Evil Empty Pews?

On the seventh Sunday of Easter, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church had about 30 attendees. Mid-sermon, our interim pastor touched on the message we’ve so often heard: be in the world but not of it. She looked out into the “handful” of members who chose to come this morning, and recited other Sunday morning, particularly holiday weekend Sunday morning, choices available: the beach, our cozy beds, bargain shopping, visiting with family and friends.

She followed this list with an unsettling remark: “The powers of evil have figured out how to keep people from assembling together and worshipping.”

She then added some bit on our sinful consumerist lifestyles, the “incursion of evil” in our daily routines. She went on to delineate things we can do to really show the loving face of Christ to others, to really make a “real difference.”

I started writing these thoughts down on my bulletin because they sounded strict and disconcerting, not enlightening in the way she probably intended. The culprits for poor church attendance were swirling evil forces, cited often throughout the sermon. These “forces” were never prodded, unpacked, or questioned.

I had a problem with reducing today’s poor church attendance to good and evil.

To define the church as the only good, pure space to spend one’s Sunday morning reduces every other circumstance, opportunity to fellowship, and individual choice to a lesser, less virtuous plane. It also makes it a lot easier to assure attendees that they had made the worthy choice (versus those absentees who didn’t). A pat on the back for those who made it out today just as easily relayed a slap on the wrists to those who didn’t. Maybe some people need a slap on the wrists, but the church doesn’t need to set up more binary gauges that rank people’s worth, dedication, or “real” piety.

Our pastor encouraged the congregation to do more work that better shows the loving face of Christ in the midst of evil forces. Examples included mission trips down to New Orleans or participating in Habitat for Humanity projects locally. About 95% of the 30 attendees were over 70 years old.

I do celebrate these efforts and the fruitful work that comes of them, yes. But to say these are the efforts that make a “real difference” establishes another dichotomy for church members, one I’ve struggled with for years. Some work is more valuable, more Christ-like than other work, even if I don’t feel competent or energized in it. Although I don’t think everything I pursue has to be backed with some burning life passion, I do think there are ways to communicate and act more inclusively, more creatively, to people who already do great work, like the person staying home to cook for and fellowship with his/her family.

In sum, I think there are other ways to encourage church/community/Christ-like engagement. Rather than shrinking people’s choices, actions, and attendance records to forces of good and evil, I'll just enjoy the extra pew room this week and keep working and discerning the best I know how.