Addressing Current Events
It’s happened again. Another horrific terrorist attack has taken place. This time it’s in New Zealand. 50 Muslim worshippers gunned down while in prayer.
Your Sunday gathering is just hours away. What do you do? Do you ignore it or do you address it? And if you address it, how?
As pastors, we’ve all faced those moments.
Wise leaders recognize that these special moments cannot be ignored.
In his book, Between Two Worlds, John Stott writes:
“When people come to church, they neither can nor should shut out of their minds such matters as these which are being given wide radio, television and newspaper coverage. On the contrary, they bring these anxieties with them to worship, and are asking, ‘Is there any word from the Lord?’”
To be sure, this should inform your preaching in general. This is why a wise communicator is both a man of the Word and a man of the world.
But what about those critical current events that are front-burner items for your people? Those things that are in the news and on their minds. How do you decide what you should respond to on a Sunday morning?
These questions are not theoretical for me. In my three-and-a-half decades of pastoral leadership, I’ve faced this in many ways:
9/11
The Ferguson protests
The Charleston church shooting
Hurricane Katrina
My own cancer diagnosis
The sudden or tragic death of a familiar and beloved member.
In this day of instant communication, such events hit us in real time and elicit real emotions. How does one decide what to do?
Here are some diagnostic questions that can help:
1. Is this a history-making event that has affected everyone?
By “history-making” I refer to events that instantly change the conversation or atmosphere of society. I call them “9/11Events.” (“Do you remember where you were on 9/11?”)
Another example of this was the election of our first African-American president. I decided to create time in the service to interview one of our key staff members and ask him, as a man of color, what this moment meant for him. I realized as well, that this was potentially a polarizing issue for our racially diverse congregation, so I then led our church in a time of prayer for our new president. (“No matter who you voted for, we are called to pray for our leaders.”)
2. Is the event one that is critically important to your setting?
One example of this would be a death that has staggered the entire church. A child who was desperately prayed for. A leader who suffered a sudden, fatal heart attack.
Sometimes national events can be exceedingly personal to a cross-section of your congregation. This requires special sensitivity.
For instance, as noted above, the church I pastored grew to be increasingly multi-racial. As a result, occurrences such as the Ferguson protests and the Charleston church shooting hit this part of our congregation especially hard. I had to take time to lament the events, verbalize the pain, and pray for the situation.
3. How close is the event to the Sunday gathering?
Timing matters. When a terrorist attack occurs just before a Sunday service, when a nightclub is attacked on a Saturday night, or when a tornado has wreaked havoc, you need to realize that most of the congregation will be reeling from the news as they arrive for worship that morning. To ignore such things can appear to be careless at best and heartless at worst.
4. Is this a key teachable moment to affirm what is true?
I put the recent abortion decision in New York in this category. Other instances might be hate crimes that are anti-semitic or racist in nature.
At times we need to let our congregation have no doubt about where we stand on issues of morality or justice. This takes time, to be sure; but it might be time well-spent.
5. What are trusted colleagues doing about the situation?
There have been many occasions when I was at a loss to know what, if any, response to offer about a current event. So I got on the phone to talk with other pastors whose discernment and wisdom I trusted. “How are you going to handle this? What are you going to say?”
How to Address Current Events
Once you’ve decided that the event needs to be addressed, the next question is how to address it.
Here’s a basic principle that I’ve followed:
The bigger the impact, the bigger the response.
When it comes to responding to current events in church, here's a basic principle I've followed: The bigger the impact, the bigger the response.
For example, a high-impact event such as the 9/11 attacks demanded a complete rethink of the Sunday service – from tone, to worship, to message. To go on with business as usual would have been to ignore the significance and pain of the moment.
Another crisis that was high-impact for our specific congregation was when we had to tell them that I had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. So, while not totally altering the service, it required significant time to announce and respond. We chose to communicate this through video in my absence so the message could be controlled, and the video shared with those who were not in attendance.
Examples of more mid-level impact would be responding to the Charleston church shooting and Ferguson protests. Both were teachable moments for our diverse church family. We needed to demonstrate sensitivity and unity with our African American brothers and sisters. On both occasions, we set aside a block of time to speak to the events, read a corporate lament and pray together.
When other tragedies occurred, such as school shootings, natural disasters, or congregational loss, we made sure to take time in the service to pray about and for those affected.
Significant current events are key moments in time. Trust me. It’s not a matter of if such moments will come to you; it’s a matter of when. By thinking through how to handle these moments ahead of time, you won’t find yourself at the mercy of these moments when they come.
How have you handled crises in your church? Share your ideas in the Comments below.
Video Examples:
Charleston church shooting response
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