Notes From A Small Town
Tentpegs is a blog dedicated to answering questions about religion and life. It started a long time ago when I posed a question to my readers: if you could only ask one question of God, what would it be? The questions flowed in. There is still a pool of a dozen or so sitting there waiting on me, but I thought I’d take a short break and post this column tonight.
Two things: First of all, Happy Birthday, America. I hope and pray that you regain lost freedoms, lost morality, and lost focus. I can live anywhere but this is the best place to be. Second, I’ve noticed a sharp drop off not only in the amount of questions coming in but in readers, too. I’ve read several studies recently that indicate blogs are drying up and it is true that a lot of my blogging friends have quit writing. It seems that the world is moving on to Twitter and Facebook. Still, there seems to be a market for blogs so I’ll keep going for awhile unless readership continues to drop. In that case, it would be a better use of my time to do something else. Thoughts?
I spent this last week at Lipscomb University in Nashville again. I was there two weeks ago for IMPACT, a major youth rally done in two parts. I spoke at the junior part of the rally. This week, I spoke at Summer Celebration, a gathering of… I really don’t know the number. One thousand? Two? The roster of speakers is quite impressive and includes Rick Atchley, Randy Harris, Rubel Shelly, and lesser luminaries like yours truly. It is a very well run program and I sincerely look forward to it each year. This year, I looked around and realized for the first time: the Church of Christ is a small town. I’ll explain.
I spoke with a well known leader from Southern California who has had a profound effect on musical styles in our religious tribe. His wife graduated from a high school less than a mile from where I live. She attended the local CoC back then. We had a connection. Stay in our tribe long enough and you find that everywhere you turn, you are connected to someone. The president of Lipscomb, Randy Lowery, made it a point to come up and speak to me with warmth and welcome. I’ve been connected to The Ohio State University for over a dozen years and I’ve never met its president nor do I anticipate that ever happening. OSU isn’t a small town; the CoC is.
When I was a kid, we were told the CoC was not only the only true church, it was the fastest growing church in the world. We were told that we had 2.5 million members and that we won every debate with other faiths. In the early 90’s a researcher among us made us face the truth: we had perhaps 1.1 million members and we weren’t growing at all; we were losing members. Predictably, a large section of our tribe said the reason we were losing membership was that we weren’t true enough to the Old Paths laid out in the 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s. Their voices were the loudest and elderships worked hard to placate them even as other members left in droves to other tribes where they could worship a little freer, a little more earnestly. (this is a very simplistic and non-nuanced version of our history but I don’t think you want to read a book length version)
I’ve served my Lord in this tribe for over 30 years — not very well, sometimes. I’ve traveled and spoken to almost every corner of our tribe over the last 20 years. I love our tribe. I think we have been good for the faith community. We have brought a reverence for scripture, a beautiful form of music, a re-emphasis on believer’s baptism, and we have returned the Lord’s Supper to the people. Still, I believe all of us would admit that we could have done better. The problem with the Church of Christ is that we let people into it, and people always bring their histories, biases, psychology, and sociology into church with them. Jesus wasn’t surprised to go to worship and find a man possessed by a demon already present there. I know I have my demons and I’ve run into others who would admit the same about themselves.
We no longer view ourselves as a Church Triumphant, rolling over all other competitors. We know we are a small town. When one of us falls due to sexual sin or mental breakdown, it vibrates along the whole nervous system of this body, our church. We know who is doing well, who is being attacked, and who is fading away. As we watched the fireworks on Friday night sail into the skies over Lipscomb, my daughter told me that it seemed that everyone in our section was from her congregation. I turned around and spied people I know from places I know. We are a small town.
This isn’t something that makes me happy or sad — it just “is.” I am very interested in seeing what will happen next to our tribe. Will we, as some predict, become more and more like the greater evangelical/emergent community until we are no longer distinguishable from them? Is that a tragedy or a blessing? Is God moving us more toward unity or is the devil moving us into insignificance? Will the conservative side of our tribe — a percentage that has shrunk from 90% to 20% (yes, I am making up these numbers) — rise up, disfellowship the rest, and start growing all over again? The Right of our fellowship really formed in the years around the Civil War as a reaction to perceived liberalism in our movement. It could happen again. For awhile, it really was a fast growing faith but it choked and stalled in the 80’s and hasn’t recovered. I can’t see how it will recover but I am a lousy prophet.
