The builders

This month, we at Old South, the congregation I serve, are celebrating the 225th anniversary of the gathering of Congregationalists in Hallowell, Maine. As we contend with another very snowy Maine winter, and the piles of snow that have just about completely covered the primary entry door of our sanctuary building (when we are able to have worship this winter, we are meeting in the parish house across the street), it’s almost overwhelming to think about the difficulties of starting a church in the midst of winter in Maine.

At a recent Sunday worship service, someone quipped, “If there’s one time of year when you really need God, this is it.” That is certainly true. When the wind is howling, the snow is blowing, the cold is so biting and brutal, and you can’t even remember the last time the temperature outside went above 30, the warmth of the Spirit and the warmth of the gathering of followers of Christ are especially meaningful.

We are taking special notice of our anniversary with “faith stories” offered during worship. In these faith stories, several long-time church members share their own history with Old South. While this month is certainly celebratory, there’s an element to our anniversary that taps into my worrying place. It has highlighted one of the greatest challenges to being the church in these days and how to think about the church of the future—and not the far away kind, but the relatively near future.