Why This Parish

About three years ago, I began working with a parish. It was a small, steady community that had a rich history, but not any significant plans for the future. Together with the new pastor, I tried to fire up and motivate a team of volunteers and staff to think big. Their hearts were in it, but their confidence? Not so much.

At one meeting early on in journey where morale was struggling, I remember one long—time lay leader admitting he just didn’t know what to say to fellow parishioners to get them more involved. I asked him why he was there. He replied: “Father asked us to come to this meeting." I clarified my question: “No, why are you here, at this parish?” He paused and said this parish was where he grew up. I continued to press: “But, why now?” I could tell the man was beginning to get frustrated. He said he loved the community. One more “why” question from me finally got him to the answer I was trying to prompt: “Because they taught me how to love God. Because I love God and I want to go to heaven.” With his answer, the meeting tone changed and suddenly the semantics of strategies and tasks took a back seat to a much bigger conversation.

I’d like to believe it was a formative moment for those folks. I know it certainly was for me. I remember driving home and thinking about how often I forget in life, leadership, and discipleship what’s really at stake. In my individual prayer life or conversations with others, how am I peeling back the layers that might be concealing the heart of the matter? While improving hospitality and strengthening preaching is important, it never was — nor will it ever be — a lasting answer to our “why.” Often, when we want to throw so many things into the mix to be prepared or to troubleshoot challenges, we can lose the fundamental purpose of our organizational or individual lives.

Last week, I finished the last official meeting with this parish. There was a lot of progress to celebrate from the last three years of journeying together, and many ideas and plans for a bright future. However, I gave the most thanks to be in the company of leaders whose “why” was deeper than any plan and wider than any parish boundary. As we enter this new week full of goals and plans, let’s pray for the grace to remember and the courage to remind others that our goal line — our why — is eternity.