As for now, I look around at the crowd and Lipscomb with real affection. These people are good people. Sure, they all have problems — demons, maybe — but who doesn’t? They love Jesus and they love their Small Town of Faith. This week, I fly out to Arkansas where I’ll speak at another one of our institutions of higher learning. There, I’ll see a lot of people I’ve come to love. I’ll meet some new ones, too, but if I were a betting man I’d bet that we could find a connection between us that would be no further than three degrees. Seven degrees of Kevin Bacon? Nah… I think we could play Three Degrees of CoC. That’s not bad; I love the closeness and community. Still, I would have loved it if our church really had been the ever growing Borg of Faith that it was portrayed as being back in the 60’s when I was a kid. But maybe God had other plans.
patrickmead
July 4th, 2010 at 10:23 pm
I’ve been reading your blog faithfully, but haven’t been commenting that often. Don’t quit your blog just because you don’t get comments please. It’s been great to read all kinds of blogs and get unique perspectives from those who follow Christ. Keep up the good work.
July 4th, 2010 at 10:55 pm
Would like to know where, when, etc. you will be speaking in Arkansas, our home state.
All ships rise with the tide. While fewer may be accessing the blog, it’s ripple effect may be greater than you think. Just this morning, a parallel was drawn from one of these to our Bible lesson. Chances are, one who hears it will repeat it. bb
I am speaking to campus ministers on the Harding campus this week on Friday and Saturday. Sunday morning, I preach at Downtown. In two weeks, I will speak on a Wednesday at Pleasant Valley in Little Rock. Thanks for your kind words.
July 4th, 2010 at 11:07 pm
Patrick,
I am a minister’s wife who reads your blog often and am always encouraged more than I can express in words. Print many of your thoughts to share with my husband.
I heard you speak both nights at Lipscomb ~ am amazed with how much you know, grateful you don’t keep it to yourself, and love laughing with your humor (you were also a hit with our 10 year old!) I love your family even though I don’t technically know you, and actually introduced myself to Kara when I saw her Friday night…tried to explain that I wasn’t a crazy lady, but just am so encouraged by her blog as well as her dad’s and her husband’s.
Thank you for your servant heart. You are a blessing.
Thank you for your kind words! I will write as long as the questions, my mind, and my time allow.
July 5th, 2010 at 12:22 am
I enjoy reading your blog and check it regularly to see if something new is posted. I haven’t commented before but felt I needed to this time. I would greatly miss reading your blog if you quit. I know that your time is valuable but I feel that you are helping more people than you realize with your blog. Thanks for all the good information you have given us and please continue to teach us through your blog.
July 5th, 2010 at 8:10 am
i too read ‘tentpegs’ and well as ‘patrick mead’ and while i don’t add comments, i do say “amen” to your writings.
thanks and God bless
July 5th, 2010 at 12:07 pm
Patrick –
As you know, I read EVERY word you write on both blogs, and have from the very beginning of them!! In fact, if you remember, I started blogging about a month or so after you did, and pretty quickly became aware of your blog (I believe that was before you had two – it was just “Tentpegs” then.
Our mutual blog friend, David Underwood, wrote and told me about your blog and that I should read it because you were such a good writer (which you ARE) and so humorous – flat out funny – in some of your stories.
I started reading from there, and was so taken, that I went back to the beginning of your work (blog) and read every one of them to get caught up (of course, that was only about two months into your blog journaling).
Patrick – I don’t believe you realize HOW MANY people you actually reach from here on your two blogs. I believe it is many more than ever comment. I know that I would be devastated should you stop blogging, and I think Greg would be, as well. (And, I don’t want HIM to stop, either!) You two guys are by far my favorite bloggers!! Y’all are tops.
This post today is interesting. I appreciate your thoughts and musings on the cofC and where it might all fit in today in this convoluted world. I just read an interesting online newspaper article yesterday that says that “millenials” – the generation from between 19 and 29 or 30 – are NOT going to church, not even praying or living as Christians, except for a very low percentage. I’ll email the link to you. I’ve forgotten how to add on links here, it’s been so long since I’ve done one.
May God richly bless each of you today who are reading this and who have commented. God bless you, too, Patrick, in your work.
Dee
July 5th, 2010 at 3:55 pm
Patrick, I read every word of your blog and have learned much and have been greatly encouraged. Keep up the good work. Dennis
Thank you!
July 5th, 2010 at 4:47 pm
Patrick: A quick thought followed by a question.
1) I love your blogs. You have a simple, human, comforting writing style that feels like a friend writing. Being said, if you HAD to stop this blog, I’d certainly understand, as a person only has so many hours in a day. But, please…DON’T STOP HIDDEN PEOPLE/HISTORY!!!!
