December 2013 Newsletter

From the Pastor's Pen

The compelling story, reprinted below, has been a favorite of mine for many years. Please read it in

preparation for the coming of the King!

There was once a man who didn’t believe in God.  His wife, however, did believe and she raised her

children to also have faith in God, despite his disparaging comments. One snowy Christmas Eve, his wife was taking their children to a Christmas Eve service. She asked him to come, but he refused.

“That story is nonsense!” he said. “Why would God lower Himself to come to earth as a man? That’s ridiculous!” So she and the children left and he stayed home. A while later, the winds grew stronger and the snow turned into a blizzard. As the man looked out the window, all he saw was a blinding
snowstorm. He heard a loud thump. Something had hit the window. Then another thump. He looked out, but couldn’t see more than a few feet.

When the snow let up a little, he ventured outside to see what could have hit the window. In the field near his house, he saw a flock of wild geese. Apparently they had been flying south for the winter when they got caught in the snowstorm and couldn’t go on. They were lost and stranded on his farm with no food or shelter. They just flapped their wings and flew around the field in low circles, blindly and aimlessly. A couple of them had flown into his window it seemed.

The man felt sorry for the geese and wanted to help them. The barn would be a great place for them to stay, he thought. It’s warm and safe, surely they could spend the night and wait out the storm. So he walked over to the barn and opened the doors wide, then watched and waited, hoping they would notice the open barn and go inside. But the geese just fluttered around aimlessly and didn’t seem to notice the barn or realize what it could mean for them.

 

The man tried to get their attention, but that just seemed to scare them and they moved further away.  He went into the house and came out with some bread and made a breadcrumb trail leading them to the barn.  They still didn't catch on.  So he got behind them and tried to shoo them toward the barn.

 

They still didn't catch on.  So he got behind them and tried to shoo them toward the barn.  Nothing he did could get them to go into the barn where they would be warm and safe. 

 

 “Why don’t they follow me?!” he exclaimed. “Can’t they see this is the only place where they can survive the storm?” He thought for a moment and realized that they just wouldn’t follow a human. “If only I were a goose, then I could save them!” he said. Then he had an idea. He went into the barn, got one of his own geese and carried it in his arms as he circled around behind the flock of wild geese. He then released it. His goose flew through the flock and straight into the barn and one by one the other geese followed it to safety.

He stood silently for a moment as the words he had spoken a few minutes earlier replayed in his mind: “If only I were a goose, then I could save them!” Then he thought about what he had said to his wife earlier. “Why would God want to be like us? That’s ridiculous!” Suddenly, it all made sense.

That is what God had done. We were like the geese—blind, lost, perishing. God had His Son become like us so He could show us the way and save us. That was the meaning of Christmas, he realized. Suddenly he understood what Christmas was all about, why Christ had come. Years of doubt and disbelief vanished like the passing storm. He fell to his knees in the snow and prayed his first
prayer as he heard the church bells ring: “Thank you, God, for coming in human form to get me out
of the storm!”  

November 2013 Newsletter

From the Pastor's Pen

PILGRIM CHURCH IS GROWING *

 

Have you felt it? Can you smell it? It is the new wave of excitement evident in everything we’re

doing at Pilgrim Church. And it all started with an Autopsy. Last June I shared information from

Thom Rainer’s blog about a vibrant church that died. The autopsy listed all the ills the church

had experienced over the course of its final years. It was a bleak picture to say the least. The

response? It was tremendous. Pilgrim Church took a look around and, in effect, said, “That

won’t be us.” And it’s working.

Since that day in June, the focus of Pilgrim Church has been transformed from inward to

outward. Rather than an obsession with our needs, there has been a shift to the needs of others.

Of course, Pilgrim has always been generous, but today it is different. A few examples of this

new attitude can be seen below:

 

 Renewed interest in ministry to Camp Washington Homework Club, Back-to-School and

Thanksgiving meal.

