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!

What is the United Church of Christ?

It is a question that I am asked repeatedly. People have heard of the Church of Christ, they have heard of the United Methodists, they know of Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Universalists, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and Catholics. Few, apparently, have heard of the United Church of Christ. So, what is the United Church of Christ (UCC)?

A wee bit of historical background helps. The United Church of Christ is the offspring of four previous Protestant denominations. The ties stretch back to the 17th century European Reformation. The Evangelical Church and the Reformed Church were early players in European denominationalism. Each movement came to America fairly early, and those two denominations merged, in 1934, to form The Evangelical and Reformed Church. Coming from the European/German religious environment, this denomination formed around beliefs, orthodoxies and common practices. An opposite side of the theological coin is represented by the other two ancestor denominations of the United Church of Christ. They are the Congregational Churches, which follow Calvinist, Puritan and congregational beliefs, and the Christian Churches, which were spiritual movements. These organizations of churches merged, in 1931, to form the Congregational Christian Churches.

No foundational bodies could have been more distant in relationship. The E & R Church was firmly dogmatic and formal, while the CC churches tended toward spirituality and an energetic experience of authentic faith. But these groups merged, in 1957, to become The United Church of Christ. The denominational motto, "That they all may be one," is derived from the notion that all Christian denominations could be unified by the larger issues of following Christ instead of being divided by diversity of practice. The structure arrived at for the new denomination followed basic congregational lines, while forming wider church opportunities and ministries.

Part of that wider church structure is the bi-annual meeting of representatives from the entire United Church of Christ, called "General Synod." The most recent general Synod meeting was held in Tampa, FL in 2011. At that meeting, representatives from around the denomination wrestled with the issue of what it means to be The United Church of Christ. Their work is represented in three basic statements of what it means to be The United Church of Christ.

The United Church of Christ subscribes to "a continuing testament." Following on the heels of the UCC "Stillspeaking" campaign, a continuing testament suggests that the church today is an ongoing witness to a God who still acts, still speaks, remains relevant, forms the ongoing story of God in relationship with God's people. Our testament is not exclusively recorded in the canons of Old and New Testaments. It resides, too, in the stories of men and women and children who continue to hear and make manifest God's will in our contemporary context. We are a developing, reforming, reshaping institution, constantly seeking to hear new words that God may speak.

The United Church of Christ offers "an extravagant welcome." No matter where you are on life's journey, no matter where you have been or what you have done, despite what you may do, every person is welcome here. The united Church of Christ seeks to be open to every person, regardless of her or his background, orientation, color, race, creed, conduct or context. The United Church of Christ is, at its best, not simply "Open and Affirming," but actively welcoming. The UCC is about the empowerment and calling of every person. Persons are the means by which God continues God's work in the world. The UCC attempts to welcome all.

The United Church of Christ is "changing lives." Since God is still active in our world, and since the means of God's grace in the world rests with God's people, it is necessary for the church to be in the business of changing persons. The United Church of Christ seeks to shape persons as conduits through which flow God's grace. This sometimes means overcoming the hurt and rejection of those who have been shut out by creeds, dogmatism and orthodoxy. It sometimes means inviting persons to unlearn the systemic tendency to settle on certain acts and beliefs as sacred and holy. It sometimes means doing whatever it takes to help persons develop an authentic relationship with the God of Jesus Christ.

Readers of The Shiloh Insider will notice straight away that each of these descriptions of the United Church of Christ are actually actions. They are verbs. How congregations and people of the United Church of Christ go about the work of discerning a continuing testament, providing an extravagant welcome and changing lives is not nearly so important to the denomination as the simple fact that these three describe what the churches and persons are doing. Each person is called to minister. Each is called and equipped to serve. Each is called to follow a continuing testament, provide and extravagant welcome and change lives.

If this is work in which you might be interested, I urge you to seek out a neighborhood UCC congregation. Shiloh Church is very intentional about its work to be The United Church of Christ. So are many others of our local congregations. Plan to visit this Sunday!

