The first thought that ran through my head that Sunday morning when I awoke was: What if no one comes? It’s going to be a lonely concert for two!
You see, even pastors are prone to crises in faith.
On a recent, beautiful Sunday evening in July, my dear musician friend Todd and I performed a two-person show called “An Evening of Faith,” graciously hosted by my own church.
The show is a celebration of faith-inspired art, specifically songs and stories in our case. I’ve been writing stories for 30 years, and Todd has matched that with 30 years of songwriting.
As artists, we know in our hearts these were divine gifts bestowed upon us, and we feel compelled to share our faith stories with others. And that is the basis of our show. As a team, we felt ready for the show; the church had outdone itself in preparing a joyous reception to happen before the event; all we needed were the people to show.
But what a gamble, right? Plan a faith experience for a summer Sunday evening? Who’d come?
However, sometimes all you need is faith the size of a mustard seed as our gracious Creator has taught me again and again. The people came, alright. Sixty people, in fact, came out to listen to Todd’s beautifully crafted, gritty and gutsy, original faith-based songs, and to hear me read stories from my book and share my pastoral call story. The evening was a dream in the making, and yet so real. And it reminded me that if we give people an opportunity to experience the Holy Spirit, they will indeed come.
We’ve all seen the headlines: What’s happening to the church? Right? But even though the church in North America is undergoing a seismic change, the Holy Spirit is still present and active, and people are still hungry for something to fill their souls.
After all, we’re not human beings looking for a spiritual experience, we’re actually spiritual beings looking for a human experience. And that night’s human experience was nothing less than holy.
Why would two artists -- a writer and a songster -- place their bets on the faith genre nowadays? I mean, who’s willing to support that kind of art anymore? Turns out, lots of people -- if we know how to speak to them, and we make it worth their while.
Friends … God is not dead. Faith is not dead. The church is not dead. We just need to accept we may not know what the Holy Spirit is up to and have the faith to know that God is big enough to use it all for the good of creation.
The people will come. Even on a beautiful Sunday evening in July. We just need to give ‘em a reason. Amen.
Devlyn Brooks is an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and serves Faith Lutheran Church in Wolverton, Minn. He blogs about faith at findingfaithin.com, and can be reached at [email protected].