Shared ministry with Palabra de Vida church in Drop Inn Center meal

 Open and Affirming Discernment

 Ministry to our own families experiencing difficulties

 Mission Trip to Henderson Settlement

Our church is GROWING. No, it is not growing so much in numbers, but it is growing in faith and

practice. Studies show that churches fixed on their own needs have a tendency to dwindle in

participation and numbers. On the other hand, churches focused on the needs of others have a

greater chance of increased vitality and strength. And all it took was a look in the mirror.

I am re-invigorated in my quest to make Pilgrim Church the very best place it can be. I have a

feeling that’s what you want, too. Look through this issue of The Pilgrim for evidence of what I

am talking about. Get involved. Catch the Spirit. Be a part of something big – YOUR CHURCH!

Open and Affirming Timeline:

In an effort to keep everyone abreast of the events

shaping our Open and Affirming discernment, the
following tentative schedule is presented. Please
note that the final piece in the process will be a
Congregational Meeting at which we will vote to be
an Open and Affirming congregation within the UCC.
At that time, we will also vote on our new ONA
Mission Statement.
 

PROPOSED CALENDAR OF EVENTS

 

November 24 Screening of “For the BIBLE tells

me so”

 

“Through the experiences of

five very normal, very

Christian, very American

families – including those of former House Majority

Leader Richard Gephardt and Episcopal Bishop

Gene Robinson – we discover how insightful people

of faith handle the realization of having a gay child.

Informed by such respected voices as Bishop

Desmond Tutu, Harvard’s Peter Gomes, Orthodox

Rabbi Steve Greenberg and Rev. Jimmy Creech, FOR

THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO offers healing, clarity and

 

understanding to anyone caught on the crosshairs of

scripture and sexual identity.”

 

 

 

December Distribution of “Homosexuality

and Christianity” brochure

 

January Two opportunities for

discussions with Dr. Jim Esmail

on Psychological and Religious

response to Homosexuality

Formation of Task Force to write

New Mission Statement

Annual Meeting report on ONA Progress

 

March/April Lenten Bible Study on Jesus and

Inclusiveness

May 4 Congregational Meeting to vote

on Open and Affirming status   

October 2013 Newsletter

From the Pastor's Pen

 

OPEN and AFFIRMING (ONA): What is it and Why Now?

 

For three years I have been proud to be your Pastor. With the recent ONA motion by our Council, I am even prouder to lead Pilgrim Church into a future of hospitality. And so it is with great pleasure and a sense of pride that I have the privilege of leading Pilgrim Church on a journey to seek fuller understanding of our call to minister to an oftentimes marginalized sector of society. I refer to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning persons. Some of you might be saying, “But we already say, ‘Everyone Welcome.’” For too long LGBTQ persons and their families have heard the “You are Welcome Here” message only to find otherwise. No one should have to guess about the boundaries of inclusion of a congregation. That is nowhere more true than on Cincinnati’s west side. Becoming an ONA congregation removes the mystery. LGBTQ persons will see and read on our website, our letterhead, our worship bulletin and even our electronic message board as well as on our faces, that we indeed include them in our welcome.

Over the next several months, we will seek out God’s will for our congregation as it pertains to our ministry to the LGBTQ community. We will pray about it, study it, experience it and eventually embrace what it means to be a fully inclusive congregation. We will extend the hand of fellowship to persons possibly unaccustomed to our way of worship. For perhaps too long many of them have been outside the Church because of hate speech fostered by individuals waving the Christian flag or a Bible at them.

We will use language that is inclusive rather than exclusive. We will publish our willingness to celebrate the uniqueness of individuals no longer bound by stereotypes. We will still sing of God’s love and his grace. We will shake hands and hug occasionally. We will tell of the wondrous works of God’s hand. Likely we will not outwardly change much of anything we do; we will simply be more extravagant in our welcome and our inclusion of the LGBTQ community.

 

I do want to touch on what ONA is not. ONA is not a “love the sinner, hate the sin” mentality. Being LGBTQ is not a sin: it is not a choice.  It is the way people are.  It is the way they were born, just like heterosexuals.  ONA churches DO NOT engage in attempts to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of LGBTQ persons.

