Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will fulfill the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah.” Jeremiah 33: 14 (NIV)

In Advent we are taken back to the days when all in Israel were waiting for the Messiah. Our scripture lessons ring with anticipation from prophets like Jeremiah.

As we ponder the expectations of people 2,000 years ago, we may realize we have much in common with our ancient faith ancestors. Some of us are in exile, some are tossed and battered by earthly and evil circumstances, others wander aimlessly. Even those full of hope and joy look forward to new days of the Kingdom of Heaven. Amazingly, on any given Sunday, we’re all together at the 10:00 am service!

A communion of saints are we, each on his/her own journey but nevertheless together in common faith and destiny. How much we learn from each other may depend on how well we intentionally listen and stay open to those who seem far outside our comfort zone.

I will never forget a sweet widow I interviewed during a feasibility study for a capital campaign in a parish in Pennsylvania. We discussed the various projects proposed. It seemed for every one, she had a story. Her children were baptized in the sanctuary, she taught Sunday School in those classrooms; she donated china teacups for service in the lounge. There was no hesitation when asked about her support for the campaign. Of course she would give.

Nothing in the conversation surprised her until I asked if she thought the campaign would be successful. “What do you mean?” she wanted to know. When I explained that questions are being asked to determine how much money could be raised, her bright face suddenly faded.

“Do you mean some people won’t want to give to the church?” she asked. She could not fathom it. Her faith, her life, her closest community was in that place. She was saddened that others might not see the congregation that way.

How I wished her fellow parishioners could hear the loving way she talked about her church. It made me wonder what stories I don’t hear in my own parish because I do not make time to listen.

Recently there have been many ECF Vital Practices blog posts about story-telling and listening. Find a way to incorporate time for this within existing activities of your congregation. It could be as simple as creating a “coffee hour question of the day.” Pose the question in a way that invites personal stories such as, “Tell me about a time you felt blessed to be a member of our church.”

In this holy season, seek the Kingdom of Heaven that’s as near as the other end of your pew.

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