Church: The God in you.
"One of the main functions of organized religion is to protect people from a direct experience of God." Carl Jung
All too often I hear people talk about how "church" seems to get in the way of people connecting to God. I spent the afternoon yesterday talking with seven soon-to-be graduating seminary students-- only one of the students plans to work in a local congregation. The others are seeking how to live out their call in unorthodox ways for the traditional path into the parish zaps their soul.
There are often barriers that seem to be built into the system that often prevents people from coming to the throne of grace empty and broken. And if we do not feel like we can be empty and broken before God and others then we will always face obstacles to connecting with God. I have to be able to name those places in my heart and soul where I feel inadequate. I have to come to a place in myself and before you and God where I can get in touch with those places in my soul that need healed. Additionally, I yearn to be in the presence Mystery where I can sit and be still before God.
When I hear about church renewal, I often hear about ways of thinking or models for doing church that will attract more people to the walls of the institution, but rarely if ever do I hear of ways where we can get in touch with our humanity. Paul Tillich said that the first duty of love is to listen. I wonder what would happen if we extinguished the candles, folded the large projection screen, unplugged the electric guitars and covered the pipe organs and turned our pews toward one another and stared in to the hearts and souls of those sitting across from us. And perhaps we could keep coming back and taking our seats across from one another until our hearts burn within us and we began to recognize the Stranger in our midst.
The only way we’ll recognize the Stranger is to walk and talk with one another about our fears, triumphs, joys, and pains. Tell me where your soul hurts, share with me your joys and I’ll try to sit with you long enough that my defensive need to fix you dissipates and I can begin to share my hopes, pains, and joys. Let’s turn our pews toward one another and show each other our wounds so that we can believe and be healed.
It is possible that I need to be able to worship the God who lives in you and the God who lives in me before I can encounter and worship the God who lives in the walls of the church. Wait...you and I are the church and we need each other now more than ever.
9 Comments:
Thank you.
Excellent thoughts, Rick.
What you said about turning the pews toward each other reminds me very much of a Catholic Church in Newport News. It's built almost in the shape of a small stadium, with two banks of people facing each other, and the altar, pulpit, and presider's chair are in a small strip of floor space between them.
It felt really weird worshipping their the first time, because you were always looking at other parishioners. I joked to a priest about it, "two opposing armies of worshippers, preparing to do battle on the holy gridiron!"
He let me know that the reason for the design was to basically bring every one into the traditional "choir" section of the church, and eliminate the nave. The designer said "this will make your church. No one will be able to think it's just him and Jesus."
I don't know how much the design has to do with it, but there's no question that it's far and away the most dynamic parish in Hampton Roads.
I know that's not what you're really talking about, but maybe even those simple physical efforts can really facilitate something more significant opening up.
You wrote: "I often hear about ways of thinking or models for doing church that will attract more people to the walls of the institution, but rarely if ever do I hear of ways where we can get in touch with our humanity."
I ran across this verse a couple of days ago and this is what I posted on my blog about it:
"God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too. Are we trying to pat ourselves on the back again? No, we are giving you a reason to be proud of us, so you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry rather than having a sincere heart before god. It it seems that we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. Whatever we do, it is because Christ's love controls us." 2 Corinthians 5:11-14
Are we willing to desire a sincere heart above a spectacular ministry? Would having a sincere heart and a life controlled by Christ's love be enough for us? Are we willing to seem crazy in order to bring glory to God?
I believe it was Gerald Coates who said stop all the meetings, the services, the activity, for a time, and whatever you have left is the church. I thought that hit the nail on the head.
In fact, Lucy, I once heard an interview with a pastor in Toledo, Ohio whose church was torched by arsonists the week before Christmas. The interviewer said, "How are people coping with the destruction of their church?" The pastor smiled and said, "Oh, it's not so bad." The interviewer looked back at the still-smoking ruins of the building behind him...and that's when the pastor said it: "It's just the building that's gone. The church is what's left after the sanctuary burns to the ground."
Rick, you've been reading my mail again. If ever there was a manifesto for what the "emergent church" could look like, you've given it. And I don't think the projection screens or the choirs or anything else is bad - but that's not all there is. In fact, it's probably the least important part.
Relationships that are built person to person, not pulpit-to-pew. Honesty, open- mindedness, and willingness enough to come into a group of believers and say, "I believe - but right now, I'm bleeding and on fire. Can you help me?" A place where a newcomer wouldn't be afraid to say, "Show me this Bible you talk about. Show me this Jesus person, and why I should care." And then to have people open and caring enough to share where their own story and the Greatest Story Ever Told intersect.
I've had to come to my faith community "bleeding and on fire" in the past. And if there's one thing I've missed since coming to Chicago, it's been the kind of fellowship and community that could accept me in my broken state. I think I've finally found one...I'm praying I have.
Great stuff, brother.
sign me up.. building or no building, pew to sit in or open air to stand in, this is where it's at. thanks Rick..
Rick, this post inspired a reply on my blog about Corporate Church Worship ... thought you might like to know you've been my "muse" today :)
STAGES OF WORSHIP (Going Deeper)
Don't know you, but I love reading your posts.
Thanks for your words.
Well, Rick, you have just described a Quaker Meeting, where we sit together in silence on plain unadorned benches facing one another, quietly listening for that still small voice within, opening ourselves to "that stranger in our midst." There is a fervent belief amongst us that this light is within each person. When we silently worship togther in our humble Meeting House, sometimes there is that feeling that the graceful presence of God is so real, right here, right now with and within us.
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