 

This brings to the surface the question of selective scriptural reading. What are we to do with the seeming paradox of the Holy Codes in Levitcus? How is it that the very folks who condemn one abomination can easily overlook another? How have conservative Christians latched onto the verses referring to sexual relations and not those prohibiting the consumption of shell fish? (see Lev. 18 & 19)  Is it fear or is it ignorance?

 

ONA is not about fear or hatred. It is the essence of love. It is saying “No” to fear and “Yes” to love and community.  The next several months will be an interesting and illuminating adventure.  We will speak respectfully of and to one another.  We will learn much about ourselves and our faith.  And in the end we will seek to reach out in faith to all of God's children.  All of them.  Come with me and search your hearts for a new and extravagant, welcoming way to live out our faith. 

See you at the Bible study,
Dave

 

 

 

 

 

  

September Newsletter Edition

"Prognosis for a Vibrant Church"

 

 

The response to my June Pilgrim article elicited

more discussion than any other article I can recall.

Highlighting the eleven signs of a dying or dead church

got your attention. Some of the eleven were spot on

while others merely suggested areas of concern. At

the end of the article I promised to explore the signs

and indicators of strength in churches.

 

Here goes.

 

Pilgrim Church’s size is a significant strength.

Our optimum membership of 350, with worship

attendance averaging 110, makes it not too big, not too

small. Our size is adequately cared for by one ordained

pastor with the luxury of a seminary intern. It is

possible, though not very practical, to be anonymous

here.

 

Another strength is our highly successful

Preschool. Through our doors, an army of 280+

preschoolers march in and out weekly. This outreach

of Pilgrim Church positions us in the community as a

church which cares for all ages.

 

Our Vacation Bible School, one of the largest on

the Westside, brings together the talents and passion

of dozens of members and friends to put on an

extravaganza over five nights where kids can play, sing,

wonder, and be enriched in the faith.

 

Our monthly Pancake Breakfast is a Pilgrim

staple. On the second Sunday of the month (except

June, July and August) the aroma of warm syrup and

French Toast as well as pancakes and scrambled eggs

permeate the building. It is truly a time of fellowship.

Attendance is typically a mirror of worship.

 

Our 1 ½ year relationship with Palabra de Vida

Church has been a joy and a blessing for both

 

congregations. Although we worship separately, we

enjoy casual times in the hallways, the Pancake

Breakfast and activities such as the Church Picnic. As

Palabra’s average age is far below Pilgrim’s, they are

quickly becoming indispensible in maintaining our

building and grounds. We are sisters and brothers

serving God in the same building.

 

Our Monday Crew is another tried and true staple

of Pilgrim Church. This group of retirees is our first

line of defense when maintenance items come to our

attention. Painting, electrical repair, plumbing and the

like are only a few of the tasks taken up weekly by this

adorable group.

 

Our electronic message board on Bridgetown Road

proclaims to the entire community the Who, What,

When, and Where of happenings at Pilgrim and in the

community.

 

Lastly, I want to comment on an intangible part of

life at Pilgrim Church. I refer to the genuinely friendly

nature of this congregation. To best illustrate, I will

quote Rev. Dave Schwab, former Ohio Conference

Minister, when he described another of my churches a

few years ago: “Wow. When you visit there and

there’s a meal, you have to contend with the fact that

they will probably fight over who you sit with. They all

want to be your host. They insist you sit with them.”

 

These and many more tangibles and intangibles

make up the strengths of Pilgrim Church. Next time

we’ll explore where we go from here. What is the next

step for Pilgrim United Church of Christ? 
 

From the Pastor's Pen June Newsletter

Autopsy of a Deceased Church

First in a series on church health.

