Concrete Acts of Love

In our Wednesday Class we recently heard an interview of Kathleen Norris, spiritual writer and poet who became well known for her book, Dakota: a Spiritual Geography. She moved from New York City to live in her grandparent’s house in a small town in

South Dakota – can you imagine? She discusses the little Presbyterian Church she eventually joined and when I consider that church it feels like going back I time. Here in the suburbs of a big city we live in a more transitional, fast paced world. (I wonder if they have soccer in that small town… if so certainly not on Sundays!) In our world we have little time for Sabbath, as resistance or just as rest. And rather than being surrounded by vast open plains we have streets, cars, condos, fast food restaurants and Jiffy Lubes (just to name a few) – it is a highly commercialized environment. As a result people who first come to church likely have a consumerist mindset. Yet, Norris says that deep down (and I think she is including even New Yorkers in this) people yearn for connection – for community where a language is used that is different than they see in the media. I want to believe that.

I am jealous of the big churches that have a program for everything. How attractive in our world; groups for young parents and empty nesters, singles too. How can we compete? Our last module in Beta Vitality was on “Connecting: Helping People Participate in Your Church.” The first thing said is that connecting is not about programs but relationships. Programs may encourage relationships, but they also may not. If one is a consumer one may not be looking for relationships so that when the service changes one leaves. If people are really looking for a community of relationships, even if they don’t know it, then the important thing is to connect with people personally no matter the circumstance. I was asked at the meeting how people connect at Cedar Cross. We don’t have a specific program for connecting people – it’s more of a collection of possibilities. The Adult Sunday School connects people as does the Wednesday study. Saints and Sinners, potlucks, game nights, musical groups, the UMW and the Men’s Group, and even committees all serve as places to connect. It seems, according to the module that more important than the type of event or group it is the spirit of that group. The module says that one of the most important things in getting people to come back to our church is observing how we interact with each other. There are many strategies that a church can use – and we will be looking into those, but what really matters in getting people connected is being sincerely interested in the people who come to Church. And nothing works better in involving someone than personally inviting them.

We have been blessed with many new people at Cedar Cross recently. We have to remember how hard it is to come into a church where you don’t know anyone. It is our job on Sundays to be connectors – to understand our role and responsibility by being a part of this Church is to connect with people – ask about people, and maybe even invite them to one of these groups and events that make up our Church. That is the heart of the matter. That is who we are called to be. One of the definitions for “sin” that Kathleen Norris offered comes from a Benedictine monk she is acquainted with: “failure to do concrete acts of love.” One thing about a Church, there is ample opportunity for concrete acts of love. See you in worship, in Sunday School, and elsewhere. P.Jim