Sinclair ASL Club Recognition

During its graduation recognition ceremony, held this past Friday evening, the Sinclair Community College American Sign Language (ASL) Club recognized Shiloh Church as an asset to Dayton's deaf and hard-of-hearing community. Not only was Shiloh recognized during the ceremony, the congregation was gifted $200 by Sinclair's ASL Club.

The gift and recognition arose from Shiloh's ministry of hosting ASL Club events, namely the two silent game nights and its annual auction, the ASL interpretation of its 10:30 worship service, and the support of students in the Sinclair ASL program.

I think that the recognition and the gift call Shiloh to take even more responsibility to the Sinclair ASL program and the Dayton deaf and hearing impaired community. Though Shiloh no longer has students in the program, Shiloh can take steps to better serve students who are learning ASL interpretation and build a stronger relationship with the community that those students will serve. Three things come immediately to mind:

1. Shiloh can continue to offer ASL interpretation at its 10:25 service. That interpretation could probably include each year a student intern from Sinclair Community College who would work with Casey Robinson, or other interpreters, to better learn ASL interpretation and provide interpretation service to the community. Shiloh can now begin to advertise that its 10:25 service is welcoming to the hearing impaired and deaf community.

2. Shiloh can continue to open its doors to the Dayton deaf community and the ASL Club at Sinclair Community College. Shiloh can continue to distinguish itself as a place where these members of our wider community are both welcome and served. Use of the facility goes a long way in building that relationship. Shiloh can host game nights and the annual auction, as a start.

3. Utilizing the skills of our own members, especially Karyn Sleppy and Casey Robinson, Shiloh can learn more about American Sign Language. In preparation for Shiloh hosting the Sinclair ASL Club silent auction, Casey offered a beginning class for alphabet and numbers. Several members attended the auction and purchased items in support of the ASL program at Sinclair. Imagine how welcome members of the deaf and hearing impaired community might feel if they were welcomed at Shiloh by people who have gone out of their way to learn, even rudimentary,ASL.

I believe that recognition from the Dayton deaf community, in form of the Sinclair ASL Club, calls Shiloh to greater accountability. Can the congregation support these three initiatives as a way of building and growing the budding relationship? I certainly think and hope so.

See You Sunday! 

SONKA News

Members and friends of Shiloh Church have very likely noticed that all sorts of information is now posted every week in Shiloh's "Information Gallery." Among the items posted across from the all-member mailbox system are notes and letters that Shiloh receives from persons and agencies in our community and around the world, the Conference newsletter, fliers that feature upcoming events, and the weekly Association newsletter, "Snippets."  I hope that everyone who is part of the life of Shiloh Church avails themselves of the information that is posted. Some of it is very important.

Shiloh Church is an active part of the Association. Southwest Ohio Northern Kentucky Association (SONKA) is a joint ministry of 80-some churches that are located from Sidney in the north to miles within Kentucky in the south and from the Indiana State line to the west and nearly half-way across Ohio in the east. SONKA is a spectrum of traditional/progressive congregations, Evangelical and Reformed/Congregational Christian backgrounds, large/small communities, diverse identities, variant theological perspectives and different make-up. We are unified by shared ministry, common vision and mutual labor.

Several recent events define our shared Association ministry. One of those items is the retirement of Association Minister, Ruth Brandon. Ruth has done a fabulous job of helping the Association be a better organized and much more unified body of Christ. Ruth has served us remarkably well, and we wish her the best in what we hope is many years of happy retirement.

Another of those important recent events is the calling of a new Interim Association Minister. While I am not certain that I am at liberty to announce the name of the person called to the position, I can certainly state that the Association is in fine hands, and continues to be served by excellent leadership. There will be no gap in wonderful service to and in SONKA.

Yet another key to the ministry of the Association is the work of the Strategic Planning Team. After more than six months of work, this team is now prepared to begin listening sessions with every congregation of the Association. After that initial phase of hearings, the planning process will shift to Association Teams and Clusters, Authorized Ministers and the Ohio Conference. The content of the hearings will determine to a great extent any new formulation of Association structure.

