Act! Be Church Now Introduction

Be Church Now! Today, this week, this month, this year. Now is our chance to be the Church. Of course we have always had this opportunity, but the it feels particularly clear that United States congregations need to find their voice in this time and place. Most of us will not get to speak at Washington National Cathedral. That doesn't mean we don't have work to do.

​There is friction in the air, friction in our relationships, friction in everywhere. Add to that fear of friction that keeps us from acting. Some of our challenge is that we just don't know what to do. And so I am starting to write about ways to Act as Church right now. This conversation is not about individual actions that Christians could or should take, but about what we should do as a congregation. As the body of Christ. If we are God's hands and feet, what would God want us to be doing?

This is about living our faith as a community. As such it requires that we talk to each other about our fears for the future, about our hopes for change, and about what is realistic for our action. No project should be owned by one person, each task should be realistic, and each idea supported by prayer, discernment, and faith. Some of us will be the do-ers, but others in the congregation should be behind our decisions to act.

Here are topics I expect to cover: 1) Care for our congregation members. Share money and resources, protect those who are at risk. 2) Care for your neighborhood or town. Work with others who are protecting people at risk. 3) Engage government leaders at the local, state, or national level. As for protections for people who are at risk. 4) Encourage individuals to run for office and work with organizations that are dedicated to building a government that is focused on caring for the least these, our siblings and neighbors who are poor or oppressed. 5) Build resilience as a way to have strength to stand up for what is right. Build faith. Build trust in God and in each other. Take a break. Breathe in the Holy Spirit.

If your church is doing something to create a loving and radically welcoming community, or to share wealth, or to change your neighborhood or town or state, or standing out to proclaim good news, or whatever you are doing, please let me know by replying to this newsletter. I may include your story here in this conversation. We'll need to figure out how to take risks and how to work together as a congregation when fear and friction is in the air. How do we discern the holy spirit's breath around us? We'll talk about how our churches struggling with survival can find the strength to act. I want to hear your stories about what is keeping your congregation from acting.

My experience is with small and micro-sized churches. Many of you will be able to grapple with one or maybe two of these ideas. Maybe you'll pick one way to look inward and another to be outward. Maybe you will try something for awhile, then something else. Maybe you will just double down on an already effective ministry in your congregation. In bigger churches you might have a few teams that take on different tasks. Use these newsletters as conversation and study about what you might be able to do.

But don't study it to death! Figure out something within your congregation's grasp and try it out. See how it works. See how the community reacts, and whether you have the energy as a group to keep going. If it works well, keep it up. If it doesn't work well, try something else. Static friction is what makes it hard to start sliding a heavy file cabinet across the room. But once it's moving, the work required is less. Don't let static friction keep you from getting started.

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