Is the Church still relevant?

Is the Church still relevant? That was a question raised (albeit briefly) at a conference I went to this weekend. The conference was organized by Barbara Wendland who writes this monthly newsletter. I went to a conference for Progressive Christians in Central Texas and, surprisingly, I wasn't alone. I live in the liberal bastion of Texas so I know that I'm not alone, but hearing the stories and being able to support those that live in small towns and go to conservative Churches was reassuring.

But, the question was still raised - is the Church relevant? At this conference of about 150 people I was one of 4 under 40. Most were over 60. I want to be clear that I do not believe that only people under 40 have the answers, but I do believe that intergenerational dialogue is important for the continuation of any type of organization. If in 20 years most of the people in that room are going to be dead or in nursing homes than the question has to addressed. One of the main speakers brought up the obvious point that almost everyone was 60+ and that almost everyone was white. (Did you know that there were liberal WASP's in Texas? But that is not an issue I can address because I am white). He said that we need to address this need; but the real question is how? The evangelical and fundamentalist churches are doing something right in this regard. They routinely have thousands of people in their 20's and 30's at their services. What can we learn from them? What are they doing that works? Another young person (38 - but in that crowd that IS young!) thought that there were no young people at this meeting because Faith, progressive or fundamentalist, is not relevant to the lives that young people are living. If they grow up in a mainline Church they see it as irrelevant and convert to Atheism; if they grow up in a fundamentalist Church they run away to Atheism as a reaction to the limited life they were subjected to in the name of god. Either way, most people my age end up Atheist.

Yet, I think that that answer discounts the reason that I go to Church and that most young people I know go to Church - faith and a desire for something more and something meaningful in the here and now. Another one of the speakers said that he thought that young people were drawn to Churches (or institutions) that take a stand. I think he's right. I think that the current Progressive Christian movement is so worried about opposing the Fundamentalist Christian movement that they forget to stand for something concrete. We (I am very much guilty of this) are so worried about being inclusive that we never say what we actually believe, that might offend someone. Everything is accepted. Although I do wholeheartedly believe that last sentence - everything is accepted by God - I also believe that there is a Right and a Wrong and that we have to stand up for it. We have to be able to call out what is wrong, in the name of Love. An example given at this conference was of two sons fighting. A parent would never let that continue. Out of love, for both children, that parent would stop the fight. Both children are hurt because of that conflict - the one that is physically hurt - but also the one that has caused the pain is emotionally hurt. Calling that act wrong and stopping it is not judgmental or hateful but is the only loving thing to do.

In fictitious examples it is always easy to spot the right and the wrong, but I am not sure how to do that in real life as it moves before me - but I know that I am at a place to start because the Church is still attempting to answer this question. The Church that does that is still relevant. A church that does not help to identify and call out injustice in this world is irrelevant and should be on it's deathbed because that church is not part of the people of God, although the individuals are very much God's people.

Church.. and other things

(The picture is of my parents' new puppy)

I went to Church on Sunday. I know this is not a revelation, since I am supposedly a Christian. (I am still trying to figure out what the word Christian means - which is why I used the adjective "supposedly" - but I think that is what makes me a Christian - the constant struggle to define who I am in relation to Christ - this is getting way too deep for parentheses, so I'll post some other day on this topic).

I went to the Church of Conscious Harmony with my cousin who goes there regularly. I had been once before - but I didn't really pay attention last time. The Church is very modern - but built in a rustic style. The grounds are very large - it took me a few minutes of wandering about and down and around to find the sanctuary. The service itself included a few songs, a long sermon and some silence. They are big on centering prayer (or meditation). The congregation was 99% white, and mostly not grey-haired. I find this interesting because many "traditional" Churches in the US are simply filled with people who have white-grey hair. The fact that I had to search for the grey hairs in the crowd meant that this Church is doing something right in reaching out to younger folks. I know that whenever I go to an Episcopal Church I find the majority are older. However, growing up Episcopalian I am wary of all "non-traditional" Churches.

The sermon was on our unity with one another and God. I like the topic. I agree that we are all in it together, but I do draw the line. I do think that I am separate from other people. I do believe that I exist, in union with God and in connection with other people. Yet there is still I, there is still my will.

The pastor also preached on the passage from Matthew about separating the sheep from the goats. I know that passage and I sometimes find it comforting. When I am doing work that seems hard, I know that God is in each and every person that I am serving. That comforts me. What I find uncomfortable is that I know I have failed. I drove past two homeless men on the street on the way to Church who were asking for money. I didn't give either one of them a dime. I have seen the face of God in those people and turned away. Does that mean I am a goat? Is that point of redemption - that we fail to live up to these standards? But then what is the point? If we know we will fail, why try? (I suppose this is a little depressing - but this is what I am struggling with right now). Is our "final" judgment a big scale where God weighs our good actions with our bad? "Well this time you fed this hungry guy, but that time you left that poor guy without any clothes, and this time you went to the prison, but you only visited the one prisoner - so the other 3,948 inmates count against you." If that is the way God works then I know that my acts of compassion will weigh far less than my acts of uncompassion. I can't believe in a God like that. I don't want to worship a God like that. If that is God than I'd rather be an atheist. Yet, it says that our salvation is through faith alone. I suppose this is an eternal question about the Christian faith. What is the point?

