“Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles…  And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.” – Acts 2:42&47

A colleague of mine serves at a large church on 60^th and Park Ave. in Manhattan.  When a visiting preacher inquired about the church’s ability to attract such a large number of members in their 20’s and 30’s my friend realized that he could only guess at the answer.  According to the polls this demographic is largely absent from the pews.  Its presence at his church was worth examining, so they issued a survey.

It turns out, the results confirmed my friend’s guess.  What this group of young people found compelling about the church was, “an experience of theological spaciousness and openness, intellectual vigor, the combination of liturgy, music, and architecture, and the community diversity they have formed.”  This seemed like an indication that church leadership was doing something right.

However, as they considered the data a little more closely they made a difficult discovery.  “Without exception,” my friend writes, “everyone agreed their work is what gave them identity above all else.”  Professional success was their clear measure of self-worth, and spiritual interests would absolutely take a back seat to career endeavors.   One participant wrote, “Work gives me clear, tangible results that I can see and measure in my life.  I don’t get that same sense from the things we talk about or do at church, which can seem intangible, elusive, and at times overwhelming.”

Though the large representation of 20 & 30 year olds in the congregation was impressive, my friend had the sense that in some ways the church had failed them.  My suspicion, not to heap coals, is that other demographics would have revealed similar conclusions.

I’m reminded of a life-long churchgoer who upon being laid off in his 50’s from the corporate position that allowed him to provide so well for his family bemoaned, “I am worth more dead than alive.”  Though his drive to provide for his family’s financial needs was clearly rooted in love, it broke my heart to think that he had spent his adulthood finding his worth in corporate approval and the salary he was paid.

As I look forward to joining you in just a few weeks I’m sharing these reflections because they are part of the mix of thoughts circulating in my mind about a vision for the church and a sense of purpose in our ministry.  I share the scripture lines above because the book of Acts tells the story of the early Church and the experience of the first post-resurrection followers of Jesus.  What’s noticeable in the Church’s birth and formation is the quality of awe and wonder that repeatedly characterizes the people’s experience.  The Church was built on awe and wonder!  God was moving in the people’s lives and their response – their worship, their fellowship, their service, their self-identification – was rooted in a sense of amazement.

As we think about what makes for a “successful” church I would like us to think about the significance of the early Church’s experience.  Everyone wants growth and numbers and programs that have wide appeal.   But, beneath the numbers has to be something better, something that brings us beyond ourselves, something with the capacity to transform.  That where awe and wonder comes in.  A church that strives to be amazed by God, a church that values awe and cultivates an aptitude for it, in my opinion is on the right track.

I’m so excited to be joining you on June 16 as your pastor and to begin exchanging ideas with you on these and other matters.  I believe that God has lots in store for us and I know that the journey will be a blessed one!