Members of the Strategic Planning team are committed to helping SONKA be more effective in working with the ministries of our local churches, our Teams and Clusters (in whatever form they may take), our authorized ministers and whatever judicatory bodies SONKA may minister.

The current Association structure, now about seven years old, marked a step toward strengthening the ministry of the Association by strengthening its component parts. Whatever form the Association might take in this structural revision is a further step in that direction. The ministry of the Association IS the ministry of its component parts. The Association is the tide upon which all component parts rise. The process of strengthening the Association, then, lies in strengthening its component parts.

The means of strengthening the component parts of the Association rests in our ability to form a network of shared strengths and challenges. The Association is best understood as a network matrix through which the component parts of the Association are strengthened, not "from above" but "throughout." The resulting structure will, hopefully, reflect the already-existing strengths and challenges of our congregations, teams, clusters, authorized ministers and Conference.

The process will necessarily impact the search for a new Association Minister. For whom we search in leadership is very much determined by what the Association requires to achieve the network matrix by which each part is best served. 

This is new and exciting work. It reflects an innovative direction. I hope that you will join me in being excited about the potential of this new direction, not just for the Association but for all of its component parts.

See You Sunday!

Year of Two Halves

The Liturgical Church Year begins in Advent, usually the last Sunday in November (though it starts this year on the first Sunday in December). The entire first half of the church year consists of the story of Jesus, his earthly ministry in Galilee, his trip to Jerusalem, his Crucifixion and Resurrection, and his post-Resurrection appearances and Ascension. The first half of the church year contains both Christmas and Easter. By and large, the Church loves the first half of the Liturgical Church Year.

The second half of the Liturgical Church Year is another story altogether. The twenty-six weeks of the season after Pentecost have a completely different focus, lack significant theologically-based holidays, and just happen to fall when the weather is better and when the (grand)children are out of school. The second half of the Liturgical Church Year is based on the power of the Holy Spirit, at work in the Church. The Church does not at all seem to embrace the second half of the church year. Based on empirical evidence, like worship attendance and congregational activity, one would have to conclude that the bulk of Church focus lies in the first half of the year. The second half goes mostly ignored.

I find that fact odd. While the first half of the Liturgical Church Year, roughly December through May, focuses on the story of Jesus and God's Sacrament in him, the second half, June through November, focuses on the Spirit of God, which is at work in the Church that bears Jesus' name. The second half is sacramental. The same work is being done. Both halves are about God accomplishing the work of salvation for all people. Both halves of the year involve holy work, sacred calling, divine empowerment.

Why, then, does the Church of Jesus Christ mostly ignore the importance of the second half of the Liturgical Church Year? Unfortunately, the evidence would suggest that the Church of Jesus Christ embraces the first half and ignores the second half because the means by which God accomplishes salvation for all people differs.

The difference is stark. In the first half of the church year, Jesus is the means by which God accomplishes universal salvation. It is in Jesus' earthly ministry, his teachings, his miracles, his sacrifice, his death and new life that God works salvation. In the second half of the Liturgical Church Year, God works universal salvation through the power of the Holy Spirit, which is put to work in the ministries and mission of the Church of Jesus Christ.

While we in the Church love to claim that the Church is the body of Christ, we are uncomfortable with the idea that God works universal salvation in the world by actually empowering us. God enables us. God calls us. God sends us. God relies on us. God waits on us. And we do not like it. God's call to us makes us accountable for the advent of God's kingdom in the world. God's empowerment makes it potential for the world that it may be God's kingdom. God's reliance on us makes it incumbent upon us to move with God's will toward the fulfillment of that kingdom.

The Church does not like the pressure. It does not like the idea that it is a crucial part of God's sacred work on earth. It does not appreciate the fact that God will not do God's work of salvation without the hands and feet of the Church as its vehicle.

We blame it on summer. We blame it on vacations. We blame it on yard work. We blame it on tee times or soccer games (which clearly are more important than God's work in the world).We blame the decline on the (grand)kids being out of school. The reality of the situation is that we do not want to be accountable for God's work. We do not want to be its vehicle. We do not want to be the means by which God brings God's kingdom to actuality. So we stay away. We pull back.

