February 7, 2019
“Groundhog Day”
Do you have a list of favorite movies? I have had some good campfire conversations with people who have shared their list of favorite movies. Natalia and I just watched one of our favorites: “Groundhog Day.” It stars Bill Murray as a narcissistic weatherman who gets stuck repeating the ”worst day” of his life over and over and over again. He is sent to Punxsutawney, PA to report on the annual Groundhog Day celebration. His relentlessly cheerful producer (Andie MacDowell) is, at first, repulsed by his self-centered, prima donna, attitude. Well…the day keeps repeating until the weatherman finally learns to love others more than himself. It’s a great romantic comedy with a great theme and we watch it almost every year around this time.
This year I finally realized (I get stuck sometimes too) that this would be a great movie for congregations. I have known a few congregations that have gotten “stuck”: decreasing membership, declining worship participation, falling financial contributions and general discouragement. I have also seen a few congregations who have found their way out of that downward spiral. “How did they do it”…you ask. Remember the theme of this movie: you can’t get your life unstuck until you truly love another person. That is how those congregations became “unstuck” too.
One struggling congregation decided to give 10% of their gross income to causes outside of their congregation…off the top...even if they had to borrow the money to pay their bills!!!
Another declining congregation decided to reach out and help a local elementary school, the majority of whose students lived below the poverty level. That same congregation later built large community garden plots on its land and shared it with their neighbors…for free!!!
There is certainly no magic formula to reviving struggling congregations but remembering that Jesus calls us as his disciples to love the “least of these” is always a great place to start.
God’s blessings are here today…making this the best day of our lives!
Thanks be to God!
Pastor Mike
“Groundhog Day”
Do you have a list of favorite movies? I have had some good campfire conversations with people who have shared their list of favorite movies. Natalia and I just watched one of our favorites: “Groundhog Day.” It stars Bill Murray as a narcissistic weatherman who gets stuck repeating the ”worst day” of his life over and over and over again. He is sent to Punxsutawney, PA to report on the annual Groundhog Day celebration. His relentlessly cheerful producer (Andie MacDowell) is, at first, repulsed by his self-centered, prima donna, attitude. Well…the day keeps repeating until the weatherman finally learns to love others more than himself. It’s a great romantic comedy with a great theme and we watch it almost every year around this time.
This year I finally realized (I get stuck sometimes too) that this would be a great movie for congregations. I have known a few congregations that have gotten “stuck”: decreasing membership, declining worship participation, falling financial contributions and general discouragement. I have also seen a few congregations who have found their way out of that downward spiral. “How did they do it”…you ask. Remember the theme of this movie: you can’t get your life unstuck until you truly love another person. That is how those congregations became “unstuck” too.
One struggling congregation decided to give 10% of their gross income to causes outside of their congregation…off the top...even if they had to borrow the money to pay their bills!!!
Another declining congregation decided to reach out and help a local elementary school, the majority of whose students lived below the poverty level. That same congregation later built large community garden plots on its land and shared it with their neighbors…for free!!!
There is certainly no magic formula to reviving struggling congregations but remembering that Jesus calls us as his disciples to love the “least of these” is always a great place to start.
God’s blessings are here today…making this the best day of our lives!
Thanks be to God!
Pastor Mike