Now hear this, the following information, based on an

article by Thom S. Rainer on his blog, is not intended as

an indictment of any particular church or congregation.
It is intended as a reminder that dying churches don’t die
overnight; they show signs for many years. Rainer’s blog
centered on his experience as a church consultant in
2003. After visiting and assessing a once vibrant and
active church, he came away with the following
assessment. He titled the article, “Autopsy of a Deceased
Church.” It first appeared on his blog April 24, 2013. I
nvite you to read this information and take it to heart.

 

“I was their church consultant in 2003. The church’s

peak attendance was 750 in 1975. By the time I got
there the attendance had fallen to an average of 83. The
large sanctuary seemed to swallow the relatively small
crowd on Sunday morning.

The reality was that most of the members did not
want me there. They were not about to pay a consultant
to tell them what was wrong with their church. Only
when a benevolent member offered to foot my entire bill
did the congregation grudgingly agree to retain me.
I worked with the church for three weeks. The
problems were obvious; the solutions were difficult.
On my last day, the benefactor walked me to my rental
car. “What do you think, Thom?” he asked. He could see
the uncertainty in my expression, so he clarified. “How
long can our church survive?” I paused for a moment,
and then offered the bad news. “I believe the church will
close its doors in five years.”

I was wrong. The church closed just a few weeks ago.

Like many dying churches, it held on to life tenaciously.
This church lasted ten years after my terminal diagnosis.
My friend from the church called to tell me the news.
I took no pleasure in discovering that not only was my
diagnosis correct, I had mostly gotten right all the signs
of the impending death of the church. Together my
friend and I reviewed the past ten years. I think we
were able to piece together a fairly accurate
autopsy. Here are eleven things I learned.

 

1. The church refused to look like the community. The

community began a transition toward a lower

socioeconomic class thirty years ago, but the church

members had no desire to reach the new residents. The

congregation thus became an island of middle-class

members in a sea of lower-class residents.

 

2. The church had no community-focused ministries.

This part of the autopsy may seem to be stating the

obvious, but I wanted to be certain. My friend affirmed

my suspicions. There was no attempt to reach the

community.

 

3. Members became more focused on memorials. Do not

hear my statement as a criticism of memorials. Indeed, I

recently funded a memorial in memory of my late

grandson. The memorials at the church were chairs,

tables, rooms, and other places where a neat plaque

could be placed. The point is that the memorials became

an obsession at the church. More and more emphasis

was placed on the past.

 

4. The percentage of the budget for members’ needs

kept increasing. At the church’s death, the percentage

was over 98 percent.

 

5. There were no evangelistic emphases. When a church

loses its passion to reach the lost, the congregation

begins to die

 

6. The members had more and more arguments about

what they wanted. As the church continued to decline

toward death, the inward focus of the members turned

caustic. Arguments were more frequent; business

meetings became more acrimonious.

 

7. With few exceptions, pastoral tenure grew shorter

and shorter. The church had seven pastors in its final ten

years. The last three pastors were bi-vocational. All of

the seven pastors left discouraged.

 

8. The church rarely prayed together. In its last eight

years, the only time of corporate prayer was a three minute

period in the Sunday worship service. Prayers

were always limited to members, their friends and

families, and their physical needs.

 

9. The church had no clarity as to why it existed. There

was no vision, no mission, and no purpose.

 

10. The members idolized another era. All of the active

members were over the age of 67 the last six years of the

church. And they all remembered fondly, to the point of

idolatry, was the era of the 1970s. They saw their future

to be returning to the past.
 

 

11. The facilities continued to deteriorate. It wasn’t

really a financial issue. Instead, the members failed to

see the continuous deterioration of the church building.

Simple stated, they no longer had “outsider eyes.”

Though this story is bleak and discouraging, we must

learn from such examples. As many as 100,000

churches in America could be dying. Their time is short,

perhaps less than ten years”

 

Reading the autopsy reports of our friends is usually not

a good way to get ourselves back intro shape.

Nevertheless, let’s take heed of the above report and

examine our healthy practices and make our Church a

place of health and growth.

