Grumpy Friday

I really, really, REALLY want one of those t-shirts that says "My manner of life poses a challenge to the wider church."

Unfortunately, if I wore it around Portland, no one would get it. 85% of this town does not go to church, and of that teensy-weensy percentage that do, an even smaller percentage are Episcopalian, and of that eeeny-meeny percentage of people who go to church and are Episcopalian, a squinchy-winchy percentage are the kind who keep up with Church politics and know that more went on at GC2006 [quota!] than electing someone with girl cooties as Presiding Bishop.

Actually, that would be a better t-shirt. My Presiding Bishop has girl cooties!

I'm thinking a lot about what the Church looks like to the rest of the world right now because A Certain Church has formed a Communications Committee, and I'm on it. I now know that the Greatest Commandment I learned when I was a United Methodist is a direct result of Apostolic Succession, since Episcopalians also follow it. The Greatest Commandment, by the way, is Wherever two or more are gathered in My name, form a committee and bring a covered dish.

Everyone's getting excited and deciding where we should spend our not-yet-allocated advertising budget. They're talking about logos and outreach and I've even heard someone mention the thing that strikes fear into my heart: Saturday Night Young Adult Services.

I must be turning into a reactionary in my impending old age (I'll be turning 27 in September), because my first thought was, "I don't want to change!" I joined A Certain Church because it's small, because in such a small place I'm known and my skills are not just that I'm a Young Person™, but my ideas and talents and energies are also needed just to get things done on a weekly basis.

And my second thought was, "How will these advertising budgets and SNYAS distinguish us from the other bazillion tiny churches in the area? How will they show off the special callings of A Certain Church, the things that make me return every week and throw so much of my ideas and talents and energies into it?"

And the reason I'm grumpy? I don't know if I have even a hint of where to find the answers to these questions.

Hmpf.