Who Needs the Church?
I. Required readings
Christian Biography for the Day: Oscar Romero
Oscar Romero
Sculpted by John Roberts
Westminster Abby
Chittister,
Chapter 4
(“Community: The Basis of Human Relationships”), 39-50
Tony Campolo,
"Why the Church is Important"
(Copyrighted article
through
Canvas under the Files tab)
"Atheism Doubles Among Generation Z"
II. Quotation for the
day
Prophets of
a Future Not Our Own
Prayer
in honor of Archbishop Oscar Romero of
Martyred on March 24, 1980
It helps, now and then, to step back
and take the long view.
The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,
it is beyond our vision.
We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of
the magnificent enterprise that is God's work.
Nothing we do is complete,
which is another way of saying
that the kingdom always lies beyond us.
No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection.
No pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the church's mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.
This is what we are about:
We plant seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces effects beyond our capabilities.
We cannot do everything
and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.
This enables us to do something,
and to do it very well.
It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way,
an opportunity for God's grace to enter and do the rest.
We may never see the end results,
but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker.
We are workers, not master builders,
ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own. Amen
III. Journal prompts
1. Today’s readings ask us to consider a little more carefully our understandings of community and church, as well as to what extent younger generations regard the Christian faith and the church as important to their lives. In what specific ways have your understandings of community and church been challenged and/or enriched by today’s readings?
2. The Barna research study on Generation Z offers some interesting insights into this generation. Where, if at all, did you see yourself or those you know represented in this study? What important lessons might the church learn from this research?
3. More and more people in our day who are followers of Jesus regard engagement with a local congregation as optional if not completely unnecessary. Why do you think this is? Do you think such people would find anything in Campolo's article compelling? Why or why not? How about you? How do you own experience and thought proccess shine any light on this topic?
IV. Links of possible
interest
Stephen J. Nichols,
"Why the Church is Vitally Important for Every Christian." More and
more people in our day who are followers of Jesus regard engagement with a local
congregation as optional if not completely unnecessary. Nichols helpfully
reminds us of the biblical basis for believing that being a follower of Jesus
and being a member of the body of Christ, the church, are not two different
things.