Carpathia Here We Come ...

The United Church of Canada has been spending enormous amounts of energy, money and time in an attempt to attract the 25 to 40 year old generation back to the Church. They've set up the WonderCafe site, they've poured money into beautiful glossy advertisements in magazines, and they've offered training for congregationl leadership to embrace and welcome in this "Emerging Spirit" generation ...

Sadly though - the reality on the ground is that nothing has changed ... Congregations lumber along wondering why they are getting greyer and greyer, and why they are dwindling ... Periodically leadership arises that not only embraces the ideas behind the Emerging Spirit Campaign, but who work diligently and tirelessly to welcome those folks in to the circle that is Church on THEIR terms ...

It is prophetic work. It is hard work. But it is rewarding.

But it is also NOT wanted by those interested in preserving the status quo, and those who want to see the Institution that is The Church as a bloated out of touch bureacracy to continue as it has ad infinitum ... or perhaps ad nauseam would be more appropriate ... Whatever.

The reality is The United Church of Canada talks a good game ... but they want the Emerging Spirit for their monetary resources and little else. They can come and drop cash on the plate, but what they are looking for in the Church and what they want out of the ministry of the Church doesn't fit with the current ethos ... The Old Guard SHALL always prevail.

Back in the day, the Late Gordon Pokorny, a loyal and crusty figure in the United Church in British Columbia used to often shake his head at the decisions of the Church courts and say - "All we're doing here is shuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic!!!"

I never fully understood what he meant ... Today I do.

Today, the band is happily playing, the lights are on, food is still being served, and everyone is strolling around tossing blocks of ice as though it is some sort of game ... but the ship - this Titanic we call The United Church of Canada is sinking ... and it is not sinking slowly, she is taking on water and getting ready for her final plunge into the abyss ... and in the midst of all of that, we blithely continue to shuffle the deck chairs in a vain attempt to improve our view of the lovely iceberg that suddenly appeared off our side ...

Today I completely understand what Gordon meant ... I see it ... The deck chairs are being shuffled and people are vying for position, closing their eyes, ears, hearts and souls to the simple reality that we are standing on a crippled and doomed vessel ...

Personally, I say we start swimming for the Carpathia ... Maybe by bring news of this disaster back to port we can prevent it from happening again ...

I may not have always agreed with Gordon, but he was an astute man, and he never really let the ministers serving in his Presbytery down ... w emight not have felt it at the time - but he ALWAYS had your back ... in retrospect, we need more like him ...

In the meantime - Bon Voyage !!!