Finding Faith ... in church evolving to lawn chairs and blankets on the ground

EDITOR'S NOTE: In October 2021 I began a new venture writing a newspaper column titled "Finding Faith" for the Forum Communications Co. network of newspapers and websites. I was asked to contribute to the company's ongoing conversation about faith, lending a Lutheran and fairly ecumenical approach to the discussion. The column was published in several of the company's papers and websites, including The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead. This column originally appeared as a "Finding Faith" column on June 23, 2023.

The Rev. Devlyn Brooks at his home church, Faith Lutheran Church in Wolverton, Minn.

By The Rev. Devlyn Brooks

This week, our congregation held its first outdoor worship service of the summer on Wednesday night. There’ll be one more each month until we return to regular Sunday services in September.

It was a beautiful Minnesota summer evening: temps in the 80s, warm enough to put a sheen of sweat on this pastor’s almost-bold head, but not so warm that our parishioners were uncomfortable sitting on the lawn in their camping chairs.

There was a hint of rain in the air, with a few drops falling every now and then, courteously reminding us that when it comes to nature, we are not in charge. Outside worship plans or not.

The trees and grass were that beautiful deep green the plant world reaches come the summer months. And there were a few birds who joined the worship service, taking roost in the hardwood trees that line our lawn which abuts the street to our north. Their songs contributed a soothing, living background noise to the entire affair.

No grand piano or organ; just a couple of zesty volunteer guitar pickers. A slimmed down version of the liturgy. A printed bulletin containing the song verses; so no need for hymnals. A pastor in short shirt sleeves, standing behind a simple wooden lectern.

Songs, a message, fellowship … and communion, of course. All delivered on a breezy, “summery” Wednesday night on the front lawn, with our stately, 1936 brick edifice as our backdrop.

Certainly, none of this is novel. There are churches all over experimenting with what worship looks like. Times, places, traditions: all is being tinkered with. Some of it’s working; some of it isn’t; and some … it’s too soon to tell.

More importantly is the willingness to experiment, to consider change, to get outside of our box … which is imperative to whatever the church is becoming.

God’s creation itself has taught us that if you don’t evolve, you face extinction. It’s high time we consider what that means for our individual churches on up to our denominations.

Our lovely little summer service on a Wednesday night out on the lawn wasn’t extraordinarily innovative. But it is a signal that we are ready for change. It symbolizes that those invested in our small parish love their church enough to consider new forms of worship.

For far too long, the specter of the “Church” -- with a capital “C” -- determined what worship was. But, if we are to actually consider how it is we are to meet the needs of the faithful, the “Church” has to adapt in the smallest and biggest of ways.

And if that’s sitting in lawn chairs, with the kiddos spread out on blankets all around, and the guy collecting the offering is wearing a cabana hat, then so be it. I’m all in! 

Devlyn Brooks is an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and serves Faith Lutheran Church in Wolverton, Minn. He also works for Forum Communications Co. He can be reached at devlynbrooks@gmail.com or comments and story ideas.