The Liturgical Church Year is a tale of two halves. The Church of Jesus Christ may as well admit that it likes the Sacrament of God in Christ Jesus, where all the pressure and responsibility is on him, but dislikes, and stays far from, the sacramental work that makes the kingdom manifest. We do not want to be responsible for the work. We want to receive the blessings of the first half, but we do not want to bear the sacrifice of the second.

Forgive us, Lord.

See You Sunday!   

Universal Call

I sat, listening, while clergy colleagues discussed the strengths and challenges of the contemporary Church. There was a general understanding in the room that each pastor present shared a passion for the present and future of the Church of Jesus Christ. The strengths were grouped around people and their potential...even sometimes their actions. The people of the Church fuel its programs, projects, mission and ministry, after all.

Hours passed as the clergy in attendance celebrated the contributions made by faithful men and women. The stories were uplifting. Many of the contributions were miraculous. The morning passed rather swiftly.

After lunch, the topic shifted from the Church's strengths to its challenges. Amid the general negativity around congregational program and planning came a comment that commanded the attention of every present pastor. A young(ish) woman, who had recently graduated from seminary and had only a few years ago begun serving her first church, lamented the fact that she has to fight the church that she serves in order to get the members to accept their universal calling.

There was a general acknowledgement in the room. There was a shared understanding. Pastors have to fight the churches that they serve over the theology of universal calling.

Perhaps folks are more familiar and more comfortable with the Reformation notion of "The Priesthood of all Believers." This is the notion that claims that every person who accepts Christ Jesus is empowered, equipped and enabled to represent Christ in ministry and service. Every believer is priest.

Universal calling goes deeper. Universal calling is the idea that every person, by virtue of being saved in the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ Jesus, is equipped, enabled, called and sent to represent Christ's grace in the world. Calling is a product of our salvation. It is not restricted to those who will be educated, earn titles, be professionals, make money or suffer the indignities of being clergy in the post-modern age.

By afternoon's end, there was almost unanimous agreement around the room. The great challenge of the post-modern church is its refusal to embrace universal calling. Theologically, universal calling is a foundation of the progressive church. Practically, the future of the Church lies in the ministries and missions of men and women in our churches.

Clergy have contributed to the reluctance of the church to accept its universal call. Instead of serving as networkers of the natural gifts and talents of the congregation, and instead of seeing the clergy role as better equipping the persons who portray the gifts for ministry, clergy have become experts in doing all facets of congregational ministry. Instead of calling congregations to accountability for utilizing their own gifts and accepting their own calling, too many of us have done all the work for our churches. In so doing, we rob the men and women of the church of their natural, universal calling.

The church is reluctant now to acknowledge that each is called to ministry and service. For far too long, the work has been done for the men and women of the church by clergy who seek to please, or who seek to demonstrate their professional status, or to be Messiah. The toll taken by doing so has been destructive to the person-in-ministry. Worse, it has usurped from the good men and women of the church their own empowerment, sense of calling, and accountability for doing the work of ministry and mission.

Shiloh focuses on universal calling. We say, and I sincerely hope that we believe, that each of us is called, equipped, empowered and sent. The power of God's Holy Spirit rests equally upon and within each of us. While the great challenge of the church might be its refusal to accept and practice universal calling, Shiloh is attempting to make manifest a community of called and empowered agents of Christ Jesus. The work is both daunting and exciting. Come and join us!

See You Sunday!   

Shiloh and the Dayton Deaf Community

It is mainly due to the career paths chosen by Casey Robinson and Karyn Sleppy that Shiloh has revived an old relationship with Dayton's deaf community. Years ago, no one is certain quite when, the deaf community of Dayton used to hold community events at Shiloh Church. Now, thanks to a few of our members, that relationship has been renewed.

Most active Shiloh folk can tell you that Shiloh has been providing American Sign Language Interpretation at its 10:30 a.m. service for nearly a year now. Shiloh has also provided interpretation at many of its public events over the past several months. It did so at its annual Christmas musical, where we saw a number of deaf community members in attendance.

