I admit it. I am now hooked on the weekly hit drama, Downton Abbey. If you are not familiar with the show, it is a story set in the fictional Downton Abbey, a Yorkshire country house and the seat of the Earl and Countess of Grantham. The show follows the early 20th century lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants during the reign of King George V. Because of its aristocratic, English origin, you can imagine the rich heritage and traditions that such a family would hold fast to.
At the start of season three, the heir of the Earl’s estate, young third cousin and former lawyer, Matthew Crawley, came to inherit a great deal of money. As it happens, Downton was in financial distress, and after much soul searching, Matthew decided to ensure Downton’s future by “investing” in the estate and all its holdings. The only way Robert Crawley (Lord Grantham) would accept this money, was to make Matthew a partner in the ownership of the Abbey.
In his new role as partner, Matthew discovers that Downton and her business holdings, mainly farms, are hemorrhaging money and need to be modernized to run efficiently. It is the rise of the Industrial Revolution, and modernization of farms and machinery is crucial to remain competitive and profitable. Now that Matthew is a partner with the Earl, he has a right to discuss the financial position of Downton, and does so with Robert.
The conversation goes about as well (or as poorly) as you might expect: it goes horribly. This young, modern, relatively new aristocrat wants to impose something on the family, more specifically on his Lordship: change. Steeped in tradition, wedded to its conventions and “how things have always been run at Downton”, was being challenged. This is not the kind of family that welcomed change in their lifestyle and tradition. When the American mother-in-law (played by Shirley MacLaine) visited Downton, she challenged the family continually about its need to move on from its traditions and embrace change, in her opinion – like the rest of the world.
As Downton Abbey’s third television season came to a close, we see that Lord Grantham and his wife Cora conceded that Matthew’s help in modernizing the family business had indeed strengthened and gave great promise to the future of Downton Abbey and the Crawley family that lived there.
In this delightful English story of history and nobility, I am reminded of the similar attitude in our churches. Especially churches in the Anglican tradition, we love of our English heritage and the beautiful and rich liturgy that our Episcopal Church does best (as far as I am concerned). Didn’t your heart soar a little bit as you watched the wedding of Prince William to Catherine? Even here in the U.S., the tradition and liturgy we see at the National Cathedral is quite moving. Remember President Reagan’s funeral? We have an attachment to these liturgical acts of worship. When we see these rites from our great tradition, in all their pomp and circumstance, we are reminded of our great love of this Church. Our traditions have great meaning and they ground us in our expression and relationship to the Divine. Tradition is so important to us that even our Anglican three-legged stool is built upon it: Scripture, Tradition, and Reason.
Yet, the Church is changing. The worldwide Anglican Church, the American Episcopal Church, the Diocese of Texas, and yes, even our local parishes are changing. Even within the boundaries and context of our tradition and heritage, there is room for change and indeed there is need for it. For many decades after World War Two, people flocked to churches. It was the popular and social thing to do. Going to church was part of our cultural norm. It was such the norm that the Church’s leadership became somewhat complacent. Like the stately Downton Abbey, things were going so well, it was all just fine to settle down and coast, or maintain. But just as it was with Downton Abbey, things behind the curtain weren’t so well in the life of the Church. For forty-plus years now, membership has been slipping. Buildings are aging and costs are increasing. Ministry efforts must be updated and promoted. Faith communities must be focused and vision-led. We are left to respond to a changing world. And this is actually good news!
The Christian Church is being called into something different. (Yes, the Christian Church, not just the Episcopal Church.) We are being called by God’s Holy Spirit to think in new ways of what it means to be God’s Church. The new generation of church seekers are looking less for a routine Sunday morning and more for a life-transforming relationship with Jesus. The Holy Spirit, maybe sort of like Matthew Crawley, is showing us something we may not want to see, but we must look. We may not want to be open to the changing culture and in turn change our attitudes about who we are as a church body, but we must. And actually, I believe we are! The greater Church is embracing change and so is St. Christopher’s. We may feel reluctant at first—perhaps not as obstinately as Lord Grantham—but as we see the wondrous challenges before us, like membership, stewardship and giving, attendance, etc., we are beginning to see some very positive developments. We may feel reluctant, skeptical or downright obstinate, but we are, dare I say, modernizing.
Faith communities must continue the practice of becoming more evangelical (sharing the Word), more hospitable to guests (greeting and embracing visitors), and upgrading buildings and grounds to become more vibrant missionary outposts for God’s holy Church.
Blessings to you this Lent.
