Monthly Archives: September 2015

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on September 20, 2015
Tags:   

Questions Are So Important — Rev. David J. Schreffler

 

image

September 20, 2015
Sunday

“Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.” Mark 9:33-37

“What’s harder to overlook is that they are too afraid to ask any questions. Part of this, of course, may be Mark’s characteristic focus on the faults and failings of the disciples. But, then again, are we all that different? I know far too many Christians who are also often afraid to ask questions. Sometimes it’s because they believe they should already know the answer and they don’t want to look dumb. Sometimes it’s because our people are nervous that their question isn’t “okay,” that maybe there is something wrong with their question or, indeed, with questions in general.

Why is that? I have a hunch that, as a culture, we tend to equate intelligence with knowing things. I understand that to some degree. Smart people seem to know a lot of stuff. But what if we could also imagine that intelligence is measured not simply by what you know, but also by how eager you are to learn more. That is, it’s at the edges of what we know that there is the greatest chance to grow in understanding. Which is why questions are so important. Questions are not the mark of a lack of intelligence but of a curious and lively mind.” David Lose (Dear Working Preacher) The Value of a Good Question, September 16, 2012

One of the more curious observations I have made in my ten years of being a parish pastor is the inability of many people to ask questions about scripture, about faith, and about things that confuse them as they struggle to live out their faith. This has often confounded me. I have been trained (mostly from my Seminary Education) in the manner of asking many questions while teaching a bible study lesson. And so I may begin a bible study session by asking questions (rhetorical and not) — and then returning to them — and asking more questions throughout. So often when I ask these questions, I am presented with silence. Or, when I ask if there are any questions, I am again presented with silence. I know there are things that people either do not understand, or issues where people do not agree with me, and yet those remain unasked, and unstated.

As David Lose states, “Questions are so important.” Questions help us to grow in understanding, and help us to clarify that which confuses. Don’t be afraid to ask the questions, especially the really difficult ones. I guarantee you there are others who are in need of the same answers.

Pastor Dave

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on September 19, 2015
Tags: ,   

Make Them Known to Your Children — Rev. David J. Schreffler

image  September 19, 2015

“But take care and watch yourselves closely, so as neither to forget the things that your eyes have seen nor to let them slip from your mind all the days of your life; make them known to your children and your children’s children—” Deuteronomy 4:9

“In crafting a sermon on this or another passage, we have occasion to reflect on preaching as necessary repetition of the story and of the commandments that strengthen faith and lead to life. It is not necessary to find or invent new stories each week. Moses cautions the people against adding on to the word God has given. He also cautions against holding back, or subtracting, whether by conscious effort to trim off the parts we do not like or by quiet omission and neglect of the parts we do not understand.

We share Moses’ hope that our children will have the blessing of life. We want them to cross into a place where we will no longer carry them, where they will enter and claim the inheritance God has prepared for them. Our children stand at a threshold. We — preachers, parents, catechists, neighbors, priests, deacons, elders — are their teachers. We are entrusted with our people’s memory and testimony. May our preaching and our life together show to our children the wisdom and justice of God’s teaching, so they may trust in God’s promise and receive abundant life.” Dear Working Preacher, Commentary on Deuteronomy 4, Anathea Portier-Young, Associate Professor of Old Testament, Duke Divinity School, Durham, NC

Moses says “…take care and watch yourselves closely, so as neither to forget the things that your eyes have seen nor to let them slip from your mind all the days of your life; make them known to your children and your children’s children.”

How are we doing? With the mass migration of young people away from the Protestant Church, I am not so sure we have done such a good job. It is hard to answer the question “why?” The major new survey of more than 35,000 Americans by the Pew Research Center finds that the percentage of adults (ages 18 and older) who describe themselves as Christians has dropped by nearly eight percentage points in just seven years, from 78.4% in an equally massive Pew Research survey in 2007 to 70.6% in 2014. And yet many of the Millennials will report themselves as being “spiritual” and report praying with the frequency of their grandparents.

I guess it is possible that the “old ways” just do not resonate with those between the ages of 18 years and 25 years of age. That means that our churches need to find some alternatives — so we can meet the needs of the aging Baby Boomers and the millennials. That will be a challenge, but most likely the beginning of any change will happen on the local level. As pastors and congregations assess their individual context including the makeup and needs of their community, it may be possible for people of all ages to find meaningful worship and ministry opportunities — that is if the congregations will trust G*d to lead them to new landscapes and new opportunities — just as the Israelites trusted Moses.

The question is: Will we be able to make those changes in time, or will the church lose another generation of people?

Pastor Dave