SOUL ACCOUNTING “Soul Accounting” is a
term coined long ago. It was used especially in congregations of The Lutheran
Church-Missouri Synod. It described a very good practice. It was a process to
track and follow-up on the status of their members. The Senior Pastor had
primary responsibility. Often he was assisted by a team of lay persons (in
those days always men) who shared responsibility with the pastor. The goal was
to monitor as best as possible the spiritual well being of the congregation
members. It focused on frequency of communion attendance, regularity of
attendance at worship, consistency of financial offerings, ensuring that
children were enrolled in the Lutheran school et sim. It really had a noble
purpose and when properly carried out greatly assisted the congregation in its
responsibility for the spiritual welfare of all of its members.
If I were to use that term today in my ELCA
congregation I would get a blank stare and the honest question, “What in the
world do you mean by 'soul accounting'? Is that some new computer tracking
system?” My congregation keeps no formal record of communion or church attendance.
It has no lay committee charged with monitoring how things are going in the
families of the church. I know of no system in place for laity to visit the
ill, no functional utilization of our apparently dead Stephen Ministry. I
know of no effort to have private conversations with members who have stopped
making financial contributions. All of this leads to my lament “Whatever
happened to soul accounting?”
LUTHERAN
CONGREGATION SINGING Again, I have wonderful memories of robust total congregational singing
in the Lutheran churches of my youth. There were old hymns (especially chorales)
accompanied by a full pipe organ. Men, women and children joined in, often in
the four-part harmony of soprano, alto, tenor, bass. Now many new songs
are filled with what to me is simply a repetition of quickly succeeding
sixteenth notes. Maybe one-in-ten congregants sing along. In my congregation
the singing of hymns is a lost art.
HOME
VISITATIONS AMONG CONGREGATION MEMBERS It is, I am sure, not just nostalgia that recalls
all those Sunday dinners we used to share with other members of our congregation.
And they were augmented by big at-home beer and bar-b-que filled wedding
receptions, birthday celebrations, and remembrances of years of marriage. The
pastor was certain to have been an invited visitor in every single congregation
home. Now it usually takes death or a near death experience to have an
in-home pastoral visit.
But it is not only church related stuff that I am
nostalgic about this morning. Rather, I ask more about WHATEVER
HAPPENED TO…
EATING OUT
AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE This week my wife Jane and I celebrated her birthday at a wonderful top
level steak house. It was generously paid for by friends and family. Here is
what we had: 1 serving of French onion soup, asparagus, dessert, one glass of
good house wine, the smallest filet on the menu and the lowest cost
full-sized steak. The bill (without tip) was $175.00. Now, I want to be
clear: it was great, the gift from friends and family deeply appreciated. But
$175.00! What retired Lutheran schoolteacher in the world could ever do that
without assistance from family and friends!
A DECENTLY
LONG GOLF DRIVE I just watched the golf tournament at the magnificent Bethpage-Black
Golf Course in New York. I saw and relived the hole where 30 years ago I won
the long drive contest with a drive of about 275 yards. Today it takes me a
good drive and another wood to reach that distance
THAT MEL WHO
ALWAYS HAD A POSITIVE SPIRIT The truth is he is still very much alive. He knows
that the whole scene of congregational life has changed in the last 75 years
and the good ole’ days have been replaced with lots of good multimedia worship.
He knows that Lutheran congregations are still places of care, good pastoral
ministry and music which lifts the souls of many. Good dinners can be found and
paid for without taking out a loan, and it does feel good to hit golf drives
that are straight even if they re not very long. But I just decided to let it
all hang out for a few minutes, post it on a BLOG and then go have a good glass
of wine and be grateful for the past, the present and the future.