Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

The 10-ton truck was no match for a long-forgotten septic tank.

The delivery of gravel for the driveway was on course until the truck reached the last section. The weight bore down and crushed the old metal lid. The tire sank into the hole, and the driver called us, a bit panicked.

Our house is one of the oldest in the community, built the year Abraham Lincoln was assassinated.

When you have an old house, you expect things to go wrong: There are no level floors. Horsehair plaster requires a delicate touch. A small electrical project often morphs into re-wiring of an entire room. And old driveways sometimes cover up older septic tanks.

But with the inconvenience comes the high ceilings where decades of laughter linger like puffs of cigar smoke. There’s the wooden banister that has supported hundreds of climbs to the second floor and the French doors with wavy glass and white pine that welcomed friends and family for almost 150 years.

This old house reminds me of many of our churches – grand beauties with breathtaking curves and buttresses. Stained glass windows that cast kaleidoscope shadows year after year. Knee-shaped indentations at the altar, rubbed smooth by earnest and beseeching prayers.

Yet within the body of our churches, we often have real problems that we need to address. I’m not talking about long-deferred physical maintenance, but rather issues that we have buried in hopes they would be forgotten. Perhaps an argument caused a rift between two long-time families. Perhaps an alcoholic priest shaped a flock into co-dependence. Perhaps a move from one liturgical style to another left some feeling ignored or worthless.

Unless dealt with in an honest and authentic manner, these issues leave a mark on the life of a congregation. It shapes how the congregation interacts with the world, how members care for one another and how they seek to live as disciples of Christ.

I suggest congregations do an annual self-assessment, asking: Are we in a rut? Are we repeating the same bad habits or unhealthy cycles? Are problems from decades ago influencing how we make decisions today?

Are we willing to poke around and find those hidden weak spots – or will we wait until they are unexpectedly uncovered, raw and messy?

Are we willing to ask the tough questions?

If not, I’m afraid some congregations may end up knee deep.