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From the Moderator
One of the significant findings of the research "Attracting New Zealanders to Spiritual Life" is that spirituality is still important for many people who are not currently attending worship. That is hardly news to those in ministry. We meet it often. The research finding has brought it out into the open, and I hope we take it very seriously.
There seem to be two ways of looking at mission in congregations. The first, and most common, is expressed in the concern to have more people involved in the life of the Church; increasing the numbers at worship, offering activities to attract specific people such as children and youth, and so on. The second way is expressed in the concern to meet people where they are, where the Church is involved with the community.
There are challenges in both approaches. We often choose the first because it is change we can largely control. The second calls us to move beyond our comfort zone and become more vulnerable.
I am writing in the middle of nine days on the West Coast. There is a spirituality that lies deep within those who live here. Perhaps it comes from the geography of the area where, surrounded by rugged mountains and an untamed coastline, there is an overwhelming sense of power beyond our imagining. Perhaps it comes from the strong sense of community based on interdependence that goes back many generations.
Out of this setting I was told of a recent event where a congregation moved out of its safety zone to touch a spirituality in a group who have never, and may never, respond to the "come to church" approach.
Joy's nephew Robert is a commercial fisherman, skipper of a fishing boat. Joy has kept in touch with Robert through difficult times; and Robert would sometimes phone Aunty Joy from the middle of Cook Strait, or wherever his fishing took him. One day in January Joy received a phone call from Robert, and to her surprise he told her "Guess what, Aunty? I'm just about to come over the Greymouth bar", and, to her greater surprise, "I want to get my boat blessed. What do I do?" Joy could only think to respond "Let me think about it and phone me when you're tied up"
By the time Robert phoned back half an hour later Joy had been in touch with the lay minister and it was all arranged. The blessing took place, a blessing of the boat and its young crew. It was clearly moving for Joy and other members of the Church, and apparently so for the hardy young crew too. "Hey, what about this?" yelled one of the crew when it was finished, holding up the mug used in the blessing still half full with water. Some one suggested he just throw it over the side. He refused, and with some reverence threw the water over the ship's winch.
It was not the first blessing of a boat, and will not be the last. Some may question the theology of doing so. But for this congregation it was a moment for mission, to move outside its comfort zone to touch a spirituality which, until then, had been beyond the reach of the Church.
Imagination and courage are gifts of the Spirit for mission!