Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
   all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
   my whole life long”. -Psalm 23:6 (NRSV)

Curious why we keep misusing “Why” as a verb?

Pilgrim’s theme for the year is “Finding Your Why.” “Why” is not often used as a noun. “Why” is more typically an adverb or a conjunction. Often, “why” is an interjection that just stands alone, hollering out at the universe: “Why?”

But like much of our language, things are changing. “Why” has become a more common stand-in for the idea of “a reason why someone does something or is a part of something.” That’s exactly the sense I’m invoking here at Pilgrim.

Why ask Why?

At a recent Council meeting we were discussing the best ways to market our church. We talked much about what people are looking for. One wise soul piped up and asked if that was really the right place to begin. 

Why not instead begin with why we’re here? If we want to develop new long-term members, who better to ask about how that works than the people who ARE long-term members?

This year, we’ll find “your why,” that is, WHY you’re here. You’ll hear from fellow church members in worship, and you’ll read their stories online and in the Spire. It’s always good to ask why we do what we do. And we’ll learn more about how to invite folks in through the process.