Shiloh will continue to provide ASL interpretation at its 10:30 service as long as the congregation has available the talents of Casey and Karyn and others.

Shiloh not only provides interpretation at its worship services and public events. The congregation has also opened its doors to the activities of the Dayton deaf community. On Saturday night, May 19, members of the Dayton deaf community will gather at Shiloh Church for a game night. The event is sponsored by the Sinclair Community College ASL Club, which Casey Robinson serves as president. For roughly four hours, members of the deaf and hearing-impaired community will have fun, playing group, board and interpersonal games. The event is called "Silent Night," and also serves as an opportunity for Sinclair students to interact with members of the deaf community. I personally attended a portion of the previous "Silent Night" event at Shiloh and thoroughly enjoyed the occasion.

The second Dayton deaf community event that will be hosted by Shiloh this Spring is the "Silent Auction." Scheduled for Friday night, June 1, the Sinclair ASL Club will hold its major annual fundraiser here at Shiloh Church. The "Silent Auction" involves both live and written-bid auctions for donated items, including Dragon and Reds tickets, a Kindle Fire, spa treatments, gift cards for hundreds of businesses and local restaurants, gardening items, and assorted baskets from Sinclair groups.

In preparation for anyone who might be interested in attending the Silent Auction, or any event of the Sinclair Community College ASL Club, or for those who have an interest in expanding your knowledge of ASL, Casey Robinson will be offering an introductory session here at Shiloh Church. The session is scheduled for Sunday, May 27, in the Large Conference Room, starting at 12:00 noon. Pizza will be served. Cost for the event is $5.00 per person, and will be used to offset the cost of pizza. If funds are left over, they will be contributed to the Next Steps chancel renovation project. 

Join the Sinclair Community College ASL Club at Shiloh Church for any of its activities. Hopefully, Shiloh can become a meeting place for the Dayton deaf and hearing-impaired community. Thanks Karyn, Casey, and others for renewing this old relationship.

See You Sunday!

Why the Chancel Renovation?

Last week's Shiloh Insider gave rise to an interesting comment. The question is the impetus of this week's blog. "Why is the chancel renovation project being done?" a reader asked.

The majority of the project's motivation lies in its connection to the wider Shiloh Church facility plan.

More than five years ago now, as a result of the all-congregation vote to remain in its current facility, Shiloh determined that it had to either move or upgrade its current facility. Staying here and doing nothing was not a reasonable option. Therefore, the congregation took a full year in establishing a $3.7 million facility plan. It included a new main entrance, an elevator, upgrade of restrooms, refurbishing of all gathering areas, replacement of boilers and windows, and significant upgrades to the worship space.

Much of the overall plan has been achieved. Shiloh has already replaced its ancient, non-efficient boilers with new, much more efficient ones. The congregation replaced its old windows with new, more efficient ones. These two projects have saved the congregation quite literally tens of thousands of dollars per year, and have significantly reduced the congregation's carbon footprint. Shiloh has already remodeled the Christian Education wing, mainly due to the ministry of The Kid's Institute, and has redone the Omega Hall.

The chancel renovation project belongs to the phase of renovation that encompasses Shiloh's worship space. It is a necessary "next step." A large portion of the sanctuary upgrade is the placement of a new lighting system, one that utilizes current LED technologies instead of the old incandescent system. Projections tell us that our sanctuary lighting will use in excess of 40x less electricity than with the present system. Currently, the old Colortran system fails to provide any usable lighting to what had been the choir loft. Since Shiloh plans to replace the entire lighting system, it makes sense to configure the chancel appropriately before the lighting is replaced.

The chancel renovation is also taking place in order to accommodate the new organ console. As most know, Shiloh applied for and was awarded a grant of $141,000 to replace its old organ console with a new digital system. Part of that upgrade allows the organ to move throughout the chancel space. In order to utilize that improvement, and in order to place the chancel choir back on the chancel (along with bells and puppets), it was necessary to expand the chancel.

