometers around, fourteen kilometers across, and some thirty-six kilometers from top to bottom. The eastern coast is developed, relying on tourism from the mainland. It is filled with shops, bars and tourist services. The northeast is filled with resorts and recreational opportunities for visitors. The western coast is largely undeveloped, due to its rougher terrain and open ocean climate. The south is populated by tourist attractions, resorts, and pirate memorabilia. The northwest portion of the island in populated by indigenous Mayan Mexicans, living in traditional ways, and military installations.

 

The minimum wage is $.35/hour. The average workday is ten hours. The average workweek is six days. The average daily wage, at least in the Mayan region, is less than $5.00/day. During our stay, we had the opportunity to interact with many of the locals, including the resort staff.

 

I met Caterina, our daily maid. She makes $.35/hour, works ten hours, six days per week. We tipped her daily. One day into our stay, I do not recall which, we did not have the usual $5.00 tip. I left $10.00 instead. Mid-morning, I had to head up to the room for some now forgotten reason and encountered Caterina, as she was leaving our room. She thanked me profusely for the daily tips, I think. (I speak very little Spanish and she spoke even less English.) She tried to either give me back the $10.00 or have me consider it two-days tip. Tears ran down her cheeks as she explained to me what the daily tip meant to her. Though I understood few words, there were some that I recognized. I certainly recognized the emotion. It was thanksgiving and celebration.

 

We met Lupe and Elmer, both of Mayan descent. These gentlemen took true joy in making people around them happy. Despite very difficult lives, their smiles and excellence in service made all the difference in our stay. We met Wilma, who hawked her handmade wares daily on the beach. By week's end, we knew about her marital and family situation, what her homelife was like, and how appreciative she was of those few tourists who would actually interact with her. We met the proprietors of Wet Wendy's, she a Hungarian and he a U.S. citizen, and Havana Bob, the owner of a Cuban cigar shop, who is actually from Hamilton, Ohio.

 

As Lisa and I begin to reminisce about our trip, as we look at pictures and videos, it is the people, both on the resort and off, that we will remember. Such a beautiful place and such beautiful people! Despite their relative hardships, despite having nearly nothing, they are thankful, generous, kind and loving. 

 

I learned from these beautiful people. I wish we all could.

 

See You Sunday!     

Next Steps Nearing Final Steps

Yesterday, Sunday, September 9, 2012, Shiloh used its newly renovated chancel. More correctly, Shiloh used part of its newly renovated chancel. There were roughly 12' at the rear of the chancel that we were using for storage and which, at this point in the procedure, cannot yet be lighted. After a few finishing touches, and more than a few corrections to detail, Shiloh should be in full use of its renovated chancel.

 

The Next Steps process is a continuation of Shiloh's overall facility renovation plan. The congregation had already changed out its windows for more efficient ones, tore out old, inefficient boilers and replaced them with new, much more efficient ones. Shiloh has remodeled its Christian Education wing and upgraded the Omega Hall, including blackout shades. We have replaced some carpets and done a lot of deep cleaning.

 

Due mainly to the replacement of old, inefficient heating and windows, Shiloh is now saving tens of thousands of dollars every year in utility costs. The congregation has greatly reduced its carbon footprint. We will do even more, as we continue into further steps in the process. One upcoming part of the plan is to replace the old, inefficient lighting in the sanctuary with LED lighting. We are told that each LED light is 40x's more efficient than its incandescent forbear. Not only will such a process save us money in the long run, it is a more more responsible usage of available energy.

 

The chancel renovation is not quite complete, however. Shiloh still needs to dress the chancel, arrange for seating risers, and complete the accessibility lift. Beside a few finishing construction projects, we anticipate that it may take some considerable time for Shiloh to fully utilize its expanded chancel space.

 

Thanks to all who assisted with the project. Your efforts saved the congregation more than $54,000.

 

See you in a few weeks!

Political Ads

I have often said that I would not vote for any candidate who runs political attack ads. As a rule, that stance has help us relatively well. Before saying how it has, and has not, stood the test of time, let me explain what I mean.

