out with a predictable and awkwardly scheduled whimper


i have yet to devote an entire post to the overall importance of the children's place to the future of huffman united methodist church. while that continues to brew, though, i will point out that our would be/could be fatal flaw reared it's head yet again on rick owen's last sunday.

this morning was "vacation bible school sunday" in name, but in action, it was moreso a glorified sendoff to a friendly pastor that ended up doing very little in his four years served to turn the downward momentum of humc. as mentioned, rick was and is incredibly likeable, which will always play in your favor if you are trying to cover up the fact that funerals over the last four years outnumbered new members (a big chunk of those new members coming via our hispanic congregation that we can't really talk to because they don't speak english) by 25 percent. being likable and funny in the pulpit may mask the fact that we are no closer to reaching our "community" than we were this time six years ago when we brought in charles lee. it may hide that our newly hired (part-time, of course) children's director had no idea (!!!) that vbs was a massive undertaking. but rick being likable will get a sunday school class named in his honor. it will get him a check from the church he is leaving to help with his "moving into your new house" expenses. it will also get the well-past-having-a-clue chair of our staff-parish relations committee to encourage folks to shake rick and pat and donna's hand before going to the fellowship hall to celebrate the "future" of our church because some of our congregation "may not care about vacation bible school".

and there you have it, folks. the telling quote of the day. does it make sense to schedule a reception honoring those leaving your fold in conflict with a pot luck lunch that lifts up children and families that still remain? of course it doesn't, but we stopped making sense a long time ago. in the world of huffman umc, it makes more sense to put on a happy face and tell a pastor (who chose to leave), his wife and a longtime member (that herself was pushed out the door) good bye and good luck, because, goshdarnit, some people might not care about vacation bible school.

and those peope will carry huffman's coffin when we end up folding into wilson'schapel/huffman/st.john's umc in ten years if we continue down this path. i am skeptical that things will ever be better than this. that we can turn our fortunes. but this is the bed we have made. can we all of a sudden change who we are? i doubt that we can. too many people have either left, stopped caring, or resigned themselves to the same thoughts that flood my mind every time i step into our church. we are not a place that we invite friends to. we are too depressing. too old. too boring. too content.

next sunday, a new chapter begins. will it be our last? next sunday, rev. chris denson will begin to understand that he has been sold and sent to a church of distinguished reputation that is now a house of cards. next sunday, i will take my bucket to the deck and start scooping. time will tell if we have the strength the patch the gaping holes.

time will tell if we can make everyone care about vacation bible school. and the children's place. and what terrible stewards of this church we have become.