KEYS TO THE KINGDOM
As a parish priest, I had a chronic problem: what to do about keys to the church buildings.
On the one hand, I’d just as soon leave the doors unlocked 24/7. On the other hand, Episcopal churches do have valuable wares inside them, that people value (and which in some cases have historical significance). In our area, we do have regular church break-ins, usually for computers and accessories (my church in Maryland got broken into, and communion vessels stolen). Consequently, we try to be conscientious about locking up.
Still, over time, it gets so that everyone who was ever connected with the church has a key. In addition, everyone who ever “borrowed” the church facilities got keys. One might have no idea who has keys, or to whom they passed them on. Yet changing locks always causes a ruckus. If you want to lose a long-time member, just change the lock on the door without warning, so that his key no longer works! Never mind that he has had no official function for eight years.
I refer you to “the one hand” above: I never cared who got into the church (I’d love to have more people there.) But wardens, vestries, and insurance agents want some kind of order to things.
Lately I’ve noticed at several of our congregations, and discovered for my own residential use, combination door-bolts. I commend them to our churches for greatly assisting access and control of access.
The one I have (Lowe’s, starting at $109) has a battery to power the keypad light, but the bolt itself is manual. There is a key in case the battery dies unexpectedly. It uses a programming code for adding and removing codes, and it can hold up to nineteen different ones at a time.
Eureka! You can have a code for wardens and vestry, changed annually so that no one gets snubbed. One for Altar Guild and choir, changed every several years. One for staff, one for youth group, one for AA. You can program one in for the caterer at a wedding, then program it out after the event. There is no need to drive over to borrow a key, no need to return it (or forget to), no problem with losing it, no running over early Saturday morning to let in the florist, and no dilemma over asking for a key back if the senior warden quits in a huff and joins the Jehovah’s Witnesses.
I know not all of our church doors can accommodate a bolt, but for those that do, this seems to me an ideal answer to the access vs. security dilemma.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
Quote du jour
"Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire." G. K. Chesterton
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Volley #25
Experiencing the Holy
Why do you keep coming to church?
In years past, social pressure was a motivator. There were business or professional contacts to make. The sense of duty was strong. On Sunday morning, practically no one worked, and there was little else to do. I still remember the day the sheriff of my county marched the manager of K-Mart off to jail for opening on Sunday! Such considerations just don’t apply anymore.
We still have friends at church, and we look forward to spending time with them there. Worship can be uplifting, instructive, enjoyable, and entertaining. But when we get to the heart of it, those are not the things that bring us to church, at least not for the long run.
We come to church, and others will be drawn to do so with us, because there we meet God. When we plan our worship, prepare our sermons, select our hymns, and design our special liturgies, this is what we need to keep in mind. We are creating space and time for the people of God to experience the holy.
Wouldn’t most people keep coming back for that?
Why do you keep coming to church?
In years past, social pressure was a motivator. There were business or professional contacts to make. The sense of duty was strong. On Sunday morning, practically no one worked, and there was little else to do. I still remember the day the sheriff of my county marched the manager of K-Mart off to jail for opening on Sunday! Such considerations just don’t apply anymore.
We still have friends at church, and we look forward to spending time with them there. Worship can be uplifting, instructive, enjoyable, and entertaining. But when we get to the heart of it, those are not the things that bring us to church, at least not for the long run.
We come to church, and others will be drawn to do so with us, because there we meet God. When we plan our worship, prepare our sermons, select our hymns, and design our special liturgies, this is what we need to keep in mind. We are creating space and time for the people of God to experience the holy.
Wouldn’t most people keep coming back for that?
Friday, October 3, 2008
Volley #24 Banners and Flags
BANNERS AND FLAGS
One of the problems we face as small community and rural congregations is that we tend to be “open” only on Sundays—when others are either attending their own churches or at home in bed. Consequently, many people may rarely if ever actually observe anything happening at our churches. Are we still in business? Are we doing anything interesting or exciting? It isn’t easy to communicate the good and lively things we are experiencing in church.
That’s where banners and flags can be of help. They bring in color and movement, and they catch the eye of passersby. They convey an impression of life and vitality. They show that something special is afoot, and they convey a sense of excitement about it. They pique the interest and make people want to check for signs to see what is happening.
In many cases, congregations can design and make such things ourselves. In others, they may be well worth an outlay of relatively small expense.
No community is so small that it contains NO prospective members for our churches. Step number one toward reaching them may be simply letting them know that we are still here, and still excited about doing ministry in their vicinity.
One of the problems we face as small community and rural congregations is that we tend to be “open” only on Sundays—when others are either attending their own churches or at home in bed. Consequently, many people may rarely if ever actually observe anything happening at our churches. Are we still in business? Are we doing anything interesting or exciting? It isn’t easy to communicate the good and lively things we are experiencing in church.
That’s where banners and flags can be of help. They bring in color and movement, and they catch the eye of passersby. They convey an impression of life and vitality. They show that something special is afoot, and they convey a sense of excitement about it. They pique the interest and make people want to check for signs to see what is happening.
In many cases, congregations can design and make such things ourselves. In others, they may be well worth an outlay of relatively small expense.
No community is so small that it contains NO prospective members for our churches. Step number one toward reaching them may be simply letting them know that we are still here, and still excited about doing ministry in their vicinity.
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