In this month's ABLAZE segment, I'd like to address those who love our church year. It's schedule of seasons and readings really does help us preachers cover more of the whole council of God. It does create a nice rhythm and flow that rings truer than observing a bunch of other contrived celebrations. It helps us rehearse and re-present to ourselves the whole life of Christ and our place incorporated into that life. But there is also a hidden treasure here that I'd like to use to challenge you, and it also has to do with the church year. In the distant past, the Church set aside the season of Lent as a time for catechesis, to prepare catechumens for baptism on Easter. The Church Year drives so much of our ministry, why not let it shape our outreach strategy as well?
Why not set aside the season of Lent for new member instruction that is designed to lead up to their baptism/confirmation on Easter? Then an Easter vigil would be truer to its original intent. Yes, I know, the vigil also works for renewal of baptism, but isn't that supposed to be an every morning event? Renewal of baptism just doesn't have the same caliber of celebration that baptism/confirmation does at an Easter vigil/morning and if you've ever had baptisms then, you know what I'm talking about.
Scheduling this instruction and baptism according to the Church year would also provide some fodder for members to start thinking about whom they could invite to the instruction classes already after Christmas – nice if you've had a number of visitors during that season, too.
The point of all of this is intentionality. Setting aside a specific time for Christian instruction takes it away from the haphazard notion, “I'll offer the class when I have some takers.” That attitude shows one is still living in a churched culture, where the expectation is that “they” will come to us if they want what we have to offer. But that's not how life works in a post-Christian era. We are living in missionary days and that means going out to the highways and byways to proclaim the kingdom's nearness and call for repentance. So if having a class ready to begin by Ash Wednesday is the anticipated fruit of labor, then one realizes that some sowing must necessarily precede Ash Wednesday. That sowing can happen throughout the rest of the year through a variety of means by which unchurched neighbors, friends, family, etc. are ordinarily identified and seeds planted. A good friend of mine has used various Issues, Etc. programs to answer some questions his neighbor raised as they discussed Christianity. Others carry with them copies of Portals of Prayer with their church's name, address, phone, etc printed on the back cover.
If any of you readers are currently using the church year to shape your outreach and catechesis, drop me a line. I'd be happy to hear from you about this. If this is new to you, why not run it by your elders, outreach committee, etc. for their opinion.
- President Cripe