Doing a New Thing

"Doing a New Thing" is the focus for the tenth chapter of You Only Have to Die: Leading Your Congregation to New Life, written by Jim Harnish. To his credit, he doesn't start with the old adage that the "Seven Last Words of the Church" are "We Never Did It That Way Before." Instead, he begins with a story of the inveterate opposition toward changing the color of the "red trousers" worn by the French military in World War I.

Despite all that commended such a change, time and tradition were against it, and so French soldiers continued to wear clothing that led to their destruction and death. It was, Harnish writes, "an historic example of the tension between tradition and change, taste and function, mission and method; between something old and something new"(p. 128).

Jesus himself, of course, faced the same tension. There was "the old way of Hebrew tradition," and there was the new reality of "the coming of God's reign in Jesus"(p. 128). That tension was experienced in different ways in Jesus' ministry.

One time, sitting at table with "tax collectors and sinners," Jesus was challenged--albeit indirectly--by the Pharisees about such conduct. Rather than give in to the conventional practice of avoiding such people, Jesus claimed the witness of Hosea that God desired mercy rather than sacrifice(Matthew 9:10-13) And thus Harnish asks of us, pointedly enough,

"How much of your congregation's tradition are you willing to change in order to welcome new people into the kingdom of God?
Does your congregation have a passion for welcoming spiritually hungry people to the table of God's mercy the way Matthew invited that crowd to his dinner party?"(p. 129)

Right now, I think that the jury is out on both questions. There are times when I am encouraged about our willingness to welcome new people. At other times, discouragement is the order of the day, as we seem unable or unwilling to welcome others unless they meet our expectations and standards.

Harnish goes on to highlight the story of John Wesley, who was originally "a prim, proper little Anglican priest who was convinced that the gospel could only be preached in a consecrated pulpit in the Church of England"(p. 130). But, Wesley's heart--and life--were transformed, first by his Aldersgate experience on May 24, 1738, and then by accepting the invitation to preach outdoors--where the people were--"to poor people and coal miners"(p. 130).

Harnish goes on from there to lift up the "critical question" for those of us in mainline denominations--like The United Methodist Church. That is, are we willing "to change our methods in order to fulfill our mission--specifically, the mission of sharing the love of God in Christ with people who have not yet experienced it?"(p. 130).

Harnish's concern is that we seem to have "lost a passion for sharing the love of God in Christ with spiritually searching people in their communities and . . . finding ways to engage those persons in a process of discipleship that will equip them to become the agents of God's love in the world"(p. 131).

Those are strong words, but not inaccurate ones. At First United Methodist Church, we are generally willing to receive--and more or less accept--those who make their way to us and insist on finding a place among us. But we do not have a process of discipleship in place, either for them or for those already here. Nor do have methods in place to equip them--or those already here--to fulfill their particular ministry in the world.

Harnish spends the rest of this chapter outlining how the process of how change happened at Hyde Park United Methodist Church in Tampa, Florida. Told that the leadership of the congregation "wanted the church to grow," he responded that the real question was "whether we are willing to make the kind of changes that might make growth possible"(p. 131). That was threatening--but accurate--thing to ask.

It took eighteen months at Hyde Park for them to answer the key questions, "Who are we? and Why are we here?" Then they focused on the questions, "What are we to do? What kind of ministries and programs would best accomplish that mission?"(p. 135). The goals that they established were in the areas of:

• Worship, with a commitment both to "the liturgical tradition of the Methodist-Anglican branch of the Protestant Reformation" and to "new, creative, and exciting alternatives in music and worship . . ."(p. 135);
• Education, with "a strong program of Christian education for all ages and for a wide variety of people"(p. 136);
• Caring Ministries, with the expression of "the Spirit of Christ in caring and compassionate ministries within and through our congregation"(p. 137); and
  
• Witness and Service, implemented by "drawing uncommitted persons to Jesus Christ and by being in ministry to the needs of our city and our world"(p. 138).

Harnish wraps up this chapter by sharing several lessons that he has learned:

1. Living the Mission Means Talking the Mission. The people of Hyde Park United Methodist Church were determined, Harnish writes, "to live the mission of the church and to align everything we did with it"(p. 139).
   
2. Remember That the Best Surprise Is No Surprise. One of the ways they helped this to happen at Hyde Park United Methodist Church was to include a "What It Will Take" section for each of their major goals.
3. Create Opportunities for Buy-In. There was a continuing--and continual--effort to share with the congregation the process as it unfolded, with time allowed "for people to think, talk, and engage in the process"(p. 140).
4. Watch for "Critical Mass." That is what happens, Harnish observes, "when a vision begins to take hold in the heart of the congregation"(p. 140).
5. Stick With Jesus. Harnish closes by citing the insights of Bill Easum and Tom Bandy, two of the "leading spokespersons for change in the church in America today." They point out that any change in the life of the church "must be anchored in the experience of the congregation with Jesus.'(p. 141). There will be no genuine, lasting change--or growth--in the life of the any congregation that is not grounded in our own "continuing spiritual growth" in our relationship with Jesus(p. 141).

"Doing a new thing" at Hyde Park United Methodist Church undoubtedly took more time, effort, and energy than anybody outside the congregation ever realized. It will be no less of an investment here at First United Methodist Church. I want to believe that we are not only capable of "doing a new thing" but that we will actually do so. As we do so, whatever "new thing" is actually should not be done simply because it is new or different but so that we might truly make a difference, that we might reach out to others, and that we might ourselves be drawn closer to the person and the presence of Jesus Christ.