I just found those a few weeks ago (I just found your other site)…I’ve literally been reading them as my nightly reading every night since! Have put some of my other buddies onto them as well. Quite possibly the most enjoyable thing I’ve ever read.
2) Why do YOU think the COC was growing so much in the early/mid 20th cent? Honestly, when we talk about bearing fruit, that is a heckuva argument for that end of the spectrum. Personally, I think it was just a cultural phenomenon that came from a perfect storm of a rigid, black/white religion, modernism, and post-war individualism.
Love to get your thoughts!
I think your take on #2 is exactly right. It was the height of the modern age… and we didn’t know it was about to die of a culturally induced aneurysm. We are still reeling from that blow.
July 5th, 2010 at 5:11 pm
I hope and pray you continue writing. Blogs in general may be in decline, but I really think that is inevitable as those who blogged simply because it was cool drift away. It matters not to me whether readership is down. When something needs to be said, this is a good way to do it.
Whether or not the CofC is growing is of interest to me, but I don’t believe it was ever growing as fast as we thought in the early 20th century. It’s my understanding that it was no better than a guess of the growth rate that was given to a national magazine (Time?) and which passed into our tradition like an urban myth.
I would be sad to see the Church of Christ go, because of the reasons you’ve stated above. I would not be all that sad to see us become part of a larger, more unified movement or fellowship, or church body, or whatever you want to call it. I think another thing that we have brought to Christendom is the individual autonomy of local churches. That has its downside, but I love the fact that we are not beholden to a centralized church hierarchy.
Keep writing, Patrick. You are touching lots of people, especially when you consider those who pass your thoughts along in other venues.
July 5th, 2010 at 7:43 pm
When I have time, I check both your blogs daily. Sometimes I don’t have time to do that, so I read and read and read to catch up when I do have time. I would miss you so much if you were to quit! Please hang in there; btw, when will you put write another book online?????
)
Good question! I have two books I’m working on now. I am thinking of publishing the two Teacher Todd books on Kindle and making them a free download. In the meantime, I also have been encouraged by my elders to write some books on evidences and on re-imagining the church (as we have done here). Busy, busy.
July 5th, 2010 at 8:27 pm
Well – I check both of your blogs every day or so and I love them. I’ve learned so much history that I did not know. I’ve recommended your sites to a few people at work who also love your writings. Please keep it up.
On a guitar note -If you don’t already have it, I’d like to recommend Lawrence Juber’s “Pop Goes Guitar.” (He was the guitarist for Wings.) (the music booklet – although he sells the CD separately). If you like this style of guitar playing, you’ll like his renditions of some classics.
I love Juber and have that CD set. I can’t play to that level but I did get his book with the transcriptions from the Wizard of Oz. Amazing stuff.
July 5th, 2010 at 8:57 pm
Last month I got a taste of our small town. When I visited old friends in Colorado (Columbine CoC), I learned that the daughter of one of my new friends (in Louisiana) is now a sister-in-law to a girl that was a babysitter for us in Colorado. I just love the fact that I have “family” all over the country now.
I really enjoy your Tentpegs blog, and hope you continue to get enough questions and readers to make it worth your time. Thought I don’t have a philosophical question worthy of the Tentpegs pool at this time, I have decided what my one question for God will be – “Why do the lemons on my tree get fully ripe in November, when we need fresh lemonade in June??” Not that I question His design, I just don’t get it.
Joe, perhaps it is because He knows we need the vitamin C in the winter months far more than we do the summer months when other sources of vitamin C are abundant. Just a guess.
July 6th, 2010 at 10:39 am
Your blogs have a niche. Keep it up.
July 6th, 2010 at 10:44 am
I’m not a frequent commenter but I absolutely love reading your blogs Patrick… please stick to your guns and “Just Say NO!” to Twitter… I’m sure you’d find a way to make it entertaining, but I DO enjoy knowing that there are other people that don’t care to share how their tummy feels every time they head to the restroom or what color their boogers are whenever they blow their nose. I know, I must be getting old and boring now as I slowly say goodbye to my twenties, but somehow, being informed of such things on a minute-by-minute basis simply doesn’t appeal to me in the least… unless of course it’s tweeted by Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, or Paris Hilton, in which case… SIGN ME UP!
July 6th, 2010 at 12:57 pm
I appreciate your blogs, they help keep me “out of a box” mentally. I am constantly encouraged by the breadth of your reading particularly. I think blogs will always have a place. I do think that “facebook” or other social sites will be the “first stop,” but I see folks jumping from those sites to other web sites with signposts there.
