From the Pastor

May 2008

What I Want from my Church 

What do you want from your church? What kind of ministry do you want it to do? What are the values you want it to live by?

I have to admit, I usually bristle at questions like this. I’d rather we thought of church the way that John F. Kennedy famously implored Americans to think of their country: “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” In a similar vein, I’d rather people thought about who God is calling St. Ansgar to be, and how God empowers and calls each person of St. Ansgar to participate in that vision.

However, I also understand, pragmatically, that people tend not to participate in or support things unless they receive some kind of ‘pay-off.’ People who volunteer in hospitals or schools or food banks do so because helping makes them feel good. People are most supportive of those charities that offer a clear and unambiguous explanation of where those funds are going and how the money is being used to effect positive change in people’s lives and circumstances.

In more commercial terms, our economy operates under the assumption that people spend time, money and energy for that which satisfies their desires. People want their hamburgers, french fries and coca-cola served up quickly and conveniently. And so, the McDonalds fast food restaurant chain grows and flourishes in almost every corner of the world. The question of whether or not people should want the kind of food McDonalds provides is another matter. People do want it. So they support it with their money, and they get what they want.

Our wants cannot be the sole consideration for how a church is run, what kind of ministry it engages in, or even what music is chosen for Sunday morning. Theologically speaking, the gospel must take precedence over all other considerations. The cross, which Jesus bids we all take up and follow him, twists our wants and desires, turns them upside down and drops them back into our laps barely recognizable. Our wants cannot be the only thing that guides how we do church.

But, our wants are a consideration. If people’s needs aren’t being met, they will withdraw their support and their participation.

And, to be sure, I have my list of wants, too. If these are not met to some degree, I have no energy or enthusiasm for my work.

As our relationship in this ministry of St. Ansgar Lutheran Church grows, I hope to learn your wants and I hope you learn mine. We do that by spending time together: in worship, in committee meetings, in fellowship, in the classroom, in your homes, in my office, in being in church together. I believe that by working and living together toward our common wants and goals, and in communion with the Holy Spirit, our wants and desires are indeed fulfilled, if not in any way shape or form that we might expect, certainly in ways that are healthy and whole, and – surprise! – in line with who God calls us to be.

Peace,
Pastor Brian