Church of the Second Chance
Empowering a new generation of United Methodist Leaders
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 |
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