July 12, 2009:

Ponderings of a Pilgrim PASTOR

“Bang-Up Worship”

            Clergy can be shameless in the ways we try to build participation in worship, shameless and even blasphemous.  (“Blasphemous” — to treat irreverently God or something sacred.)

            Years ago I heard about a “Mainline” pastor in Buffalo who had a “full house” at every Sunday evening worship service long after other Mainline Protestant churches had ceased to have such services.  His secret?  Every Sunday evening, just as worship was to begin, the pastor invited those present to open their hymnals to a particular page.  There the “winner” found a five-dollar bill!

            Such stunts may build attendance but they certainly don’t honor God.  But over the years I have heard of many such efforts to attract people to church.

            Recently, I read about a pastor in Louisville, Kentucky who is inviting his flock to bring their guns to Sunday worship.  He is passionate about gun rights, shoots regularly at a local firing range, and his sermon several weeks ago was on “God, Guns, Gospel, and Geometry.”  (What geometry has to do with it all is beyond me!)

            Parishioners were invited to wear or carry their firearms into the sanctuary to “celebrate our rights as Americans!” as a promotional flyer for the “open carry celebration” put it.  The bring-your-gun-to-church Sunday also had a $1 raffle of a handgun, firearms safety lessons, and a picnic (with target shooting afterwards?).

            Sheriff’s deputies were at the church doors to check that openly carried firearms were unloaded, but worshipers were not checked for concealed weapons.  The Pastor was not concerned because concealed weapons owners required training (!).

            I just hope there are never any conflicts in that church because things could get serious.  Deadly serious.  By the way, Pastor, do you think Jesus would have worn a gun to worship?

Love,

Pastor Dave