What Do You Think You Are Doing?

What do you think you are doing? I get asked that question quite often. My guess is that I attract that question because I don't seem to know what I am doing or what I am doing makes so little sense to others. When it comes to the way I am making at "doing church", either reason could be a good fit.

This year, as we come up on Easter Sunday, we have made a change in what we do. During Holy Week this year we are not having an all church Maundy Thursday service. We are, instead, suggesting that our church people celebrate communion during Holy Week during a time of worship in their Life Groups. Some of the feedback has been very encouraging as some of the groups have embraced the idea as a wonderful opportunity for their group to have a unique, intimate and holy experience together. Others, upon hearing the plan, have looked at me like I am the village idiot and wondered aloud what in the world would possess me to fail to have "the most moving and spiritual" event in the life of the church. Though phrased many different ways, they have basically asked, "What do you think you are doing?"

I find the questioning of halting this great tradition rather amusing since I am the one who introduced the idea of a Maundy Thursday communion service to this church several years ago. And when I did the idea was received with many questioning my thinking… or my lack of it. Most of the church members had never heard of Maundy Thursday and asked, "What do you think you are doing?" I was told it was a bad idea, it was too Catholic, and that no one would attend. We did it anyway.

It is also always interesting to see and hear how differently we humans experience things. For some people who have expressed their disappointment at not having a Maundy Thursday communion service, it was an amazingly holy and spiritually moving experience. My experience was different. I didn't find the services particularly holy or moving. They were okay but nothing special. Part of the differences in our perceptions of the service could be blamed on my introversion and dislike for crowds. The idea of having communion (or most anything) in a small group sounds infinitely better than in a large group to me. But that is just me.

The reason we are suggesting that a special celebration of Holy Week take place in our Life Groups is because we view our Life Groups as our small churches; the place where "church" really happens for our people. The Sunday morning worship is just that – worship. Sunday morning is not church, it is simply worship. The practical, relational spiritual things that make church meaningful and life changing happen in the Life Groups.

We have placed our emphasis on Life Groups because we are attempting to do church more effectively. I grew up in church. It was a nice experience but it was by no stretch of the imagination, life changing. The longer I know of God and the better I know God, the more convinced I become that being involved in a church should be absolutely and completely life changing. If lives are not being changed consistently and often, something is profoundly wrong. So, after several decades of doing church in a way that has rarely produced changed lives, I began to look around for a better way of doing church.

One of the concepts I am working with is that a busy church is not always a successful church. I am defining success as seeing lives changed and conformed to the image of Christ. Too many times we define something at church as successful because a large group attended or because I got some good feelings out of what was done. Neither of these things is a bad thing. But neither are good measures of success. We are trying to simplify what we do and how much we do in hopes that when we do something it will be significant.

At this point in time, we as a church, are asking our members to do four distinct things; (1) have a personal quite time of Bible study and prayer, (2) attend corporate worship on Sunday morning, (3) be actively involved in a weekly small group (a Life Group), and (4) consistently do ministry. To me, we are not asking too much and we are not asking too little. What we are asking people to do are things that have the potential to significantly impact their walk with God for the good. What we are asking people to do is not cluttering their lives with a bunch of religious things to do that could take away from significant time with family and other relationships. We are seeking to strike a balance with most of their spiritual growth possibilities positioned in their personal quite time and Life Group. We are seeking to help them grow as Christians and also giving them the time to practice their Christianity in their important relationships.

Thus, recognizing that Holy Week leading up to Easter Sunday morning is a significant time of year, we are suggesting that they do something special without adding something more to the "to do" list. Have a special time of worship and communion within an already set aside time – Life Group.

As I write this, Holy Week is less than half over and already I have received the following note from one of our Life Group leaders. It gives me hope that what we are attempting to do has the possibility of working.

"Hi Bill,

I wanted to drop you a note about the Maundy Thursday experience our group had last night. It was the most powerful life group experience I have ever had!

It started out kind of slow. There were some questions about why we were canceling the Maundy Thursday service. But, none of the folks in my group ever went to the service. We then started reading scripture and started focusing in on Jesus and what he did for us. Then we took communion together. Afterward we spent some time as a group praying for each member of the group. We have 4 young girls ranging from 4 to 11 years old and they were part of the prayer time. Not only did they sit quietly while we prayed for them, they also joined in with the group and prayed for us. What an incredible experience hearing a 9 year old praying for you. We went through a lot of tissues.

I wish I could put into words how the Holy Spirit showed up last night and explain what happened. But unfortunately you had to be there to experience it.

I'm sure you have had some negative feedback about not having the Maundy Thursday service. I wanted to share my feedback. The members of my group were "too busy" to attend Maundy Thursday services but by having the observance during Life Group they were able the experience it in a powerful and glorious way.

Wow what a Church!!!!"

 

It looks like there will be at least one group of people in the church who may not be asking me, "What do you think you are doing."

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