Monday, December 22, 2008
Heck Of A Question
MMI quotes Sally Morgenthaler about sacred spaces:
But I do not take this as a call to revolution, rather I take this as a call to improve how we do church. Have you ever tried to wonder what a church that was not soul-stifling would look like? How would it be different than church now?
Of course, the answers to those questions are very, very complex. But let me just lay this one idea on you. At one point, Sally says:
Try this on for size - Is there such a thing as a "professional" family? They come in so many shapes and sizes and many work that don't fit the mold we think is best.
Maybe church would be better if it were a little more familial. That translates into "messy" - but maybe it would work.
Technorati Tags:church, family, professional, messy
Generated By Technorati Tag Generator
Yet, as many devotees of the burgeoning "spiritual-not-religious" denomination will tell you, they left the hallowed halls of organized faith because their religion was killing them - either softly or bluntly - and it was a matter of soul survival to leave. Certainly, there are those who do find a life-changing connection to God in their houses of faith. They discover meaning, experience awakening and redemption, and the impetus for following Jesus by doing good in the world. But to say that all those who remain within religion's walls feel alive would be a lie. Christian denominations, in particular, seem to be suffering a vast soul-drain. Many church-goers confess a profound inner numbness, yet have simply accepted their inability to feel as the cost of being right about God. What a tragedy. We have a religion of God as concept, not as Person; a religion of the disconnected cerebellum; of mind, not body. Enchantment? Not likely, when we have made unholy any synapse that would enliven us to the God With Us and consequently, to God's world, So Very Much With Us. As Advent approaches, how dare we sing O Come, O Come Emmanuel. An embodied God, human, bloodied, and wailing a newborn's cry? Hardly. The Church's current bent is more, The God-Not-With-Us. No wonder people are leaving, to save what is left of their souls.Boy, I have to agree with the whole "church stifles spirituality" thing. I also have to wholeheartedly agree with the idea of going "out" to discover so much of God.
[...]
In short, how are you encountering the Advent God, the "God With Us" outside of the four walls of church? How are you becoming more present to your world, to others...co-creating sacred space, allowing the Creator, Redeemer, Sanctifier to re-enchant your faith and life? From one soul-survivor to another, I'd love to know.
But I do not take this as a call to revolution, rather I take this as a call to improve how we do church. Have you ever tried to wonder what a church that was not soul-stifling would look like? How would it be different than church now?
Of course, the answers to those questions are very, very complex. But let me just lay this one idea on you. At one point, Sally says:
As religious "professionals", we may wring our hands at their amateur, unguided attempts.Is church even supposed to be "professional?"
Try this on for size - Is there such a thing as a "professional" family? They come in so many shapes and sizes and many work that don't fit the mold we think is best.
Maybe church would be better if it were a little more familial. That translates into "messy" - but maybe it would work.
Technorati Tags:church, family, professional, messy
Generated By Technorati Tag Generator
