An article this past week in The Seattle Times referred to Seattle as “entering The Great Dark.” I’ve lived in the area for 30 years, and each September there is usually some equally epic line heralding Fall. I suspect it sells newspapers better than the titles I might choose: “Seattle Enters Bulb Planting Season,” “Seattle Edges Closer to Hosting Monday Night Football,” “Seattle Entering Cozy Nights of Fireplace Time and Chili.”
Seasons are not only marked by the changes they usher in but the way in which we describe and tell their stories. Those descriptive names and phrases have power, too. “The Great Dark” is much less appealing than “Cozy Night of Fireplace Time and Chili.” Names and phrases elicit emotion from us, from hopeful and relaxed to tense and anxious — and the more attention-grabbing ones definitely sell newspapers.
What headlines do you think should be written about the church today? “Mainline Christianity Enters the Great Dark” or “Small Congregations Are Changing Our Understanding of How to Follow Jesus”? The steady decline of folks who identify as Christian in this county has continued and yet God is at work; Jesus’ message is still relevant, and more than ever, the world needs the hope only God can give.
How we name ourselves affects the attitude we take and how others see us! As the church, you and I help write the headlines that point to some of God’s work in the world today. My prayer is that we both write and reflect ones that say, “God Is at Work and So Are We and the Future Is Bright!” Anything less is not an option.
Grace and Peace,
Leigh
