THE PARISH CULTURE

Every parish has a culture, no matter how big or how small. Our culture is who we are and how we do things. Some might call it the character of our parish community.

• Some parishes have a culture of excellence, a preciseness to liturgy done right.
• Some parishes have a culture of evangelism, where they’re constantly getting out into their communities, sharing the Good News with others.
• Some parishes have a missionary culture, constantly sending missionaries to the uttermost parts of the earth.
• A common parish culture I hear around the diocese is that of a welcoming culture, where people feel a heartfelt welcome when they enter the church. They love spending time with other parishioners and feel like one big family.
• Many parishes have a culture of service. They’re always outside the walls of the church, getting the smell of the sheep upon them by engaging in direct service to the needy and collaborating with other community service agencies.

In Acts, we hear an emphasis on the early church’s culture of harmony, as the believers were “of one heart and mind” and a culture of generosity and care for one another as “they [held] everything in common.” (Acts 4:32) The gifts “were distributed to each according to need” (Acts 4:35) so that “there was no needy person among them.” (Acts 4:34) Which was a solid foundation for the apostle’s culture of evangelization as “with great power they bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord.” (Acts 4:33) A parish’s culture can be seen by those looking in or seeking connection.

What is the culture of this parish? The parish mission statement is a good guidepost: “St. James Cathedral is focused on guiding people of all backgrounds into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It is our hope that you will find our parish a place of welcome and hospitality, as well as a spiritual home for you and your family.” This is a statement that expresses a larger vision, a vision of invitation, fellowship, and belonging. How ministries are categorized, on the webpage, also gives the seeker a clue to the parish’s culture: “worship, learning, witness, & service.”

Like Nicodemus’ struggle to understand Jesus’ teaching on things from above and being born of the Spirit, as people begin returning to church and parish life. So, the question of “What is our parish culture?” shifts to “How will the people recognize the culture of this parish?”

It will be by the parish parishioners being and intentionally living the professed culture. We must be a witness to our personal relationship with the risen Christ; we must invite, welcome, and display full and active participation in worship and learning; and our generosity and care for each other and those most in need must go beyond the parish walls. Words in print or spoken are more fully expressed when we actively live the parish’s culture.