SCD Ideas

Opening day with Vince Scully has been a Dodger tradition since the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles and had its first season in 1958.  For fifty years his golden voice has been the heart beat of the Dodgers.  From Sandy Koufax’s no-hitters to Steve Sax’s no-throws to first base, he has told it all.  One of the last of the old-time baseball announcers, he grew up in an era where the story was more important than the action on the field.  While baseball can be seen on TV, in many ways it is best experienced on radio.  As a kid there was nothing like settling down for the evening as I heard Scully’s voice reverberate with reference and passion as he decribed the game that was bigger than life.  

Many have wondered what unites Los Angeles, the huge metropolitan area that is bursting at the seams with millions of fans from around the world.  Baseball is now more than Americas game — it is truly international with some of its best players coming from Japan, Korea, and the Dominican Republic.   The team that brought Jackie Roberston to the field of play, the first American-American allowed into professional baseball, has a roster that spans the globe.  At 1:00 pm Pacific Time, Dodger fans across the world, whether in offices in Century City, or cars on the 101, or in Internet cafes in Tokyo will know the boys of summer are in action when they hear Scully announce the game.  While politicians, preachers, and stars have risen and fallen, one voice has remained a constant, making baseball more than just a game — in Scully’s hands it comes with parables about life.

One aspect of this can’t be ignored, this 80-year-old announcer has a lot to say to kids of all ages.  We may think that those over 70 have little to offer.  But in fact, when Scully reflects on the plays and players he has seen over the days of his career, he puts today’s game into a context that gives it meaning and purpose beyond the slide into second base or the single that sends home the winning run.   There is something to be said for those around us who can put our daily existence into a larger context of history and perspective.  So as you relish the opening day of the season, look for those around you who have lived a long life for they may have something to say to you that will put your life into perspective.  Words of wisdom, from whatever the source, should be cherished and held tight. 

This last week I had a planning session with the leaders of the New Church Tracks for this year’s school.  It was great to see how excited they are about teaching their tracks.  Candace Landsberry, who in now in the second year of her second new church start in Las Vegas, made the observation that the world has changed since she  started a church in Phoenix eight years ago.

Others in the group agreed.  Here are a couple of things they noted:

1.  People are more fearful — they are not willing to come to a stranger’s house to meet people.  This makes it hard to start small groups in people’s homes.  So you must look at Third Places — like Starbucks to meet people.

2.  Relationships are key — to gather people you must take the time to connect with individuals, like key leaders in the community to develop contacts. 
3.  Timing is important — people aren’t willing to wait too long before you launch worship.  12 to 15 months seems like the longest you can wait.

4.  People are suspicious of religion in general.  So just saying come to church does not attract.  You must give them a reason to want to be part of a faith community.  So saying you are United Methodist (this is my thought) can be a positive because it shows you are part of a larger organization — not just a fly-by-night operation.

These same comments can be heard by owners of movie theaters (see blog on the Oscars), restaurants, and malls  — people seem to be more and more reluctant to leave the safety and comfort of their homes.  About ten year’s ago we called this cocooning. Think about it — through the Internet and your home entertainment system you can bring the world to your home without having to leave.

So even if you are an experienced new church starter, you can’t keep doing the same things over and over again.  You need to adapt to climate of your community and create new ways to connect with people — not for the sake of building a church, but for the purpose of giving people the opportunity to hear of the love of Jesus, the love that truly transforms.

So what other changes are you seeing?  Help make a list by adding your comments.

As we head into Holy Week I am reminded of an article in the Harvard Business Review about the importance of Storytelling.  Here is a portion of the article:
“A big part of a CEO’s job is to motivate people to reach certain goals. To do that, he or she must engage their emotions, and the key to their hearts is story. There are two ways to persuade people. The first is by using conventional rhetoric…It’s an intellectual process…you build your case by giving statistics and facts and quotes from authorities. But there are two problems with rhetoric. First, the people you’re talking to have their own set of authorities, statistics, and experiences. While you’re trying to persuade them, they are arguing with you in their heads. Second, if you do succeed in persuading them, you’ve done so only on an intellectual basis. That’s not good enough, because people are not inspired to act by reason alone.
The other way to persuade people…is by uniting an idea with an emotion. The best way to do that is by telling a compelling story. In a story, you not only weave a lot of information into the telling but you also arouse your listener’s emotions and energy…If you can harness imagination and the principles of a well-told story, then you get people rising to their feet amid thunderous applause instead of yawning and ignoring you.”

http://harvardbusinessonline.hbsp.harvard.edu/hbsp/hbr/articles/article.jsp?ml_action=get-article&articleID=R0306B&ml_page=1&ml_subscriber=true

If you read carefully you will see a couple of things that stand out from the article.  First, trying to persuade by giving facts, statistics, and quotes works only if your info-commercial is better organized and told then the information the congregation already has in their heads.  I must admit this has been my basic style — I have a laptop filled with PowerPoint Presentations and I can persuade with the best of them, or at least I try.  The key phrase here is at the end:  people are not inspired to act by reason alone.
Let that sink in for a moment.  When you preach the story of the passion this week are you aiming for the head or the heart?  Are you seeking to persuade by quoting The Case for the Resurrection or some similar book?  Are you hoping the historical facts will support your argument or are you using the approach of the Jesus Seminar where you will vote for the passages you think only Jesus could have said?  I fear that too much of our preaching is focused on analytical arguments rather than touching the heart with (gasp) emotion.

