Monday's thoughts

What is the future of the church? What is the future of the United Methodist Church? What is the future of First United Methodist Church in Fort Collins?

Those are three very separate questions although you would think they might inspire pretty much the same answer.

I worry about the Christian Church in the world. I fear it will hold onto a doctrine that does not reflect what the original message from which it sprung represents. Christianity had been a call for calm and peace in the world. It had been an interpretation of religion that gave a message of tolerance and forgiveness and joy in life. Much of the Christian faith has become judgmental and mean and exclusive.

I worry about the United Methodist Church in the world. I find our denomination becoming preoccupied with survival. I see some of the leaders of the church working hard to reverse the membership decline by resorting to a hard head count and to techniques to bring the numbers up by catering to the cultural bias rather than following the counter-cultural message of the Gospel. Our primary mission is to be faithful not popular. If we lose our mission in order to attract more members we will lose our focus and we will have forgotten who we are.

I worry about First United Methodist in Fort Collins. I think any time there are major transitions in churches there is concern about the future. Nine years ago there was much to fret over when I arrived. What happened that was healthy and what has made it possible for First Church to thrive is the way in which the people here could look past the differences and were able to embrace each other as brother and sister. It became more an issue about our church than it was a competition over who would control it.

The one point at which I thought we failed to remember that was the year we debated whether the American flag would be in the sanctuary. We had established a compromise at which the preacher who preached the sermon would determine if the flag should be present and the flag would be in the sanctuary four times a year (Flag Day, 4th of July, Memorial Day, and Veterans Day). The debate was divisive and it almost erupted into something very ugly. I think we almost forgot we were a church during that debate. I was sad for the church then.

If First Church can maintain its focus and can continue to show respect for its diversity and differences while holding everything together.

What do you think about the future of First Church, the United Methodist Church, and the Christian Church in general?

If you have thoughts on this write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to share your thoughts click on the 'comments' box below.

I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles Schuster