We do live in a small world. Recently I found out my best friend from college married someone who’s daughter was my niece-in-law’s best friend growing up. They both worshipped where a dear friend from my growing up preaches. It is a small town.
The future of our heritage is an itneresting question. As someone determined not to be conservative or progressive… liberal or legalist… I am finding myself an outsider among more and more gatherings. At the same time, I am encouraged by the “pew.” I think of a gathering where the gathering bashed the simple minded conservatives… while back home I knew one of those conservatives who had spent 3 days the last week sitting with a suicidal teenage. Likewise, I have been in gatherings that bashed “liberal brethren” for refusing to abide by scripture… while the most intense submission to scripture I knew of was among people the speakers would not have been comfortable with. The big difference, they were searching the scriptures to answer questions about life, not so much about different religious dogmas.
More and more people it seems are bypassing the back and forth amongst our leading personalities and going on with the business of being godly everyday, raising their families to have faith, and generally living Christian. They don’t seem to have much time for the big debates. I think this is where the future lies. I think the furor will die out either by one group veering away, or more likely, for lack of an audience. Where that will take us, I don’t dare to guess… but I think that’s the path we will find ourselves walking into the future.
I hope you will keep blogging, at least at some pace, but I understand the time restraints it imposes, and the need for priorities. Take care of people first, especially those who on occassion put their feet under your dinner table. I appreciate much your work for the rest of us.
July 6th, 2010 at 1:03 pm
Don’t quit Patrick! Your blog serves a great purpose to some of us who don’t respond much, we’re here and we don’t want you to quit!
July 7th, 2010 at 12:21 am
You get another vote to not quit the blog from me!
I love your writing style and your vast store of knowledge. To one whose memory lasts all of 15 seconds, it is amazing how much information you seem to have at your fingertips for answering these questions. I, too, often refer other people to your blogs and share some of the things you’ve said in my classes.
July 7th, 2010 at 1:52 pm
Not only do I love your blogs, you are one of those friends I’ve made whom I’ve yet to meet. By the way, I have no idea if you have to pay others to say good things about you, or not, but I should be paying Dee Andrews really good money for the good things she writes about me!! I have learned a great deal from your blogs; I laugh often; my faith has been stretched; my insights into the Bible are greater; I know more history than anyone has ever taught me; and I check both of your blogs every morning hoping for a new offering. So, while blogging may be losing popularity, you do not have our permission to stop blogging!
As for what you wrote today, I can attest to the truth of it. Having been a preacher for churches of Christ for 30 years and now finding myself “outside” the tribe because there simply is not a coC around here that would not be a major step backwards for my wife and myself, I miss very much that connectedness. I attended Pepperdine lectures for about 20 years and the BEST part was meeting people and then re-connecting with them the following years.
As for Randy Lowery, I could never say enough good about him, his wife, nor his family. My daughter and his daughter were good friends in high school, not because they went to school together, but because they ran into each other at church related events for several years. He is one of the most gracious people I’ve ever known and, speaking as a graduate of Lipscomb when David was still a part of the name of the school, I was very happy when Randy agreed to become her president, though it was great loss to Pepperdine Law School.
So, keep blogging! Because if you stop, then I may stop and what will the world do without our blogs??? Let me re-phrase that: What will Dee do without our blogs???
July 7th, 2010 at 2:25 pm
Patrick, I have been one of your silent readers for a couple years now and your blog has been a wonderful blessing to me. I look forward to reading it and frequently quote it to my family and friends. Your wealth of knowledge and your great sense of humor combined with your humility before Almighty God and your fellow man have made you into the kind of loving servant of our Lord that we should all strive to be.
I have heard you speak at other churches in the Detroit/Downriver area, and if I lived closer to Rochester I would certainly attend the church there. I pray that you will have the time to keep this blog going for those of us who enjoy it so much.
God bless you Patrick.
July 7th, 2010 at 3:06 pm
Yeah, Patrick . . . what WILL I do without your two blogs & Greg’s??!!!
Besides, I just heard yesterday, for the first time, over on my blog from a long time reader who found me through your blogs and has ever since read your two, Greg’s and mine as often as we each write.
She says how much she is encouraged by our writings and how much they uplift her. I’m tellin’ ya, Patrick, these two blogs are a MINISTRY in and of themselves, and much more powerful (I truly believe, through God’s blessings) than either you or I could know. I know I feel that way about mine, and I think I can speak for Greg in saying the same things, as well.
I certainly do not intend to give up MY blog, which I’ve been at for about 5 1/2 years, despite having some present problems with someone invading my privacy. God will keep me safe, I believe (and Tom & I are doing everything to protect ourselves, too, as I think God would have us do).
