Holy Redeemer Lutheran Church

Oikonomos or Autonomos: Which Are You?

These are interesting terms (you can find them in the Glossary of HRLC’s Church Directory) that I’ve been mulling over lately. They first came into my awareness during a recent meeting with the Evangelism Small Group Ministry.

Oikonomos means discerning the will of the master of the household. It is, perhaps, the strongest trait of a good steward.

Autonomos means discerning only our self-will. It is opposite of how a steward is to conduct him or herself.

The master of our spiritual household is God. To discern the will of our loving master we are to be outward-facing; that is, to be centered on those around us. Examples of being Oikonomos are:

Showing hospitality to visitors, such as welcoming with a smile.
Inviting visitors to refreshments and then offering to guide the way.

Demonstrating sensitivity to others in a non-intrusive way (please read accompanying article for ideas!).

Often, I’m not as Oikonomos as I’d like to be, and this is sad because it is then that I’ve switched over to being Autonomos. Some of the things I’ve done in church scream “it’s all about me”! Examples of being Autonomos are:

Talking before a worship service begins. This is a “quiet time”, a time of centering that is violated when we engage in discussions. A smile and a nod is always appropriate, but animated discussions are for Fellowship Time.
Conducting business other than that of the church. When we are at church we are worshiping together, or we are about the business of our church, or we are gathered as a community to enjoy each other’s company. It is the business of the church to be genuinely concerned about each other, but it is not the business of the church to engage in self-centered problem solving. Since we’re all in the Church Directory, a call during the week is appropriate for personal business.

Whenever and wherever we are together, we are the church! In other words, God is with us when we gather, so we should be about God’s business, not our own.

I hope what I’m learning along my faith journey helps you. Please feel free to talk about this article with me – yes, during Fellowship Time!

Open-ended Openers (or, How to Talk with Visitors)

Have you ever been face-to-face with a visitor, smiling and wondering what to say? It’s okay, we’re all nervous about meeting new people. And, if you’re bit nervous or struggling for something to say, how must the visitor feel?

No worries! Below are a few non-intrusive and caring tips to get a conversation started.

“What brought you to Holy Redeemer?” This is one of my favorites. Everyone has a reason why they came to church on a particular Sunday. People have replied that it was after noticing the location when driving by or from Internet search. Usually, the response sparks a friendly conversation about the visitor.

“Did you look at our website?” If no, then show the visitor our bulletin, which has the site address on the front. If yes, “What did you think of it?” Our staff puts a lot of work into our site. We should all take a look at it weekly to see what changes have been made, and so that we know what information it contains.

After you’ve been in conversation for a bit, you could ask: “Is there anything you’d like to talk about?” or “Is there anything you’d like us to place on our Prayer Wheel?” Holy Redeemer has an active prayer ministry. We have a weekly Prayer Insert in the Sunday Bulletin and an electronic notification for prayer requests on our website. All are welcome to submit prayers.

If the conversation leads to a realization that the visitor is seeking healing, you may let them know that Holy Redeemer conducts prayers of healing during the worship service on the last Sunday of each month, or you might ask them if they would like to make an appointment with the pastor for discussion of what is bothering them.

These are ways of Oikonomos, discerning the will of the God and being a true steward in God’s house. If you have ideas for more conversation starters, please let me know and we will print them as well.

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1948 The Alameda San Jose, CA 95126

Oikonomos or Autonomos: Which Are You?

Open-ended Openers (or, How to Talk with Visitors)

1948 The Alameda
San Jose, CA 95126