 

I define political attack ads fairly narrowly. I do not mean any statement that may be construed as mean spirited or as an attack on a political candidate. Instead, I interpret an attack ad as an address on an opponent's character or record without a context from the candidate's own position. If the charge is made without the claim that the candidate takes an opposing position, and that the position in question is important to the political office being sought, then it is simply made to diminish the person against whom the candidate is running. Intentionally demeaning statements are not acceptable to me. Neither are attacks on character that have no direct relevance to the political process. To say that a candidate is ugly or immoral or a drunkard or too short is not fitting election language. Neither are their opposites.

 

The rhetoric that George Bush was "a more moral candidate" gained him many votes as he ran for his second term. Because he belonged to the Christian right, Bush was credited, perhaps unfairly, with being of more moral character. The claim won him scads of votes, yet was not particularly meaningful to intelligent political discourse. Religious background and participation should never be a political issue. But is has been. Remember JFK?

 

I want to know where candidates and parties stand on the meaningful and important issues of the day, not whether a candidate drinks beer, smokes cigarettes, is faithful to a spouse, is a devout whatever, or wears designer labels. I do not care how pretty or handsome a candidate's spouse might or might not be. I want to learn about stances instead of superficialities, issues instead of pretenses.

 

Few campaigns live up to that simple standard. I will only vote for the candidates who do. I was accused recently with using the stance as a cop out of political discourse. On the contrary, I believe that, if enough of us were vocal about the standard of acceptable advertisement, I think that the process might change.

 

Eternal optimist that I am...

 

See you Sunday!  

Around Shiloh

The past few weeks have been one of those periods of time around Shiloh Church that members and friends might want to pause and appreciate. So much has happened.

 

Thanks mainly to Sid Manley, and a small crew of volunteers, the chancel renovation project progressed miraculously. In a week, a crew of four laid the entire hardwood floor. Volunteers are nearing completion of the drywall and painting, trim work is being done, the steps have been stained, sanded and sealed, the doors are on order, and the light shines at the end of this project's tunnel. I also want to remind the congregation that staff and volunteers doing the work on the chancel renovation saved the church in excess of $54,000, more than Shiloh spent on the entire renovation.

 

This past Saturday, Shiloh enjoyed the participation of ten teams at the congregation's ninth annual golf outing. It was a beautiful day in many ways. Everyone had fun. The dinner was a huge success, and the accompanying auction raised more than $1,100. Donations at this point in the proceedings total almost $5,300. All funds raised go to support needy families in our community during the upcoming holiday season. Last year, Shiloh raised around $5,200 and served more than 60 families. Thanks to the generosity of those who participated, and especially to those who have donated, we will be able to serve even more in 2012.

 

As if that is not enough cause for celebration, Shiloh took delivery, this morning, of its new Allen organ console. With a price tag in excess of $141,000, the new console is a beautiful addition to Shiloh's remodeled chancel. Shiloh is forever grateful to the Fred Luther Trust, which granted Shiloh the funds for the new organ console.

 

This year alone, Shiloh has been able to achieve more than $175,000 worth up updates and improvements. Total cost to the congregation has been just over $30,000. I find that to be fairly remarkable.

 

Lest Shiloh rest in its ministry and mission, I would remind members and friends that the annual Shiloh Church Fall Fair is just around the corner. So is the Adult Appalachia Service Project. So is the Pumpkin Patch. So is hosting the Southwest Ohio Northern Kentucky Fall Association Meeting.  So is the Holiday Bazaar. So is Christmas and the end of 2012. The congregation has much to do before the end of this year...and miles to go before we sleep...and miles to go before we sleep.

 

See You Sunday!

Next Steps Update

There is a light that shines at the end of this tunnel! Much progress has taken place over the past few days, so much so that it is possible that we will complete the chancel renovation in time for the new organ console delivery and installation. That installation is scheduled for the week of August 27.