So . . . I’m “cheating” and voting again for you to keep these up! Plus, let us know about the Teacher Todd books, and please allow for those of us who do not have online “readers” such as Kindle. I do well enough to keep up with blogging and TheoBloggers, so please allow for us “backwards” friends. PLEASE!!
Thanks!!
Dee
July 7th, 2010 at 4:51 pm
Love your blog. I read it on a regular basis, and while I’m a member of a conservative CoC, I enjoy reading your insights and opinions. It makes me think. I would hate to see you quit, although I certainly realize how busy you must be.
July 8th, 2010 at 9:19 am
Because I read both of your blogs almost daily, I would sorely miss them if you were to quit. Sometimes I disagree, but that is okay. We don’t have to agree on everything to be able to get along – or at least that should be the case. Your diverse knowledge is so greatly appreciated – and your humor. Please keep up your work – in both blogs and as an evangelist/teacher. Wish you would divulge your pen name so I could read your published books.
I read the online ones and enjoyed them. God bless you, Kami and your family, and I pray for Duncan’s safety, too.
July 8th, 2010 at 10:12 pm
The absence of your blog would open a huge hole in my life. When I started reading, you were already answering our questions, and I have gone back and read many of the pre-question posts. With or without questions, I hope you will continue to write. Thank you for all I have learned from you. I am looking forward to learning more.
July 9th, 2010 at 11:57 am
Aren’t we all Christians and Christ followers first and CoC or whatever second? I look at you as a Christian, but does the CoC look at me, a Lutheran, as a Lutheran or a Christian. That’s part of the issue with CoC as I see it from the outside. You are isolating yourselves as the only true believers and all others cannot stand. The Bible didn’t tell us how or what to do in our worship, just to worship and love God. Regardless of the demonination we choose, Christ is who chooses us to be his.
July 12th, 2010 at 10:20 pm
I’m with the group! I check your blogs daily and nearly have a stroke if you haven’t updated in a week or so – yeah, I’m a Patrick blog junkie. Luckily that doesn’t happen often. I share your blogs with my husband who doesn’t have time to read them all, and with our church leadership when a post really applies to our congregation. I too understand if you are swamped and will learn to live with less of your knowledge if need be, but I hope that doesn’t happen soon! I love sharing certain blog posts with non-Christians because you have such a relaxed tone when you write, I feel it’s very easy for them to not get defensive and hopefully keep reading. Especially those amazing ones early on about the plant life and how the cucumber made a noise when injured. Incredible stuff! That was so fun to pass on to others because they didn’t even know they were getting a God thing until they were too far into it! Thank you for your time and dedication. I truly doubt you’ll ever know the impact you have on so many lives.
July 13th, 2010 at 9:10 am
Robin, to answer your question, I think it depends on the person doing the looking. I know I was taught many moons ago that the Church of Christ had the only real Christians, but that teaching didn’t take with me. I tend to see folks as Christian first, especially when I see them acting as Christians. I know some folks who want to know the particular denomination before they decide if you are a Christian, and I know some others who take a rather condescending view toward Christians in other fellowships.
I’m not totally immune to that. I know some brothers and sisters I think are just plain weird over some of their beliefs. Actually, some of them are in my own church. That’s okay, too. I fight that internally by reminding myself that I know I’m weird to them.
I’ve also been on the other side of that coin–being looked down upon or perhaps patronized because I’m from the Church of Christ. It’s not a comfortable thing, but it’s a minor thing in the broader scheme.
We serve a God who is bigger than all our little differences.
July 14th, 2010 at 12:18 pm
Hi Patrick,
I can’t imagine why there has been a drop-off in your readers. I have not been able to read as much lately, but that is because of the summer season (trips, VBS, kids’ activities, etc.), not because of lack of interest on my part! I do not comment very often, but you always give me something to think on, and I appreciate it! I do enjoy this blog as well as your other one. I really like history, so your Hidden People series and “unpopular-with-the-experts” series are favorites of mine.
Thanks!
July 17th, 2010 at 12:18 pm
Patrick, I’m late weighing in here, I feel like I’m behind on many things. I too love reading your blog and hope you will carry on. You are always a breath of fresh air and common sense.
My husband and I were so thankful to finally meet you in March at the Tulsa Workshop. We met many of my blogger friends there and I feel so blessed by all of you.
We have shared your lessons on DVD with many of our friends in bible studies and they are always well received. God has given you both the gift of speech and the gift of writing and I believe his Spirit is guiding you to bless others with scripture and with living the example, and that is just what you are doing.
Continued blessings to you my friend!