Driving to the first church this morning the world was draped in a thick fog. As I drove through the twists and turns of the mountain road a man in his garden caught my eye. It took me a moment to discern as to whether it was indeed a man or merely a scarecrow propped up to frighten away unwanted nibblers. The man was so still and reflected the life I had found here in the mountains. The world of Ashe County is often paced at still to slow and steady.
Every facet of life seems to be dictated by a slow and determined march through good times and bad. The peaks and valleys in their extreme are softened by community traditions, support, and a mentality of ‘this too shall pass.’ Perhaps it is due to a society shaped by its surroundings- unmoving mountains, quirky weather that determines one’s plans (especially in the winter), family gardens, and one of the oldest rivers ironically named the New River that is deeply entrenched in the landscape. The river and mountains provide a timeline that extends far beyond the latest trends or fads. The capricious weather instills humility, a sense that humanity is still vulnerable and reliant upon the changing seasons.
The culture of this small mountain county tucked away in the Northwest corner of North Carolina stands in stark contrast to the frantic pace of city life. It is not surprising then that church life in Ashe County would reflect the mentality more of the surrounding community than that of a mega-church or seminary. For the most part the people do not sit around debating the theological issues. In many conversations opinions are not aggressively stated or challenged. Even the pace of conversation found in a larger city would appear frantic and or containing an unnecessary amount of enthusiasm for the circumstances when placed in this rural setting.
It would be easy for one unfamiliar with this setting to find the people dull, unenthusiastic, or dispassionate when it comes to spiritual matters, but I think this misses the point. I believe that people often judge a lifestyle by determining its significance. On the outside a typical rural mountain life may appear insignificant. The people are not all interested in creating momentous changes in worship, political/social action, or the community. Every gathering does not require the forming of a new committee to address an issue or new church diversion. There is not a great pool of people from which to draw volunteers or participants when a new program is formed. Christmas tree season, daylight savings time, and harsh winters directly affect attendance and participation. But like the steady stream of the New River, people do not measure the significance of their spiritual lives by a plethora of sporadic activity, but rather faithful attendance to worship and participation in the community.
Many people in the church read their upper room devotionals each morning. The church newsletter, bulletin, or tape from Sunday morning worship are highly valued and distributed to those homebound. Sunday morning worship has a time where community joys and concerns are shared. Often this important time involves updates from those in the church family who are suffering and need a visit, are recovering and give thanks for prayers, or praise to God for recent rain that nourishes the earth and treasured family gardens. The people don’t need to sound significant to live significant lives. The presence of church family during hard times appears infinitely more valuable than lofty words and deep but abstract insights.
This is not to say that mountain people do not place value in growing in their faith through Bible study and well prepared sermons. But rather the barometer used to determine a healthy congregation should be vastly different from one church family to another. The average church member in these little mountain churches probably doesn’t see much significance in ‘beating a dead horse’ when it comes to conversation; whereas another church community may deeply value thoughtful discourse on a subject. The theological significance of certain subjects are lived out in the lives of church members. Spiritual reflections are discussed on porches in impromptu conversations. The sharing of spiritual life is lived out within a community in both heartache and celebrations. Slowly and steadily the mountain people live out their Christian faith.