The steps that form the front of the chancel are built and sanded. The back and side wall dry wall is hung, taped and mudded, at least the first coat. This week, we will be staining the trim piece that forms the periphery of the newly expanded chancel. On Friday, we are hoping to begin painting. We will then begin to lay the new hardwood flooring, 1,300 square feet of smaller-than-expected slats.

Shiloh still needs volunteers to help with painting, laying the flooring, doing finish work and cleaning. If you would like to help out, call the church office, 277-8953, and let us know that you are willing to give some time and effort to Shiloh's Next Steps facility renovation. If you want to help clean, a crew meets every Saturday morning, from as early as 8:00 a.m. to as late as 12:00 noon. The facility is unlocked, from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, for the Farmers' Market.

Another bit of news on the Next Steps chancel renovation. It appears as though the County is going to allow the church to use a portable lift for accessibility to the new chancel. While the portable lifts are more costly than a fixed apparatus, there is certainly less visibility interruption with a portable unit. This item is pending, however, until we find a more affordable unit, or until we locate a granting body to offset the cost.

See You Sunday!

Comparative Christian Theology

I just finished writing my new course for The University of Dayton's Usher School of Life-Long Learning. Scheduled for the winter term, the course will include some material that should be familiar to those who have attended my workshops here at the church and some new applications.

The Theological Diversity of the Early Church: And Modern Christian Diversity as its Reflection is an attempt at understanding the many streams of Christin theology that flow, naturally or not, from the literary development of the New Testament.

Shiloh has seen the New Testament Theology Chart, where we compare the literature of the Apostolic Age, the Gospel Era, the Institutional Age, and the ethical instruction of the Historical Jesus in order to examine what kinds of churches result from the systematic theology of each.

In some ways, the class will be an attempt at inviting diversity. Particularly, the class will address the diversity of modern Christian believers, and associating at least some of those beliefs with New Testament Biblical preference and concentration.

Shiloh members and community friends can register by contacting The University of Dayton's Life-Long Learning Center.

See You There! 

Next Steps Update

It has been suggested to me that people do not tend to read the weekly Shiloh Insider because it is too long. Therefore, this week's post will be short and simple.

The Next Steps Chancel renovation is at a very important transition point. As of yesterday (Monday, July 30) the floor sheeting was completed. The drywall should be accomplished entirely by the weekend, and the new hardwood flooring should arrive tomorrow (August 1).

We are purchasing trim and ordering the wood for the new steps, while using the wood from the old steps on the rear and side access areas. We will be using the old slatted wood siding on designated areas of the renovated chancel, so parts of the project will retain that "familiar" feel.

Shiloh has been told that the new organ console is to be delivered to the Cincinnati company as early as the middle of next week. When we complete the flooring installation, the organ company will start on installation of the new organ console. If the stars align, we may complete the entire project by the end of this month.

Thanks go to those who have given their time and effort to the project, especially Ed Kanaga, David Saelens, John Rabius, Mark Barnhill and especially Sid Manley. Another crew will be hanging drywall. To my knowledge, they are Mark Barnhill, Shawn Miller, Roger and Sue Cox, and perhaps some others.

Remember that our labor has saved the congregation more than $50,000. Hopefully, by month's end, we will see a completed chancel renovation project. Way to go, Shiloh!

See you Sunday! 

Church: Why Bother?

An interesting discussion took place in the course of this past Sunday's Discovery Time service, held at Shiloh weekly at 7:00 p.m. on Sundays. Its topic was worship and church involvement.

I had delivered a casual message about the possibility that what we do in times of worship, what words we use, what sacrifices, what liturgies, are far less important than what we do when we go out into our communities. I used the phrase, "It doesn't matter what we do here, but what we do out there."

The discussion started with a question. "If it doesn't matter what we do in here, then why do we do this? Why do we come to church?" In retrospect, I should have added to my initial statement the phrase, "to the fulfillment of God's will and salvation." That is, "It doesn't matter to the fulfillment of God's will and salvation what we do here in worship. What really matters for the fulfillment of God's will and salvation is what we do when we go from here."