On a more practical level, the chancel renovation was necessitated by the condition of the carpet in the front of the sanctuary. Every time the chairs in the front are moved, the carpet is snagged and tears. The chairs are entering into considerable disrepair because of the movement. The expansion of the chancel will, we hope, greatly reduce the necessity of moving the sanctuary chairs. There are additional media-related reasons for expansion of the chancel, but I do not pretend to understand them thoroughly enough to explain them.

The congregation will raise more than the anticipated $25,000 that the project will cost. Direct contributions, fundraising events, and special events have been very successful. Combine the level of giving with the idea that doing the project with volunteer labor, saving Shiloh Church an estimated $50,000, and the chancel renovation is a great starting point for ongoing sanctuary renovation.

It is an ideal "Next Step."

Thank you for all your support and assistance.

See You Sunday!   

Next Steps Chancel Renovation

The congregation met Sunday, April 22, and approved the chancel renovation project. This project consists of removing the existing choir loft and expanding the floor roughly 4' into the sanctuary. We hope to complete the project to coincide with the installation of Shiloh's new organ console.

The steps in the process are quite simple. We will be removing the choir loft as soon as the church receives the necessary County permits. The electrical, safety/security and organ wires will have to be rerun by licenced companies. Once the choir loft is removed, the framing of the floor and walls will begin. The congregation will then replace the chancel flooring and put finishing touches on the project.

Because the congregation is doing the work itself, Shiloh is saving in excess of $50,000. Even if you do not have construction or demolition experience, you can still assist the church. We need people to haul debris to a rented dumpster and others to keep the area as clean as possible. We will likely have a number of work days, where refreshments and social time are appreciated.

Sid Manley is Shiloh's project coordinator. A projected time-line is in the process of being created. Thus far, we have removed the two giant air handlers that had previously filled the space underneath the choir loft. We have stripped the loft of valuable oak trim. We have enclosed the project in its own "room," intended to greatly reduce the mess.

It is also crucial to remember that Shiloh is doing the entire chancel renovation through raised funds. With a combination of the funds available through the organ fund and fundraising projects, along with personal contributions, Shiloh should be able to pay for the total project.  

Just a word about the title for this project. Next Steps  comes from the notion that the chancel renovation is part of Shiloh's overall facility plan, which had been approved five years ago by the congregation. As the congregation tackles subsequent phases of the overall plan, we can expect to see the Next Steps moniker on many upcoming projects.

I hope that members and friends of the church are as excited as I am about seeing this progress being made. I hope that you will help with prayers and words of support. I hope you can give some time and expertise. And I sincerely hope that you can appreciate the efforts being made in order to benefit the entire congregation and community.

See You Sunday!

Big Black Box

Those who attended any of Shiloh's three worship services this past Sunday likely noticed that the chancel is now filled with a big black box. That big black box is actually a room. It consists of wall to wall, and ceiling to floor, containment of dust and debris that will be produced by Shiloh's chancel renovation. In order to protect our organ pipes and to reduce the amount of dust in the sanctuary, the planning process included the construction of this room.

In case you are wondering, the room does have a covered ceiling. While those who sit in the pews or the chairs cannot easily perceive it, the ceiling is roughly 39' x 16', built of 2" x 6" studding on roughly 4' centers, and covered by very thick, black plastic. A design alteration had to made in order to accommodate our projector, so the room is not a perfect rectangle.

Jay McMillen and I assisted Sid Manley in the construction of the big black box. It was built over two days, Monday and Tuesday, April 9 & 10. The big black box will worship with us until Shiloh receives the necessary permit to continue our demolition of the choir loft. Once the permits are received, and the congregation votes to complete the project, we will begin removal of the existing choir loft. Sid estimates that the demolition may take up to two weeks. After removal and cleanup, we plan to remove the big black box and use its wood to construct the floor and wall framing.

Thanks mainly to Connie Neef, the chancel remains appropriate for worship. The chancel paraments add a great deal to the look, as do the screens on either side of the rather stark backdrop.