Second, the article makes the case that the way to persuade people is by uniting an idea with an emotion.  This comes with telling a riveting and powerful story.  During Holy Week you have such a story to tell.  If you read the events of the Holy Week with an eye to the story that is being told the characters will leap off the page into the very depths of your soul.  The story of Jesus’ last days, his death, and resurrection has fueled the Christian Way since its inception.  My hope and prayer for you is that you will be able to tell The Story as if you are hearing it for the first time.  The wonder.  The tears. The shame.  The grief.  The hope.  The love that prevails to this day.

My father said something to me about Easter Sermons,  “Craig, don’t forget to smile on Easter. Point to the flowers and to the cross.  Remember that Easter is a celebration.”   In his own way he was saying he had heard too many sermons that aimed at the head rather than the heart.  Another things crosses my mind, “Do you believe?”   “Do I really believe?”   I pray that in the midst of all the activities that surround this week, Palm Sunday (whose getting the branches?) the Easter Egg Hunt (do we have enough eggs?), The Maundy Thursday Service (what kind of bread shall we use?), Good Friday (will anyone show up?), and Easter (one more service to go!)  that you will have a revelation — this Jesus that you will be talking about came for you.  He died for you.  He lives for you.  He wants to live through you.  Let it be so.

According to an article in USA TODAY on “ShoWest report: 3-D is the next generation in the movie industry”, you will soon be wearing 3-D glasses and paying more at the box office to see the latest thing from Hollywood (see link below).  The article brings up some points that churches can learn from.

1.  Even though the popluation of the U.S. has grown over the years, the number of people going to movies has remained flat the last three years.

2.  Movie Theaters find themselves competing with home TV and computer screens.  They have to offer something unique to get people out of their homes.  As people convert to digital TV in the next year, the home experience with wide-screen monitors and full scale sound systems will only get better.

3.  The Youth Boom is in full force.  The “Best of Both Worlds” Concert by Disney teen star Miley Cyrus, has generated $64 million.  Through the 3-D technology they were able to create an immersive experience that you can’t get a home.   Theater owners are betting that the installation of digital projectors will allow them to offer more live-action shows like the Super Bowl and made-for-theater concerts.

Two other comments got my attention.  First, one theater owner experimented with the sound and found the installation of a new sound system was just as significant as what was on the screen.   Second, another owner pointed to the fact that if the theater experience is ruined by people acting up in the audience, no amount of technology will overcome a bad trip to the movies.

So what does this mean for the local church?  One of our biggest challenges is offering an experience that will get people out of their homes and into our sanctuaries.  Things like the sound system, the lighting, and the overall mood of the worship space effects the way we worship.  Finally, the way the audience — the congregation – behaves has a profound effect on how people experience worship.  What brings people back is not just a carefully crafted sermon or beautiful anthem.  They can get that on TV.  What brings them back is the smile from an usher, a kind word from the person sitting next to them, the invitation to return by the person in front of them, and the feeling that the people in the congregation have a passion for God.      

http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2008-03-13-showest-3D_N.htm 

The Pew U.S. Religious Landscape Survey is packed with information about religious affiliation in the United States.  During the next couple of weeks, I will unpack the data as it relates to the United Methodist Church.  To see the survey go to http://religions.pewforum.org/reports

According to the survey 5.1% of the U.S. population claims an affiliation with the United Methodist Church.  With a popluation of over 300 million, this means over 15 million people see themselves as United Methodist.  But with a membership of just under 8 million and a weekly worship attendance close to 4 million, this means we have a much greater potential to connect with people who alreadly have a natural connection to the UMC.

Instead of focusing on the numbers of people in the church maybe we should think about what influence a church has in its community.  When you gather for worship, each person in the congregation is connected to a web of people.  Family, friends, neighbors — even strangers are touched by what happens.  When you pray for a person who is suffering, his or her life is connected to others who may stand outside the body of Christ, but who are blessed by God’s mercy and grace. When a wedding or a funeral takes place in your building, people who have no formal affiliation with your church are introduced to who you are.  Hebrews 12:1 says, “we are surrounded by  so great a cloud of witnesses.” Rather than thinking of those who have gone before us we can think of those in our communities who surround us.  Those who watch and wonder if this Jesus thing is real.   Every church regardless of its size and location has an influence — way beyond what any of us can see.  Lets remember to celebrate the priveledge we have to be a wittness to our communities this day. 

By Craig Miller