Rollie Martinson, Professor Emeritus at Luther Seminary, tells of a conversation he had with fellow he met on an airplane flight. After Rollie told the fellow traveler that he was a pastor type, the conversation quickly turned to church attendance. The man said, “It’s funny. We’ve gone to church all our lives, but six weeks ago, we just quit.” He said after returning home from worship one day, they asked themselves whether the worship and church connection made any difference in their real lives. They discovered, he said, that their experience at church had little impact on their lives, and so they quit.
We’ve all heard the numbers. Church attendance and membership is down. Church closures are up. One source suggests that approximately forty million people have stopped going to church in the last twenty-five years. Some of the reasons include lack of engagement, as was the case with the family mentioned above. Other reasons include greater affluence, higher focus on children’s activities, online options, and a greater emphasis on self-directed spirituality.
Clearly societal changes are behind some of this shifting. But it’s also true that this isn’t an altogether new phenomenon. In the sixth chapter of John’s Gospel, we read that some of Jesus' followers decided, when things had gotten difficult, that they had to turn back. Jesus said to the remaining ones, "Do you also wish to go away?" Peter responded, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” In other words, something in their deep connection with this upstart rabbi was compelling to them, and shaped their faith decisions.
What might this mean for us in the time and in the place in which we live? We’ll chat about this on Sunday, as the sermon is titled, “The Power of Connection in the Life of Faith.” The sermon arises from Psalm 34, which will be read by the Brass family, and John 6: 56-69, which will be read by Jonathan Michelsen. We’ll be led musically by the Chancel Choir, under the direction of Gerry Sousa and accompanied by Lois Leong. We’ll have a moment for children, sing, and pray together. After worship, we’ll join together for our annual church picnic.
If this will be your first time at St. Mark’s, or if you have long connected here, we look forward to seeing you in the sanctuary at 10:30. If you will be joining online, visit www.smumc.church and click on the online banner.