8-28-2022 “Looking Forward” Pentecost XII

The Rev. Dr. John Tamilio III, Pastor

I spent last weekend on Martha’s Vineyard. It was the second year in a row that I was invited to preach at the Martha’s Vineyard Camp Meeting Association — the place in Oak Bluffs that is famous for its Gingerbread Houses. If you’ve never seen them, look them up online when you get home. As their website states, this (and similar campgrounds), “grew out of the religious ‘camp meeting’ movement of the 19^th century. The idea of holding camp meetings for religious purposes was first introduced by the Presbyterians with Baptists and Methodists taking part in the state of Kentucky, prior to 1820. The practice was soon followed by the Methodists in New England. Initially, these early meetings were temporary, lasting about a week and held at different locations each year.” Today, it is a place where you can buy a quaint, pastel-colored cabin and spend the entire summer (not to mention parts of the spring and fall) on the island. There is a similar camp close to where Cindy and I live — the Asbury Grove Campground in Wenham — but it is not nearly as nice as the one on the Vineyard.

While I was there, I received an invitation from Charles Monaghan to attend an event (held yesterday) at the estate of a local, wealthy benefactor who hosted a meeting of local clergy about the state of churches and denominations in this post-COVID, post-Christian age, which, unfortunately, I was unable to attend. (Yes, we are in a post-Christian age.) We all know that fewer people are going to church. Denominations are dying. The belief is that congregations that survive this ecclesial exodus will all be nondenominational, independent churches in the not-too-distant future. The glory days of Congregationalism (you know, when we had to build a new wing just to house all the kids that came to Sunday School), those days are over — and it is doubtful that they will return.

We need to stop lamenting this change and do something about it. We need to carve out our own niche and publicize what we are doing. We’ve talked about that quite a bit lately, but this is now a call to action: a call to action for our church as we look to the future.

This fall, we will have a student intern: Alex Killian. Some of you know Alex’s father Scott who is the Pastor at South Congregational Church in Braintree. Alex is studying to be a Pastor at Boston University where he is working towards his Master of Divinity degree. We are also revamping our Church School curriculum. Rev. Dee has been working with the Christian Education Team as we look to the new program year, which is literally a couple of weeks away. All of this is happening as our Senior Suppers will be getting underway, our new Bible Study (which will focus on the Letter to the Hebrews) will be starting, and we are preparing to celebrate our Capital Campaign and to put some of those funds to good use, along with the money being donated towards renovating this chapel in honor of Caroline Kiessling and the Tate family.

There is a lot happening here — and as I prepare to celebrate my ten-year anniversary with you, I am excited that we are in this karios moment. Karios is a Greek term that signifies the right moment of great opportunity. These moments usually arise during times of conflict or times of great pressure or even tribulation. The idea is not unlike the myth of the phoenix who rises triumphantly from the ashes.

No, we are not in a time of trial. We are not on the proverbial ash heap. That said, we are at a time in the history of Christianity that is tenuous — one that calls us (all of us) to think critically and outside the box if we want to survive, let alone remain relevant.

Let me spell out three things that we need to do:

The first is dynamic worship. When people go to a church for the first time, you must remember that they probably do not know anyone there. We will get to that in a minute (our second point). However, one of the things that will get them to return is vibrant worship. The days of somber, highly liturgical worship may be over — and I, for one, mourn that loss. Roman Catholics and Episcopalians have a great treasure trove to offer the entire world in terms of liturgics. Unfortunately, I do not think that this is what most seekers are looking for. They want a personal message — one that relates Scripture to their lives, and they also want a worship experience that is inspiring. We need to supplement what we do with some spontaneity, with outward jubilance. Why not raise our hands to God when we sing? Why not go in a different direction with our order of worship every once in a while? Why not stand and hold hands when we pray? This is really what I think people are looking for: the human element in concert with the divine.

The second is being a welcoming place. We joke about George Kalem being our “Ambassador” (which he is), but each of you is an ambassador, too. If you ever step into a nondenominational, evangelical church, you are greeted left and right by people who come across as the friendliest folks you’ve ever met. This part is actually very simple, and is something that we already do, although we can be better at it. Sit next to someone you don’t know some Sunday and strike up a conversation or talk to them during coffee hour. Don’t worry about what to say. Actually, you don’t need to say anything. Just listen. You know how many people just want to be heard? You know how many people want to be accepted just for who they are? A smile, a handshake, and a listening ear go a long way.

The third is advertising. We need to get the word out. We cannot hide our light under a bushel basket. We need to let people know that this is a place where the love of God is made manifest in word and deed. We tried this over the airwaves last spring with WEZE. I am glad we did those broadcasts, although they did not have the results we had hoped for. Our presence has to be on social media, because that is what people are using. I said this before and one person said to me, “I stay away from social media.” My response? “That’s great. I’m happy for you.” But the rest of the world (especially the younger generation) communicates and gets all of their information from Instagram, Snap Chat, Twitter, Facebook, Tik Tok, and the like. I have made an attempt to make us more present on social media, but have not given this project the time it needs. I will be spending more time doing so in the weeks and months to come.

And these are just a few things. Of course, there are other ideas — ideas bound only by our collective imagination. Who we are isn’t the problem. I am in no way asking us to compromise our message or to water it down. As long as I am your Pastor, we will be a biblically-based and Christ-centered church. Period. However, the way that message is proclaimed, and the way we spread it, is does need to improve. This is a karios moment: a moment of opportunity. I am prepared to seize it and proclaim it from the rooftops. Watch for me to pen more articles for local publications. Watch for me to be more involved in community organizations as well. (My name is being bandied about to be the new Chair of the Canton Food Pantry and Help Line as Fire Chief Charles Doody steps down from many years of dedicated service to that board. The new Canton Police Chief Helena Rafferty and I have been talking about me offering chaplaincy services for her department.) You will see me doing this and much more as I rededicate myself to this church and this community after ten years of service.

Now the big question is what about you? What will you do to make this church as visible as it can be? I would love to hear your ideas. I truly would. The sky is the limit for us, and, as the Scriptures declare, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Amen.