In Anne Tyler’s novel Saint Maybe, nineteen-year-old Ian tells his parents, Doug and Bee Bedloe, of his decision to leave college and become an apprentice cabinetmaker. This will enable Ian to raise the young children of his deceased brother, Danny. Ian has arrived at this decision because of the influence in his life of Rev. Emmett and the Church of the Second Chance, a congregation that believes in actual atonement, that is, that you must do something “real” to be forgiven for your sins. Ian’s sin was that he led his drunken brother to believe that his wife was unfaithful, after which Danny committed suicide.
In the crucial scene in which Ian tells his parents of the change in the course of his life, church and faith enter the conversation. Ian explains that he will have help from his church in juggling his new job and the responsibility for the children. This alarms his parents.
“Ian, have you fallen into the hands of some sect?” his father
asked.
“No, I haven’t,” Ian said. “I have merely discovered a church
that makes sense to me, the same as Dober Street Presbyterian makes sense to you
and Mom.”
“Dober Street didn’t ask us to abandon our educations,” his mother
told him.
“Of course we have nothing against religion; we raised all of you
children to be Christians. But our church never asked us to abandon our
entire way of life.”
“Well, maybe it should have,” Ian said
His parents
looked at each other.His mother said, “I don’t believe this. I do
not believe it. No matter how long I’ve been a mother, it seems my children
can still come up with something new and unexpected to do to me.”[1]
Ian’s is a story of two kinds of churches. Dober Street is a church that mainly confirms people’s lives as they are. The Church of the Second Chance disrupts lives in the name of Jesus so that people can change. In my experience, young adults are more attracted to the church that promises them change, new life, and disruption than in the church that offers little but stability, order, and accommodation. Alas, too many of our churches have contented themselves with meeting the spiritual needs of one generation with the resulting loss of at least two generations of Christians. If we are going to fulfill our Conference Priority and summon a new generation of young Christians, I expect that we’ll have to look more like the Church of the Second Chance.
William H. Willimon
[1] Anne Tyler, (New York: Ballantine Books, 1991), p. 127.
Peculiar Prophet 
Saint Maybe sounds like a book worth reading. I hope you are well and I saw on a calendar that you will be in Raleigh in December (Edenton, I think). I’d love to get coffee if you had a free 30 minutes, maybe even at the airport. I’ll be in touch. George Linney
LikeLike
Bishop Willimon, I’m glad you have written on this subject. This is what I have been feeling for a while. It seems the only growing UM churches that I see growth and people’s lives changed are the ones daring enough to step out of the shadow of the older generation’s control. God Bless,Jeff Lutz
LikeLike
Saint Maybe is a terrific book that asks hard questions in a beautiful way. Thanks so much for recommending it and for your challenge to pay attention to it.
LikeLike
It’s hard breaking the grip of stagnation. But it is vital!Peace,Ray
LikeLike
Maybe I am confused by the illustration, but the idea that atonement requires our work is alarming. Or maybe its because as an ex-catholic, the idea of penance before justification by faith is anathema.The idea of challenging people to live out their lives as those who have been gathered into His body is definitely something needed today. The idea of having a community where mercy and charity (using the old term for love) is lived out is what is often missing. Yet, in our desire to develop it, are we short-changing the work of the Holy Spirit in quickening our trust in Christ for salvaiton?
LikeLike
Yet, in our desire to develop it, are we short-changing the work of the Holy Spirit in quickening our trust in Christ for salvaiton?Rev. Dustin I would say in some cases (not all) that the answer is yes. Good observation.
LikeLike
buy wow gold to mmoinn.com it! The cheapest wow gold waiting for you, there are players who need the wow power leveling . MOinn is great and the order tracking process is super.
