I recently saw a notice for an annual fundraising event at a local parish. The Gala dinner was a yearly event, one that drew people from the surrounding communities.  Churches have a long history with fundraising efforts. For many parishes, the upkeep of the building along with the desired ministries, need the help of donations form the wider community.  For this parish, the Gala dinner was its major fundraiser of the year; It was well known, well liked, and well attended by people in the community. This year, according to the announcement, the Gala was offering something new. They had proudly arranged for a “local Gypsy” to read people’s palms during the evening.

Just let that sink in for a moment. An Anglican church, lead by ordained Anglican clergy, allowed fortune telling to occur within its walls. How is this not a denial of one ordination vows, and the very mission statement of the parish itself?

This post isn’t a deep dive into the spirituality of palmistry, and how antithetical it is Gospel witness. I trust if you are interested in that you can google your way through some articles. Instead, what I want to articulate, what I feel dep in my bones, is the underlying problem that led this parish to adopt such a theologically flawed fundraising strategy. The choice to have a gypsy palm reader at a parish event highlights a disturbing trend in which many churches find themselves. As we continue to struggle with demographic decline a spirit of fear and competition takes hold demanding that we out-attract rival programs. We search out anything that will crack the code of church-success, and we are willing to try anything if it means that someone new might come through the door.

It is this abdication of our Christian identity to the spirit of anything that is problematic. It echoes the temptations in the desert. We downplay the uniqueness of Christian faith to gain a sliver of secular popularity. Such a strategy is based on a lie that says if the church can show itself to be fun and spectacular then people may be willing to put up with the Jesus stuff.

Underlying this strategy is the unstated assertion that that the body of Christ is simply not enough for today’s world. People are no longer interested in the Christian church, so the argument goes and the demographics prove. In response, we highlight anything attractive or attractional rather than showing ourselves to be a community enflamed by the loving presence of God.

This attempt to garner society’s likes and thumbs-ups is flawed from the start. The reality is, if someone joins a congregation because some out-of-the-box program tickles their spiritual fancy, then it is only a matter of time before they move on to some other spiritual side-show. This is because aren’t ministering to the people, nor are we forming disciples. Instead, we are making spectators who are feel spiritually rewarded when they find God in the new and the novel.

The church today needs to ask itself some deep questions. Why it is not enough for the church to be a simple but authentic community of prayer, worship, and service? Why do we see the “Christian” part of our identity as problematic to our life or ministry? More importantly, why don’t we think Jesus is enough for the people around us? Why don’t we think Jesus is enough for us?

Henri Nouwen once wrote, “I’m deeply convinced that the greatest spiritual danger for our time is the separation of Jesus from the Church.”  Whenever we separate Jesus from the functioning of the church, we jettison the very soul of who we are, and who we are called to be. I am not suggesting that church ministry must look one way. Congregations always need to think about how they connect with the people around them. But our creative endeavours should never be contrary who we are as Christ’s body. Jesus said that any kingdom that acts against itself will never stand.

As Christians, we are people of Jesus. We gather in the presence of the Holy Spirit to worship Jesus as our Savior, and our redeemer. The person of Jesus, crucified and risen, is the heart of all ministry, the fire of all witness, and center of all community. Christ’s presence, alive and present wherever two or more gather in his name, is what defines us.  If we want to ensure longstanding and fruitful ministry in our churches, this is where we begin, and end.