A year ago, Michael saw a note from a colleague, that his congregation has tried “Stump the Pastor” instead of a sermon on the Sunday following Easter, traditionally known as Low Sunday. (Low Sunday, Michael always thought was simply because after the holy day swell, attendance lags. But it turns out it is low as in, on the 8th day of Easter week, and low as in opposition to the high holy day of Easter day. There is also something about it being low because it is the first day the catachumens would have taken off their white baptismal robes and to be Christians “like the rest of us.”)
Michael’s colleague, John, reported it was fun Sunday with which to open the season of Eastertide that stretches until Pentecost. And not just fun; also rich — both to hear what the people really wondered about or wanted to know, and to see how he could on his feet answer their questions meaningfully. John reported that it was fun for both him and the congregation to see how he could do with his answers.
So, I though we’d try it. Here’s how it will work:
You think of the questions that you would like to ask. And in the time of the sermon, Michael will take your questions, one at a time, and do his best to answer them. Even if he doesn’t do as well as he or you would like, maybe it will get some important conversations started in our community…
The idea, since it’s in the sermon spot, is that you will pose questions with some religious or theological import. But remember, our faith isn’t supposed to be some separate, walled off part of our life. Rather, our faith is a perspective we bring to our whole life. Hence, pretty much any question will be fielded. Anyway, you are UCC, and you are going to do what you want, not what you are told anyway!
Let’s see how this works. Maybe we are starting a new tradition for Low Sunday…
