Steroids, conclusion

I ran out of time yesterday, so I will complete my thoughts on steroids and sports. 

Major League Baseball finds itself at a crossroads on the issue of performance enhancing drugs. On the one hand, they desperately need to reform their drug policy. On the other hand, their sport (like all pro-sports) makes its money based on the performance of its stars. When records are broken, more tickets are sold, more people buy the jerseys, more advertisers pay more money for commercial spots during the broadcast, etc. So, what is baseball to do? Should they reform and risk losing dollars because of the lack of ability of players to naturally perform like they are now. Or, do they let scandal after scandal destroy them and in the end risk losing even more fans and even more money? 

I write all that as a pretty obvious metaphor. As a pastor in a mainline church, I'm asking the same question. We are operating with antiquated practices that years ago produced results but now fail miserably. Do we seek methodological reformation, and by doing so risk alienating our present "fan base?" Or do we seek to prop up what has worked before and by doing so risk our future "fan base?" I'm not pretending that the kind of reformation that needs to take place is easy. It is not. It is painful, ugly, and risks destroying us. But on the other hand so does the status quo. 

Some mainline clergy have preferred to simply "switch sports." They have decided that baseball is a sinking ship so they will go play football (or better yet, track and field). I'm talking about those who don't see the future of the mainline church and have jumped ship to what may look like a better church, a better denomination or a non-denomination (I may have stretched this metaphor too far by now).

I see the trouble. I see the pain. I see the potential future if we stay the course, but I'm also hopeful. Redemption is the lens in which I see the world. Even though the mainline church may be struggling and may be doomed, I am committed to this because she is still Christ's bride. She is still beautiful. She is still in need of people who love her and hold out the hope for redemption. She is in need of people who will ask the questions and lead her through the needed reformation in order to truly live into the fullness of Christ.