A Thriving Church

Last week during worship I mentioned that I had been invited to a gathering of "pastors of thriving churches." While it seems at times that we are busy rebuilding our momentum following COVID, today's missive to the folks at St. Mark presents a compelling vision of a thriving church. Enjoy! 

This weekend is one of those weekends when we will have a lot of everything, so hang on as I take us through the list! 

On Saturday and Sunday, we have worship. That may be obvious, but it is important to put it out there first, because everything we do is fueled by the grace of God, and worship is our opportunity to gather, remember, give thanks, and ground our life together as a debt of gratitude for God’s grace. So, even in a weekend with lots of everything, worship matters. Let’s say that first. 

During worship on Saturday and Sunday, we will observe “All Saints Weekend,” taking the time to name, honor, and remember those who have died this year. Since our lives are bracketed by the delightful promise that “in life and in death, we belong to God,” we will approach this act of remembrance as a celebration of those who have completed their baptismal journeys. We call those who have died “saints,” not because they were flawless in life, but because of God’s grace, which embraces us in our frailties and elevates us as those who are fearfully and wonderfully made.  

One aspect of our celebration of All Saints Weekend is that we are collecting “Prayer Flags,” a tradition that we began last year after a period of so much loss. You can read a brief description here. Some of these flags will name persons in our lives who have died, but we welcome other forms of loss also: The loss of pets, employment, happiness, opportunity, or anything that troubles the spirit. Like every act of prayer, this tradition will enable us to “weep with those who weep,” one of the most powerful acts of community imaginable. Bring your flags on Saturday and Sunday, and during worship on Sunday we will have an opportunity to hang them. 

During worship on Sunday, we will celebrate the baptism of one of our children, declaring God’s act of grace in his life. Having grown up in a tradition that only practiced “believer’s baptism,” I have found that the baptism of infants and children is one of the most powerful demonstrations that our life of faith begins with God’s gracious act of claiming us from the start. And how appropriate that on the weekend we remember those who have completed their baptismal journeys, we celebrate the baptism of a child of the church. 

Also during worship on Sunday our Handbell Ensemble will play our Introit, marking their first performance for this season as part of our very impressive music ministry at St. Mark. 

After worship on Saturday, we will launch Life Together, a time of connecting and building friendships before we all go our separate ways for supper. Dietrich Bonhoeffer once wrote a book entitled Life Together, where he describes Christian fellowship as “an extraordinary grace.” So, we will meet in the Bonhoeffer Room following worship to live into that beautiful vision. 

On Sunday afternoon we will have our annual Harvest Festival, with the very popular “Trunk or Treat” event outside of the Fellowship Hall. Put on a costume, decorate your vehicle, and bring some nut-free treats to share with the trunk-or-treaters as you enjoy the costume parade. We’ll gather at 4:00, the parade is at 4:20, and the trunk-or-treating begins at 4:30. 

It’s hard to imagine a weekend when we get a better snapshot of what it means to be the church. From birth to death, with joy and sadness, gathering for worship and fellowship, we become the body of Christ, sent out into the world to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly before our God. 

See you in worship this weekend, 

Mark of St. Mark