There is one Church – the Body of Christ that spans all continents, nations, and tribes. Locally this “holy nation” gathers together in communities of faith we call “local churches,” always keeping in mind that these local expressions are not the whole. And each one of these communities is unique, having its own culture and emphasis that, at its best, positions it to reach people that perhaps no other group would reach. I’m deeply troubled by the divisions that exist among these local expressions of the Church, but I do think there is something strategic and beautiful about the diversity that is to be found there.

 

Salem Tabernacle has its own unique “spiritual DNA” and a vital part of that is our hardiness. The Cambridge Dictionary defines “hardy” as, able to bear difficult or extreme conditions; strong and healthy. We’re folks who are equipped to remain strong and committed in the face of change. We’ve been denominational AND non-denominational. We’ve over-emphasized “holiness” AND “grace.” We’ve been tame AND wild, casual AND formal, contemporary AND historic (often in the same service!). Maybe the best example of our “hardy” DNA is the fact that we’re on our third name. All this, and by God’s grace, we’re still here…

 

Since Easter of 2015, scores of our members have come alongside me and partnered in a “building program” by doing the work required to host two Sunday morning worship services. In our first year of “building” we saw a truly significant increase in Sunday morning attendance, but oddly, since Mother’s Day 2016 we saw regression. After six months of this, I began to pray earnestly for guidance, knowing that there were crucial risks if I did nothing or if I took action. So November-December 2016 the focus of my prayer and conversations with our elders was strategy: how does the Holy Spirit want us to proceed? My sense is that we need to make a strategic, (hopefully) temporary change, and my hope is that our congregation is hardy enough to walk it out.

 

As I shared with our folks who came out to last night’s prayer meeting, effective immediately, our 9AM worship service will be put on hiatus. For the last two Sundays we’ve only had our 11AM service and we felt as though, despite the drawbacks of announcing this change mid-week, it really is the best time to do this. I did not make this initial announcement last Sunday morning or on our website because I knew I would not be able to give this topic the time it deserved. Last night, I sat with our people for 45 minutes and did my best to share my heart – then we prayed and the Presence of Jesus filled the room! This was a much better way to announce this change than a passing announcement.

 

Another key reason for announcing this change this way (prayer meeting, followed by a written message), was that I wanted to be sure that as many of our volunteers as possible could hear me say just how much I recognize and value the “extra” work that they have given to the Lord these last 20+ months. It is not taken for granted! And that was a major factor in this decision to place the 9AM service on hiatus. The call to serve more was directly connected to a vision for growth that, for various reasons, did not materialize. We need a season for recalibration. We need a fresh and inspiring sense of who Salem Tabernacle is called to be! We have been given an incredible gift – the opportunity to bring an uncommon, distinctive expression of the Christian faith to the Hudson Valley. We have a truly beautiful Church (note: not talking about the building). We not only have a Savior worth talking about – we have a Church worth talking about! And we’re surrounded by people who need to be re-connected to this Savior and his Body…let’s work with the Lord to make this happen. Be a bringer!

 

To all of my hardy (Herdwick) sheep: thank you for being strong and standing with me! To all of our ministers (aka volunteers): thank you for rising to the challenge and helping me build…stay ready! To all of the Salem Tabernacle family: please pray and work with me so that we can bring back the 9AM service sooner rather than later, to the glory of God! Finally, please help us spread the word – if you know someone who’s not on our mailing list or doesn’t have a computer, please reach out to them and let them know about these changes.

 

Grace & Peace

Pastor