If you have not yet seen the big black box, or if you want to know more about the chancel renovation project, call or stop by. We would love to show you what is planned, what is happening, and to explain how it is all being accomplished. The best way to see it, of course, is to join us in worship each Sunday, 8:30 a.m. for a quiet Meditation Service, 10:25 a.m. for a Liturgical Service, and 7:00 p.m. for an alternative Praise Worship Service.

See You Sunday!

Holy Week

The more I read from the Gospel According to Mark, the more I am convinced that the foundational Jesus stories portrayed him as an active instead of a passive player in the events of Holy Week. While the Church has grown accustomed to understanding Jesus' Crucifixion as something that happened "TO"  him, I believe that we are led, in Mark, to think of these events as occurring "BECAUSE" of Jesus. Jesus forced the hands of the authorities, both Jewish and Roman.

On Sunday, Jesus finally reaches Jerusalem. While residing in Bethany, perhaps with a leprous family that he knew, Jesus decides how he will enter Jerusalem. The choice was not made innocently. Jesus decided that he was going to enter Jerusalem as a new king, coming for coronation. It is an ancient symbol, promised in Zechariah 9:9. This is Messiah. This is the new political hope of the burdened. This is alternative to the broken systems under which the poor and disenfranchised lived. This is your new king.

Jesus knew that this act was likely to rile the passions of those who sat daily, begging at the gate. They would embrace any alternative to the evil empire of Rome. This form of entry would have been immediately recognizable. Jesus borrowed the symbol purposefully, to incite their passions.

This is especially the case as the Judaic world approached Passover, the highest celebration of its liturgical year. Passover was the celebration of the ancient emancipation of the people from the slavepits of Egypt, from the injustice of the Pharaoh, from Egyptian empirical power. (Readers will recall that Passover is named for the spirit of death, which passed over the homes of those who had placed the blood of a lamb over their doorways. It killed the firstborn of all the families in Egypt.)

When a new king comes riding into town, in the course of the ancient celebration of emancipation from empirical power, the governing power has reason to be sensitive. So does the officially recognized religion. Temple Judaism had so compromised the faith, so weakened its practices, rituals and celebrations, that a line was then drawn between religious practice and everyday life. While the Temple celebrated Passover, it had ceased to be a political reality. It belonged exclusively to the world of ritual and liturgy. It had no application to practical life.

Jesus brings Passover into the realm of the practical. He makes the remembrance political. He frees the teachings of the Temple from liturgy and ritual. He embodies the promise of emancipation. The gate-community immediately sees and understands, just as Jesus intended. The crowd does not celebrate Jesus' coming to Jerusalem, but the advent of a new king, a new kingdom, new systems of justice and equality. I am convinced that it is the symbol that they celebrate. It is not Jesus.

Because Jesus finds himself alone at the Temple, he knows immediately that the gate-people and Jesus' followers are too rapt by fear and too self-concerned to follow him. The revolution has failed. There will be no claim from those at the gate, on either the Temple or the State. In what seems like a moment in Mark, Jesus decides that he has to do even more to force the hands of the authorities, hoping to foment in those at the gate the zeal necessary for revolution. 

On Monday, he attacks the economic infrastructure of the Temple. Jesus is violent and angry. On Tuesday and Wednesday, he teaches that the Temple is to be destroyed, that the ways of the Temple are about to be replaced by those who will follow him. On Passover, Jesus sits Seder with his students and compatriots, shares with them a new ceremony of bread and wine, goes out to the Garden of Gethsemane, and is there arrested. Just as Jesus had planned.

If they arrest the new king at Passover, if they put down the revolution by removing the head of its leader, then surely the people at the gate will arise in response. The Temple Authorities manipulate the situation to arrange for a Roman Crucifixion. Imagine the body of a would-be king hanging upon a cross, the symbol of empirical power in reaction to a threat, during a season of celebration for ancient emancipation from empirical power. Surely, the people will not tolerate this affront! Surely, they will arise!

