Come and See

When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and see” (John 1:38-39a).

Did anybody see a great movie over the holidays? One of our family traditions is to see a lot of movies over Christmas and New Year, and among the ones we saw this year, I can heartily recommend Frozen II and Knives Out. I’ve been telling everyone how good they are. Maybe instead of movies, you like to eat out—did you find any new great restaurants? The winner for us this past month is the Indian place at the new Aksarben food hall…It so much fun, so exciting, to talk to people about these things we’ve discovered that we love and that bring us a few moments of joy. And it’s so easy...so easy to say, “I saw this cool movie,” “I found this fantastic restaurant…” It’s so easy to say, “Come and see!” when we’re passionate about something and have good news to share.

Here’s some more good news I’d like to share with you: it’s the good news about All Saints Episcopal Church here in Omaha, Nebraska. It’s at 93^rd and Blondo, sort of sits back off the road—you’ve seen it as you drive by? It turns out I was interviewed by the Word Herald for a big story they’re going to run in the next two weeks about the future of the church—not just the future of All Saints, but the future of the whole organized Church. After interviewing me, a reporter came and spent an hour taking photos of the youth group at work and play. At the risk of spoiling the surprise for you, I’d like to tell you what I told them—give you a preview of this story.

At All Saints Episcopal Church in Omaha, the future is found in the day-to-day, and you can see it clearly as you notice our young people. You’ll see youth playing various roles in weekly worship services – from singing in the choir to leading the Gospel procession and reading the prayers and Scripture. And they’re putting faith into action through different service projects. “Our kids are especially interested in creation care projects and helping with projects that provide food for hungry people. They’ve also developed a long-term relationship with a senior care center near the church.”

The church isn’t about the past—the church is about the future – and youth are the lynchpin, especially at a time when the church’s tomorrow looks especially uncertain. Across the spectrum of Christian worship, church affiliation and attendance have been declining. According to a new Pew Trust research report, 25 percent of the U.S. population reported having no religious affiliation – up 19 points from the 1970s. The share of U.S. adults who say they never attend a religious service has gone from 11 percent to 17 percent in the past ten years. “The basic cultural assumption we used to have – that people go to church – is becoming less and less valid.” “Many church buildings are closing because their membership has aged and there are no younger people to support the congregations.”

All Saints nurtures its youth, and its youth nurture the world. Last summer, All Saints’ youth group made a working trip to Verdigre, Neb., to restore three city parks destroyed by flooding. It’s now in the planning stage for a creation care and pilgrimage trip to northern California for worship, creation care, and adventure.

“It is so important for young people to not be isolated from the overall ministry and service of the church.” Cultivating a congregation’s youth is essential for a thriving church of the future–but other strategies have to be deployed as well. “I believe churches that do best will simultaneously focus on extraordinary worship experiences and small groups that do things like bible study, centering prayer (a form of meditation), grief support, and youth tutoring. “I think discipleship happens easiest, and maybe best, in small groups in which members hold themselves accountable.” In addition, the church of the future needs to focus on utilizing its facilities seven days a week, and not just on Sundays for a few hours.

All Saints’ 13-acre campus is designed with devotional features, including an outdoor Stations of the Cross and a labyrinth, but it also has a community garden and several other natural gardens and pathways for contemplation, exercise, and relaxation. “We’ll be utilizing these fantastic resources even more, offering outreach opportunities for creation care education, wellness and sustainability.” All Saints also has established a concert series, a movie series, and an arts series, each with a thread of spirituality in it and an opportunity for discussion and questions.

“While we wait and look to the future, we are called to actively engage with those around us and always be developing our faith and hope,” he said. “We want to make sure we give those seeking God and those seeking authentic community ‘on-ramps,’ so to speak, that include much more than just Sunday mornings.” More “on-ramps” mean more opportunities to not only stem declining church-attendance numbers but actually grow congregations again. “With so many people now saying they are ‘spiritual but not religious,’ the local mission field is wide open.” “There will be more and more opportunity to evangelize new generations of people who have not grown up knowing about God. There will be more and more opportunities to introduce them to the mission of the church by recruiting them to help with outreach activities that are not part of Sunday worship.”

“We have people who’ve joined All Saints because they first came to us to help with our food pantry. Missional and outreach work is not just about helping those in need; it can change those who help as well.” The bottom line is that churches have to shake an “If we build it, they will come” mentality. “The church of the future – actually, the church of today – needs to be more clear than ever regarding its mission to the people who attend, and its mission to its neighborhood and the wider world.” “It has been, I think, too easy for our churches to be like social clubs, stratified and segregated in economic and social circles, inwardly focused, and sometimes even exclusionary. When we look at the ministry of Jesus in the Gospels, it was just the opposite: Jesus was always breaking down social barriers, talking and eating with outcasts and the marginalized.  In fundamental ways, Jesus was very countercultural, and a rule-breaker.”

That’s the end of the interview with them…Jesus was a rule-breaker, and we are too—and one of the most important rules we’re breaking right now is the rule the world has learned that says the church is just irrelevant, the rule the world has learned about the death of the church. In today’s reading, when Jesus realized that Andrew was tagging along, he turned and asked him: "What are you looking for?" Each of us must answer this question for ourselves. What are you looking for out of life? When you come to church, or when you pray, what are you looking for?... We find abundant life when we give ourselves away, when we realize we are connected to Someone much bigger than us. Our lives take on their true meaning and purpose as we engage in God's mission. We find our true epiphany when we find our place in God's world. We become the disciples Jesus intends us to be when we understand, deep in our hearts and muscles and bones, that church isn’t a place to go—it’s something we do; it’s a way of life. We live by these words attributed to St. Teresa of Avila:

Until Jesus’ returns, he has no body but ours here.

No hands, no feet on earth but ours.

Ours are the eyes with which He looks with compassion on this world,

Ours are the feet with which He walks to do good,

Ours are the hands with which He blesses all the world..

Ours are his hands, ours are his feet, ours are his eyes.

We are Christ’s body here now.

Theologian and writer Frederick Beuchner has said that true vocation is found in that place where your deep gladness meets the worlds deep hunger--My prayer for you all this week, and the coming weeks, and the coming year, is that you will more and more “Come and see” and strengthen your vocation. Do you need healing and comfort? Come to Naomi Guild or the Grief Support Group and see. Do you seek fellowship and friendship? Come and see one of more than twenty groups we have that offer, and come to a movie night. Do you thirst for a deeper relationship with Jesus? Come and see our centering prayer or the adult forum or the Episcopal 101 class. Does your heart long to find moments of beauty and peace in this world? Come and see one of our concerts or art events, or come and help in one of our gardens or walk our labyrinth. Do you strive to make a difference in someone’s life? Come and see and help with Sunday School or the food pantry.  My prayer is that you'll not just recognize the place that All Saints has in forming and nurturing and actualizing your own vocation—you’ll also be so filled with joy and passion and excitement that you’ll be saying to others, “You’ve got to see this, you’ve got to try this great new thing…What are you looking for? Come…come and see.”