LikeLike
runescape moneyrunescape goldrunescape moneyrunescape goldbuy runescape gold buy runescape money runescape itemsrunescape accountsrunescape gprunescape moneyrunescape power levelingrunescape moneyrunescape golddofus kamascheap runescape moneycheap runescape goldGuild Wars Goldbuy Guild Wars Goldlotro goldbuy lotro goldlotro goldbuy lotro goldlotro goldbuy lotro goldHellgate PalladiumHellgate London PalladiumHellgate moneyTabula Rasa gold tabula rasa moneyTabula Rasa CreditTabula Rasa CreditsHellgate goldHellgate London goldwow power levelingwow powerlevelingWarcraft PowerLevelingWarcraft Power LevelingWorld of Warcraft PowerLeveling World of Warcraft Power Leveling runescape power levelingrunescape powerlevelingeve iskeve online iskeve iskeve online isktibia goldFiesta SilverFiesta Gold Age of Conan Goldbuy Age of Conan Goldaoc gold 呼吸机无创呼吸机家用呼吸机呼吸机家用呼吸机美国呼吸机篮球培训篮球培训班篮球夏令营china tour beijing tourbeijing travelchina tourtibet tour tibet travel computer monitoring softwareemployee monitoring
LikeLike
看房子,買房子,建商自售,自售,台北新成屋,台北豪宅,新成屋,豪宅,美髮儀器,美髮,儀器,髮型,EMBA,MBA,學位,EMBA,專業認證,認證課程,博士學位,DBA,PHD,在職進修,碩士學位,推廣教育,DBA,進修課程,碩士學位,網路廣告,關鍵字廣告,關鍵字,廣告,課程介紹,學分班,文憑,牛樟芝,段木,牛樟菇,日式料理, 台北居酒屋,燒肉,結婚,婚宴場地,推車飲茶,港式點心,尾牙春酒,台北住宿,國內訂房,台北HOTEL,台北婚宴,飯店優惠,台北結婚,婚宴場地,推車飲茶,港式點心,尾牙春酒,住宿,訂房,HOTEL,飯店,造型系列,學位,牛樟芝,腦磷脂,磷脂絲胺酸,SEO,婚宴,捷運,學區,美髮,儀器,髮型,牛樟芝,腦磷脂,磷脂絲胺酸,看房子,買房子,建商自售,自售,房子,捷運,學區,台北新成屋,台北豪宅,新成屋,豪宅,學位,碩士學位,進修,在職進修, 課程,教育,學位,證照,mba,文憑,學分班,網路廣告,關鍵字廣告,關鍵字,SEO,关键词,网络广告,关键词广告,SEO,关键词,网络广告,关键词广告,SEO,台北住宿,國內訂房,台北HOTEL,台北婚宴,飯店優惠,住宿,訂房,HOTEL,飯店,婚宴,台北住宿,國內訂房,台北HOTEL,台北婚宴,飯店優惠,住宿,訂房,HOTEL,飯店,婚宴,台北住宿,國內訂房,台北HOTEL,台北婚宴,飯店優惠,住宿,訂房,HOTEL,飯店,婚宴,結婚,婚宴場地,推車飲茶,港式點心,尾牙春酒,台北結婚,婚宴場地,推車飲茶,港式點心,尾牙春酒,結婚,婚宴場地,推車飲茶,港式點心,尾牙春酒,台北結婚,婚宴場地,推車飲茶,港式點心,尾牙春酒,結婚,婚宴場地,推車飲茶,港式點心,尾牙春酒,台北結婚,婚宴場地,推車飲茶,港式點心,尾牙春酒,居酒屋,燒烤,美髮,儀器,髮型,美髮,儀器,髮型,美髮,儀器,髮型,美髮,儀器,髮型,小套房,小套房,進修,在職進修,留學,證照,MBA,EMBA,留學,MBA,EMBA,留學,進修,在職進修,牛樟芝,段木,牛樟菇,住宿,民宿,飯宿,旅遊,住宿,民宿,飯宿,旅遊,住宿,民宿,飯宿,旅遊,住宿,民宿,飯宿,旅遊,住宿,民宿,飯宿,旅遊,住宿,民宿,飯宿,旅遊,住宿,民宿,飯宿,旅遊,美容,美髮,整形,造型,美容,美髮,整形,造型,美容,美髮,整形,造型,美容,美髮,整形,造型,美容,美髮,整形,造型,美容,美髮,整形,造型,美容,美髮,整形,造型,設計,室內設計,裝潢,房地產,設計,室內設計,裝潢,房地產,設計,室內設計,裝潢,房地產,設計,室內設計,裝潢,房地產,設計,室內設計,裝潢,房地產,設計,室內設計,裝潢,房地產,設計,室內設計,裝潢,房地產,設計,室內設計,裝潢,房地產,進修,在職進修,MBA,EMBA,進修,在職進修,MBA,EMBA,進修,在職進修,MBA,EMBA,進修,在職進修,MBA,EMBA,進修,在職進修,MBA,EMBA,進修,在職進修,MBA,EMBA,進修,在職進修,MBA,EMBA,住宿,民宿,飯店,旅遊,美容,美髮,整形,造型,設計,室內設計,裝潢,房地產,進修,在職進修,MBA,EMBA,關鍵字排名,網路行銷,关键词排名,网络营销,網路行銷,關鍵字排名,关键词排名,网络营销,羅志祥,周杰倫,五月天,蔡依林,林志玲,羅志祥,周杰倫,五月天,蔡依林,林志玲,PMP,在職專班,研究所在職專班,碩士在職專班,PMP,證照,在職專班,研究所在職專班,碩士在職專班,網頁設計,網站設計,網頁設計,網站設計,网页设计,网站设计,网站设计,网页设计
LikeLike