At a pastoral visitors meeting today I was asked why I thought that people who had been brought up in the church, been to Sunday School, etc. now find that church "does nothing for them?"
If I am honest the very question makes me want to weep, these people have not said that they don't believe in God, simply that church does not meet their spiritual needs. Frankly they find it irrelevant... I talk with these fol quite often, and honestly I understand the anguish they are expressing...
I understand because I find myself there, sometimes when preparing a service I loose the will to choose hymns, my soul does not want to sing five verses of a hymn no matter how rousing. It wants to sit in stillness, to make my own prayer rather than have others say them for me, and I get that they don't want me doing that...
Don't get me wrong, I think there is a place for both and, and a place for teaching and preaching and hymns, but if that is all we offer we risk living in our heads, and knowing our faith in a very cognitive way...
Now that suits some people, but it starves others....
Am I being critical, well yes I guess that on some levels I am, but more than that I am voicing my own need and desire for the living waters that Jesus spoke of to flow through my very being...
We moved on in our meeting, at our coming Church Anniversary Celebration we are welcoming a little one through Baptism. One comment was "well I hope it won't be a three ring circus..." followed by " I hope they will behave"....
Now there are times when I want to scream, and this was one, we cannot and must not demand that people who are searching become "like us", and who is this "us" anyway...
Too many people are leaving the church, week after week for us to be able to sit in judgement of them, we MUST ask ourselves if we are missing the point...
I love God, I love Jesus, I need and love the Holy Spirit to work in and through me, I love the church, but I also despair of her lack of spirituality... and yes I know that that will deeply offend many. But please, raise your heads, look out at the world and ask yourself what is happening.
This weekend I attended a conference where I took part in a "Christ-fullness" meditation, after settling our breathing and becoming still we were asked to imagine Jesus standing, open hearted before us, as I did just that I experienced a touch of the Holy and found myself wrapped in a rainbow of colours and filled with joy and peace. It revealed to me just how dry and dusty and hungry I have been over the last couple of years...
God's love has not changed, but the world has and people are hungry and thirsty, we must change if we are to meet them, not by changing the gospel, but by growing into what we need to be for a new generation, for the lost generations....
How do we speak of the Jesus who speaks of life in all its fullness?
Maybe we simply echo his invitation:
"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."( Matthew 11: 28-30)
And maybe, just maybe we can begin to get our heads around talking about out pilgrimage of faith, and walking it together, rather than keeping it for Sundays and insisting on dressing it up in its Sunday best....
... it is a challenge.
Maybe this should be our song: (follow the link to hear it)
I've tried to stand my ground
I've tried to understand
but I can't seem to find my faith
like water on the sand
or grasping at the wind
I keep on falling short
please be my strength
please be my strength
I don't have anymore
I don't have anymore
I'm looking for a place
that I can plant my faith
one thing I know for sure
I cannot create it
I cannot sustain it
It's Your love that's keeping (captured) me
Please be my strength...
at my final breath
I hope that I can say
I've fought the good fight of faith
I pray your glory shines
through this doubting heart of mine
so my world would know that You
You are my strength
You and You alone
You and You alone
Keep bringing me back home
