BIRTHDAYS

4/22 Ricki Rosengren
4/25 Dana Harris
4/26 William Beasley


SUNDAY READINGS

Deuteronomy 6:20-25
Psalm 66:1-8
1 Peter 2:1-10
John 14:1-14

April 16, 2008

From the Rector's Desk

It was good to spend some time Sunday after coffee hour listening to Dr. Graham Cole open up for us the virtues of the Anglican liturgy and our approach to worship. These are things we talk about regularly and enter into each week, but his grasp of scripture, church history, theology and our current culture helped to bring further understanding and appreciation. I'm grateful that he took the time, and that we have people like Dr. Cole in our midst who is not only a theologian, but who loves the Lord and his church (I've not found that they necessarily go together).

Graham also highlighted an important component of our worship in word and table: that it is how the church has worshiped for two millennia--it's just what we do. These things were on my mind when I came across a review of a book that is a recent release from Harvard Business School Press on "authenticity". One of the authors, James Gilmore, burst onto the scene several years ago with his book on the "experience economy", and how businesses attract customers through the creation of an 'experience', not just products. Gilmore is also a Christian.

In this latest book he addresses a follow-up issue, that of authenticity and its importance, and how people in the larger culture long for the real thing. Gilmore has cautioned the church against staging worship 'experiences' in order to reach people (something one can find in abundance), because they lack the authenticity of the Gospel. For a Wharton Business School graduate who has written for the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, etc, he has an amazingly simple message for the church: get real.

"The church should be the one place that stands apart and says 'We have nothing for sale. We only offer a free gift. We're becoming a reflection of the world, instead of standing apart from the world. The church ought to be the place where people see that there's something different about this place and this people from anything one experiences elsewhere in the commercial marketplace," Gilmore recently told Leadership magazine.

He goes on to say, "To me, the church should not aim to be 'real' as an end. The church is there to proclaim truth. Trying to be hip and cool and real does a disservice to the church. We're not called to be successful, but to be obedient, even if people don't come. If somebody doesn't find you objectionable, I wonder if you're preaching the full counsel of God." Gilmore says that people expect the church to be the church, to worship in a way that says 'we're not fake', and that the church should do what it has always done: give, serve and love.

I know that sometimes our liturgy at Church of the Redeemer may seem strange to people at first, or that our combination of 'ancient-future' practices is a marked contrast from what is often peddled in the latest church growth conferences. But there is a depth of experiential reality in it that is authentic—the church being the church, worshiping as it has always done, in the proclamation of the Word and in the celebration at Christ's Table. People desire to drink deeply from the real thing, not the latest fad. We don't need to reinvent the wheel in order to authentically live into the reality of life in Christ or attract others. As we bring people that need the Lord into our worship and our small groups, they will come to see the authenticity that is not staged, but that cuts across culture and marketplace expectations. They will come to know the 'real' in a manner that is authentic.

A new book may help if you or others have questions. Mark Galli has written "Beyond Smells and Bells: The Wonder and Power of Christian Liturgy" as a simple primer on liturgy and the ways it powerfully moves us, even when we don't really understand what is going on. We hope to have some copies circulating around Redeemer in the near future, or click here to learn more.

The Jewish Passover begins this weekend, so it is a particularly powerful time to engage the Eucharist, a meal that began with the Passover and was re-cast by Jesus. More on that Sunday. I look forward to worshiping with you this weekend.

Blessings and joy,
Jay+



The Rev. Jay L. Greener, Rector
Church of the Redeemer
frjay@redeemernorthshore.org


10th Annual Rwanda Benefit

Plan now to join this special celebration to benefit the Sonrise Primary Boarding School on April 26 at 6:30 p.m. at the Renaissance Hotel in Northbrook. Again this year Bishop John Rucyahana will be our special guest. If you would like invitations in order to invite friends, please contact the church office at (847) 681-2872. More information about the Sonrise Primary Boarding School can be found here.


Stewardship

As a follow-up to last week's Rector's Desk reflection, here are just a few more thoughts on stewardship in tough times. A Christian research group based in Urbana, empty tomb inc., has tracked and analyzed giving trends in churches over the last 40 years. In that time frame there were six distinct economic recessions, which bore no clear influence on stewardship within congregations. In fact, in three of the last six recessions, church members' giving actually went up.

For us it is a matter of whether we give out of faith, or live out of fear. We can trust God to provide as we are careful stewards and look for his various means of provision. The work of the church is an eternal work, and we can call on eternal perspective and resources even if things are tough around us.

Recently we have been experiencing a drop in giving at Church of the Redeemer. The season of Easter, which is usually strong, has been impacted. Thank you for your faithful prayers on behalf of the church and for your financial investment in God's kingdom. We also rejoice over the many investments of time, energy and abilities that go into the work God has called us to. May God bless us for the sake of his kingdom and provide for all that is needed for this work as we dedicate ourselves to Jesus Christ and his Gospel.

Here is the latest information:

Average offering needed each week: $6900
Offering last week: $3300
2008 Budget shortfall by end of March: $7107.


Upcoming Events

April 18-20: Jr. High Retreat
April 26: 10th Annual Sonrise School Benefit
April 27: Worship and Confirmations with Bishop John Rucyahana
May 2-3: Vestry Retreat at La Hacienda, Freeport



Redeemer Youth Ministries

Ok! This weekend we're off to the Dells. We are doing our Jr. High retreat this weekend leaving Friday with a couple other youth groups to a fun, yet meaningful weekend to the Wisconsin Dells. Please pray that your students would bond in a unique and loving way. Thanks for your support!


Prayer Notes. . .

  • for the Mission and Vision and Outreach of Church of the Redeemer
  • for our Rector, Fr. Jay, and his family
  • for our staff and their families
  • for those God is calling us to reach
  • for our children and those who minister with and to them
  • for Ryan and our youth, on retreat this weekend
  • for those preparing for confirmation
  • for those in need in body, mind and spirit