Next issue:

“Exploring Pilgrim Church’s

Strengths”

Marching off the Map

Growing up in the 1950’s, the summer vacation (by car) was the pivotal event of the year. The destination was chosen, the oil was changed, the tire pressure was checked, and the ham sandwiches were lovingly made and packed into the metal cooler (complete with a screw off drain cap held securely by a small chain). A quick check of the free map from the Sunoco station and we were off, usually by 4:00 am. We’ve come a long way in 60 years. The paper map has given way to the GPS or Google Maps on the iPhone. Don’t get me wrong; a GPS can be a great tool, but the good old paper map still has its place. GPS units tend to give a sort of tunnel vision that causes drivers to focus so much on the route that they fail to see the full picture of the road in front of them. Take for instance the three women on their way to a shopping excursion following their GPS’s instructions to the letter so faithfully that they drove right down a boat ramp and into a lake. Neither driver nor passengers noticed anything amiss until it was too late; they were just doing as they were told. (GPS units can make mistakes.) They had missed the big picture. Halford Luccock tells a story of Alexander the Great and the importance of maps. After Alexander’s unprecedented string of victories which allowed him to further his travels from Asia Minor through Persia and into Afghanistan, his generals came to him one day and informed him, “We don’t know what to do next. We have marched off the map.” That’s it; that’s the problem with many Christians and particularly many in the Christian Church. They’ve lost sight of the big picture. Tunnel vision has replaced perspective. They are so intent on demanding that all people buy into their particular interpretation of the scriptures that they can’t see the worth in anyone who doesn’t hold their views. Their opinions on things moral and ethical are made to appear as the only model for living. Could it be that they have marched off the map? Maybe. My purpose here is not to expose or attempt to change the ultra-conservative Christian Right. That would require more than these few paragraphs. Rather, my purpose is to offer an alternative. Take another long look at your map. Are you still on course? Have you marched off the map? Is it time to turn (‘shuv’ in Hebrew) and get back on track?

Facing Despair to Reach Resurrection

On a recent visit to the Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, I was struck by a special exhibit on loan from the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC. For eight minutes we sat motionless listening to the accounts of service men who took part in the liberation of various concentration camps. Frail, emaciated people were rescued and nourished as they were given new hope. The writings of Victor Frankl came to mind. On the eve of the Nazi holocaust, the brilliant Austrian psychologist, Viktor Frankl, had a lot going for him. Not only was he at the height of his professional powers, but he had received a coveted offer to travel to America and escape whatever horrors the Nazis had planned for him and his fellow Jews. His dilemma was that his parents did not have the proper papers to accompany him. Although they urged him to pounce on the opportunity and get out, his conscience was troubled. Was it truly the most faithful course to seek freedom for himself, but leave them behind? He asked the Lord in prayer to show him a sign. Not long after that, Frankl's father brought home a piece of marble taken from a bombed-out synagogue. It contained a fragment of Hebrew writing Frankl recognized as the fourth commandment: "Honor your father and mother." This, he concluded, was the sign he had been looking for. He decided to stay to care for his aging parents. Frankl knew full well that his decision carried an awful price. His parents eventually died in concentration camps, and he himself was sent to the infamous Auschwitz. Miraculously, he survived. Frankl did more than survive. His book, Man's Search for Meaning -- his own personal study of what had led some camp inmates to succumb to despair and others to cherish a lively and vital hope -- became a post-war best seller. Millions found meaning themselves by reading of his experiences in the death camp. Out of stark tragedy for millions came hope for others who followed. That, dear friends, is the essence of Easter. It is what we do in the face of despair that can define us. While some succumb to it, others embrace and conquer it. Our Lord embraced the despair of an arrest, the mockery of a trial, the beatings and eventual death on the Cross. It was the awful price of the Cross that ushered in hope for those who believe. The Cross, once a symbol of destruction, is now a symbol of hope. What gave hope and meaning to the descendants of the Jewish concentration camp inhabitants can also give hope to us as Christians. When we face despair directly it is possible to see hope. Easter is indeed liberation from despair through the sacrifice of God’s Son. Our participation in his death can most assuredly resulted in our own personal resurrections.