At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them.  And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. (Matthew 18: 1-5)

Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.  For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18: 19,20)

I have sanctuary envy.

Seriously.  I do.  When I walk into other churches, particularly big kinda 20 century cathedral churches, with their dark wood, soaring ceilings and stained glass everywhere, I get a little pang from the green-eyed monster.  Classic cathedral churches have this air of importance, of credibility, of….oh I don’t know maybe grandeur?,that is palpable when you walk in the door.  Encountering God in these big cathedral churches seems almost guaranteed.  After all, look at those windows!  Listen to that organ!  Look at that choir in their blue (red, black) robes.  God MUST want to show up on Sunday morning, right! 

In clergy circles, having a Call to a big cathedral church with the traditional organ/choir combo plus the commemorative stained glass windows (and maybe a fledgling praise band, but they can’t take precedence) is considered ‘goals’.  I get asked on a fairly regular basis when I’m going to move out of rural ministry to one of these kinds of churches, because that’s the expected career trajectory for clergy.  (I’m not, by the way.  Although I love those buildings, that’s not my call. )  Ministry, churches, worship; all of that package to be seen as worthy, as credible, as important, needs to be big.  Needs to be grand.  Needs to reflect the weightiness of God the Father with a decidedly Western European styling.  This is even reflected in the way we manage finances in the United Church.  We pour money into classic buildings to keep them afloat.  We pour money into programs that are suited to urban centres and with the intention that it will bring more people through the doors, into these places of grandeur and majesty. 

And we allow little, rural congregations float along until they close their doors.  Even if these are communities of very faithful people who just want to serve God and be a sanctuary from the cruelness of the world. 

I have spent a whole lot of time reading about Flourishing and Thriving for individuals and communities in the last couple of months; as all of you well know because it keeps creeping into Sunday morning worship, right!  And here’s what I found out. 

You don’t have to be big to thrive. 

You don’t have to have a huge sanctuary or a majestic organ with 100 people on staff in order to Flourish. 

And God is present in the smallest of gatherings; in the smallest of places; and in the ‘least of these’. 

I know that you all know this.  I know that things that mark Bethel as a community; the relationships, the shared lives, the open-armed welcome are all things that keep you in worship on Sunday mornings, and at every mid-week opportunity that we have (including golf, bowling and volunteering at Jewels lol).  I know that intuitively you all ‘get’ what makes communities thrive:  Loving.  Belonging.  Sharing.  Serving. 

Unfortunately, I can tell you unequivocally that this is not shared by our own denomination.  I can tell you this because all of our policy and recognition is going to large urban churches.  “Big” is seen as a marker of success.  Thriving is noted numerically rather than relationally.  Even down to the choices of ‘how’ the UCC communicates with Communities of Faith; assuming that there is the equipment, the knowledge, and the people to communicate virtually, to access resources and materials online, and then project them into worship on Sunday morning. 

And here we have churches in our Region that don’t even have plumbing! 

I’m not sure exactly what I want you all to do with this reflection this week, except maybe to know that this whole dynamic is happening.  And maybe to help me advocate for our rural and small church neighbours that are viewed as ‘needing to close’ because they are small and have small budgets.  I have a whole lot of ideas of ‘how’ the United Church could support rural ministry – but, you know – no one’s asked.  Because I’m in rural ministry lol. 

And it also begins with shifts for me too – right!  It begins with me shifting my long-ingrained beliefs about credibility being related to grandeur rather than relationships.  And recognizing the presence of God in those moments.

Where two or three of us are gathered.  Like all of our moments. 

Blessings today and remember you are Loved. 

~Da Rev.  (as Kathleen refers to me)