06-08-24

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
June 8, 2024
Like some of you nerdy people, I watched both space launches on Wednesday (replay). There was the Boeing Starliner that docked with the International Space Station, and then there was the test of SpaceX’s super-heavy booster. What caught my attention were the engineers and mission control folks at SpaceX's flight facility. They showed some video after the Starship made a soft landing in the Indian Ocean, and all these people in the control center were jumping up and down. There were probably a hundred people or more, and as the camera scanned the faces, I don’t believe there was a single person over the age of 40. Men and women of every race were all dressed in t-shirts, jeans, and other casual wear. This stood in such sharp contrast to what I remember from NASA Mission Control back in the 1960s and 70s when black-and-white images and videos showed only white men who looked to be in their 50s, often smoking cigarets and wearing white shirts and ties. How things have changed! I believe this reflects the struggle that many organizations that are rooted in history and tradition are facing. The church is one of those organizations, and even within scripture, there is a tension between “remember” and “new thing.” We are often called to look backward, honoring what we learned and the stories that we value. At the same time, scripture speaks of the new things God is doing that are often revealed in such a radically different way that very few notice them. There are days when the church appears to still be in black and white, and though I do not see anyone smoking in worship, there are certain things that appear so out of touch that any sort of historic meaning is completely lost on the current culture. It’s tough being any institution that once had great relevancy but now finds itself trying to suggest that its core message is still important. What are we still doing that causes the world to roll its eyes that reflects, not our true mission, but more of our nostalgia?

Though there are so many beautiful stories of the faith, Gracious God, where you were infusing individuals and communities with your Spirit of love, I pray for help in this moment to look for the "what" you are doing more than expecting it to show up in the same "how" as it once did. Amen.