Chickens, Coots and Congregants

Today at the Prairie Retreat in South Dakota, I went out onto the back porch of the sweet little white church to throw out the water from the flower vase before putting in new flowers. The water splashed onto the bushes and all the chickens looked up. There are a lot of chickens (and two big turkeys) on this farm. With great excitment, they all started running my way! They gathered around a few steps from the back porch and I admired the different colors, sizes, the lovely red combs and feathery legs. As they clucked quietly and gazed up at me standing on the porch I felt that something wonderful was expected of me. Probably lots of chicken feed.

This image made me think of the Coots who gathered in the Spring in the waters of the marina that was home to the Robert Gray (the 120' tugboat I lived on for 2 years). I love the Coots. They are small, black water birds with the biggest green feet you've ever seen. I mean, if you look at the feet in relation to the body, those are big green feet! These funny birds cruise around the marina, generally hooting quietly at each other, diving to chase fish and bobbing up to the surface like little corks to swallow and preen. Occasionally however, something happens and they will get into a fight and start to chase each other. Sometimes, when the issue is especially sensitive, the chase almost takes flight! They flap their black wings, necks outstretched, and run across the surface of the water! It's an amazing sight! I have always wanted to get a photo of a Coot running across the water, but haven't been on deck with my camera whenever a chase ensued. I had considered trying to sneak up on them, shouting loudly to scare the heck out of them and taking a shot while they ran away. But that didn't seem kind.

One day, a friend visited, and she loved the Coots too. "Can we feed them?" she asked. Of course! So we went to the galley for stale bread. Out on the deck, she threw bread into the water and behold! The Coots basking in the sun at the far shore ran briskly over on the tops of the waves to be the first to reach the floating bread! What's that old saying? You catch more bears with honey than with vinegar?

Now we come to the point of this particular blog - which is a question: we could apply this analogy to our shrinking congregations? Instead of preaching fire and brimstone from the pulpit, instead of bemoaning our loss of young folks, instead of voicing our fear of closing our doors or pleas for larger donations from the shrinking faithful, could we maybe find the right chicken feed, the appealing bread, the music, laughter and passionate praise that would sing in their souls so they flock to our doors clamoring for more?! What speaks to their Spirits? What are their hearts hungry for? What comforts their minds exhausted from multi-tasking? What words do they need to hear, what songs do they need to sing, and how can we fill the void left by Facebook friendship? Instead of chasing after people with lives too full already, too busy to even take time to breath... can we find what attracts them like honey? Can we offer them peace that really soothes the beleaguered soul? Can we give them true hope in the face of the shameful state of our planet? Can we foster in them a love that surpasses understanding? Faith, Hope and Love... and the greatest of these is Love.