Jesus looks out from the cross, over the gathered few. He anticipates a crowd of angry bystanders, or at least the sound of distant battle. Instead, there is silence. He can hear the breeze whistling around him. Jesus realizes the profound folly of his plan. He feels the emptiness and loneliness of the cross. His entire mission has failed. No one has noticed. No one cares. His beatings and humiliation have meant nothing. The people at the gate barely notice, as their former hope dies. Even Jesus' followers have abandoned him. All is quiet. There is peace. Jesus dies.

None of it worked as planned. Damn them. Damn those people at the gate. To Hell with his disciples. Why did they place the sole responsibility for their salvation on his shoulders? How dare they? They are so weak...so afraid...so complacent in their suffering. They will not raise a finger to help themselves.

Has this all been for naught?

Maybe not.

See You Sunday!     

Church in the Wrong Place?

Shiloh Church believes that it is "Living the Word by Serving the World." Part and parcel of that bold claim is the obligation of going out into the world, perhaps even into strange territory, in order to "Live the Word." The odd circumstance that I have noticed is that the world is sometimes uncomfortable with the Church that comes into it.

Several weeks back, volunteers from Shiloh Church served beer at the outside St. Patrick's Day celebrations at Boston's Bistro and Pub. Dozens of patrons commented on the curious presence of the Church. Why would a church be part of our St. Paddy's Day celebrations? Why would a church be serving beer? To be doing so seems contrary to what many have come to understand as the Christian ethic.

While it may have been appropriate to note that St. Patrick's Day was, at it roots, a religious recognition, we have to admit that our role was not related to the Saint. We were spared that conversation. Shiloh was attempting to accomplish two things: 1. We were trying to raise funds to support our chancel renovation project. and 2. We were attempting to be a church presence to an alternative community, one that we might otherwise never serve. Shiloh raised over $1,300, and the volunteers were certainly in an unexpected place.

During the event, and afterward, I have begun to feel an unanticipated discomfort with the church's presence at Boston's and elsewhere. The discomfort does not come from the religious community. It does not come from our membership or our volunteers. The strange feeling comes from the community. It comes from the public. It comes from precisely those whom we were there to serve and meet. While no one blatantly stated the possibility, I discerned the feeling that folks who were drinking at Boston's thought that the Church was in the wrong place.

It is a strange expectation, I think, that the Church will keep to itself. It is a surprising discovery to learn that the public can be made uncomfortable in the presence of the Church.

It is similar, I think, to what I witnessed in seminary. In the life of the seminary that I attended, more than 25 years ago now, there were those who thought that the more austere their personal life-style seemed, the more they seemed in solidarity to the poor and the needy. The problem was that most of these persons came from affluent backgrounds. Their education was being paid for by family or from ready finances. They seemed to be in solidarity with the poor, but the facts of their circumstances differed widely from what was being projected.

In the alternative communities to whom Shiloh wants to be present, there is a similar disconnect. Some believe that the Church should be a holy place, and that it should stay in its holy place. While many would refuse to step foot in the Church, they are uncomfortable with a church that comes to them. They are suspicious of a congregation that would serve them beer. They are leery of a religious group that would dare be part of their secular celebrations. Some certainly hold that the Church should stay "over there," in religious and spiritual territories. To be part of their secular world is the Church being in the wrong place.

At Shiloh Church, there is no such disconnect between form and intention. This is not like the seminary, where some pretend to be in solidarity with the poor by choosing to live austere life-styles, while being fully able to live affluently. Shiloh does not intend to make the community uncomfortable by being where some feel that the Church should not be. On the contrary, Shiloh seeks to demonstrate to the community that the place of the Church is in the community. The Church certainly belongs with those whom we might serve, even where and when presence in those environs seem to make some uncomfortable.

The challenge of the Church today is to narrow the gap between what is seen as sacred and what is thought to be secular. The process is not to demand of the secular that it become more sacred, as has been the aim of the Church in recent decades. The process must be to allow the sacred to participate in the secular, to allow the service rendered by the Church to impact how we live in the secular realm. That means that the Church must get out into the world, even if it makes the world uncomfortable. The educational process goes both ways.

You can help narrow the widening gap.

See You Sunday!