It felt a little odd.
But setting my little mini-tripod at the back of the church facing straight up the center aisle - during the service - was the least intrusive behavior I observed. I think I counted more tourists roaming around the great basilica than congregants seated for worship.
I thought about it for a long time, whether to grab a photograph of this remarkable moment in such an historic place. I suppose the freedom I feel to take pictures at GCC made me feel OK about grabbing a shot. I finally decided, since my camera wouldn't flash and I was behind the worshippers at the back of the church, that I would quietly kneel down, secure my camera on the floor and take the picture.
It turned out to be a pretty stunning image, but the whole scene made me wonder (since my mind wanders all over the place and the only reason I'm not diagnosed A.D.D. is because I'm too old to go in for testing) if the Church in the west is often a simulation of the scene I was witnessing in Rome.
Church sociologists are suggesting 40% of the population can be reached with our current ministry strategies. If so, that's fantastic....for the 40%. But that means 60% of the population may need further interpretation, and better translation of the Gospel.
It's almost like we're enjoying our current ministry programs, focused on the services that mean so much to us, while more and more unnoticed people look in on the Church with mild curiosity. Like tourists swinging through to check us out between their visits to the Colosseum and the Trevi Fountain, they glance our way then dismiss us with a "that's nice for you, but it's just not for me." They see what we're doing, but what we're doing isn't impacting them enough to transform their lives with God's love.
It's as if they're unfazed and untouched. They're fascinated by what they see, but they don't understand what we're doing, why we're doing it or how it matters.
So they snap a few photos and move along, hoping their tour through life will eventually show them something so captivating, so engaging and so important that they'll be unwilling to move along to the "next thing" because they've discovered the "best thing."
I'd like for that to happen. So, I'm working on ways we can better translate the Gospel for the 60%, while serving well the 40%.
I think the task is most worthwhile.
Romans 10:13-17 -
"Everyone who calls, 'Help, God!' gets help." But how can people call for help if they don't know who to trust? And how can they know who to trust if they haven't heard of the One who can be trusted? And how can they hear if nobody tells them? And how is anyone going to tell them, unless someone is sent to do it?
That's why Scripture exclaims, "A sight to take your breath away! Grand processions of people telling all the good things of God!"
But not everybody is ready for this, ready to see and hear and act. Isaiah asked what we all ask at one time or another: "Does anyone care, God? Is anyone listening and believing a word of it?" The point is: Before you trust, you have to listen. But unless Christ's Word is preached, there's nothing to listen to.
I am a Northlander and I came upon your blog while following Josh's blog on Ava. I have to tell you that i just love it. I read it every day that you post. I love photography and I love your wise Chrsitian perspective. I have reccomended it to several friends who all read it too. I even have my husband reading it because he love hunting, fishing, and Jesus too. Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: bernice boivin | November 08, 2010 at 09:17 PM