The message was meant to target the value of the church going out into the community to develop relations, to create community, to reflect the relational focus of Christ Jesus. It quickly became a consideration of whether or not we should bother with coming to worship, be educated, to share community, or to engage together in mission and ministry.

I hold to the core message. Jesus' ministry was about creating relationships. It was targeted to those who were outside of community, especially the religious community and tradition in which Jesus had been raised. That tradition practiced a firm legalism that excluded persons. Relationships were conditioned upon standards of the law and one's ability to live within its expectations, no matter how unreasonable for some. The Church is called to represent Christ Jesus in initiating relationship with those who stand outside, looking in. To do so is far more important to fulfillment of God's will than whatever orthodoxies we follow, to what doctrines we hold, what creeds we recite or what liturgies we chant.

This does not mean that worship, Christian education and church fellowship are without value. In fact, each is crucial to the practice of salvation and the fulfillment of God's will. The message simply implies that the church must gather around an "outcome based" model of worship, c.e. or church fellowship. Each must be geared to achieving God's will and practicing salvation in our communities that lie outside the church.

How might church differ if its entire mission and ministry lay in motivating, equipping, calling and sending laborers into God's vineyard, if the ministry of the church were focused on the creation of relationships and the formation of community? How would that aim change what we do in the church today? Would it make us any more relevant? Could we stem the tide of church decline? Would we be any more faithful to the ministry of Jesus Christ?

Join the discussion.

See You Sunday!

Next Steps Update

As readers of The Shiloh Insider by now know, Shiloh Church is progressing on its 3.7 million dollar facility improvement plan. A few years back, about the time that the recession hit in 2008, Shiloh decided that it would be better to pursue the facility plan in phases rather than attempt an overall capital campaign, doing all the work at once. Shiloh has already achieved nearly one million dollars' worth of improvements since inception.

Earlier this year, Shiloh applied for and was granted the funds necessary to replace the congregation's aging organ console. Thanks to the Fred Luther Memorial Foundation, Shiloh Church has removed its old console, and has shared that console with our brothers and sisters at Oak Creek UCC. In cooperation with the console replacement, Shiloh determined that this was a perfect time to take next steps in the facility plan by renovating the chancel.

Work began several months ago, but has been on hold until the removal of the old organ console. The chancel renovation includes extending the area backward an additional 12 feet and forward another 4'. It also includes movable monitor boxes, new electrical and audio/visual accessories, and an altered configuration for the front of the chancel area.

Work is now again well underway. The old console has been removed, and is in the hands of Oak Creek. The back wall and side walls of the rear of the chancel have been framed. Much of the electrical work has been completed. The front steps have been removed, and we are just starting to frame the front chancel expansion.

A word of appreciation is due for those who have helped with the project, especially Ed Kanaga, David Saelens, Larry and Carol Oldham, Sheldon Carr, Jo Anne Orihood, and staff members Jay McMillen, John Rabius, Mark Barnhill, Aaron Sheaffer, and our project coordinator, Sid Manley. Others can help. As soon as we schedule a framing and electrical inspection, we can begin to dry wall and mud. We are looking for a few skilled persons to assist us. If you are interested, talk with Sid Manley or myself. We are also looking for crews who are willing to come in on Saturdays and remove the dust that has accumulated throughout the week. 

The flooring has been an issue. The crew had to alter the plan for the flooring by removing an additional layer of subfloor. We thank the Women's Board for agreeing to cover much of that additional cost. By the way, it looks as though the project will come in around the budgeted $25,000, if we continue to receive some outside support form members and organizations within the church.

There has been one semi-serious injury, with an unnamed volunteer stepping on a nail. It penetrated the bottom of his foot, even through thick soles. This is a reminder, then, to exercise great care in moving through the construction area. Nails and screws are everywhere. It is very dusty. If you walk through the area, you are likely to step on nails and screws and become dusty.

Next Steps is certainly progressing. Our goal is to coordinate the end of the chancel renovation with the arrival and installation of the new organ console. Dedication of both the new organ console and the chancel expansion will take place on World Communion Sunday, October 7.

See You Sunday!