Progress in the Church?

I just finished watching this clip from the Colbert Report. As many of you may know, the Colbert Report is one of my favorite shows. (I also really like the Daily Show!) Both of these shows mix humor and politics. Since politics is one of my favorite things to talk about or think about or write about or generally be about, I like shows that make me laugh about politics. (They are VERY American - in fact I did a comparison between The Daily Show and Les Guignols for a project in my French class this summer.. but I digress).

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Holy Water Under the Bridge - Randall Balmer
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor U.S. Speedskating

This clip made me realize that we have to be part of a dynamic changing Church. We cannot, as some in the Church try to do, hold onto things "as they were". For one, there is no idyllic moment in the past when the Church had everything figured out and it was all pie in the sky. Secondly, if we do not always re-evaluate our life in terms of the Gospel than what does it mean to be Christian? Does it mean anything? The Episcopal Priest in this clip gave a very good answer to Colbert when he asked about the issue of inclusion of Gays and Lesbians. I am glad that I can say that I am part of the same church as him. If we do not re-evaluate our actions in light of the Gospel then we will end up using the Gospel and Jesus' name to inflict pain and suffering in the world. That is when the Gospel stops being Good News and begins to be the thing that people are afraid of - the reason that people have disdain for the Church.

It's Saturday morning...

It's Saturday morning, a little after 9 am, and I am leaving on a road trip (destination still undecided) in a little less than an hour.

Last night was my going away party from work. For those of you that don't know, I am leaving WSCF at the end of September. It was also a welcoming party. We have a new Accountant. I am realizing that I need to invest in the relationships here in Geneva that are important to me. I only have a month or so before things will be completely different. During this month I need to take advantage of the fact that I am still here. I don't think this means that I need to be all sad or sentimental (yet) but I do need to just take every opportunity I get to focus on people. People are what count in this world.

I was just reading this blog. The author talks about how what the Church really needs is mentors. I agree partly, but I think authentic relationships are perhaps a better way to describe what is lacking in our Churches. We need people that are willing to celebrate with us when things are wonderful, that are willing to cry with us when things are hard, that are willing to pray with us always, that are willing to challenge us when we are wayward. We need people that are willing to get involved in our messy lives. We all have messy lives; we've all done things we're not proud of; we've all needed a friend and mentor. The Church could be the place where we find that, but often the Church is where we find people who have it all together. People that want to show how little they need other people. When we don't see think we need other people, perhaps we don't think we need God. I am writing this because this is a trap I often fall into - I forget that I need God and other people. I forget that I cannot do this alone. If Churches could be places where people learn to be with each other and pray with each other than I think Churches would see that they are relevant and that they can and do make a difference. As long as Churches continue to be exclusive for the "saved", they will continue pushing away people that recognize their own need for authentic, mysterious, community.

Spontaneity helps too! That's why we haven't decided where we're going on our road trip yet!

A French Weekend

I am leaving early tomorrow morning to go camping in the south of France. I am so excited about it! I am going to get to see some of my friends that I have not seen since I left France almost ten months ago. These are friends that I had great times with while I lived in France. They are also all French. I am going to have a French weekend in more than on sense of the word. I will probably spend most of the weekend speaking in French with French people while being in France. That is definitely a "French" weekend.

Today was another of our Ecumenical Learning Sessions. It was interesting. The guest speaker was the director of Faith and Order. When is not directing Faith and Order he is a professor in Canada of Church History. Today's lesson was on, surprisingly enough, Church History. We learned about Church Unity and Church Disunity. For me, one of the most important things I took away from this lesson was that not everyone sees the history of the Church in the same way. The way we view the "history" flavors how we interact with people from other denominations today. Being raised in the Episcopal Church I speak the "Episcopal" (or Anglican) language. I see things in the way of an Episcopalian. I can't help it. It's not good or bad; it's just the way it is. I hadn't thought about the way my personal Church history affects the way I interact with my fellow interns here and the people that I meet that go to different Churches, or don't go to Church at all. Learning that I see them through a certain lens is helpful. It's also helpful to learn that they see me through their lens. That some things I may not have anything to do with and I may not even know about, but I am being perceived in relationship to certain events in history.

I apologize in advance for the long absence. I will not post anything until I return to work on Monday, May 4th.

Ecumenical Learning Session

Every Tuesday the interns gather for "Ecumenical Learning." It is an hour and a half where we share with each other or hear from an expert on a certain topic. Since I have been here we have talked about HIV/AIDS, different styles of worship, and, today, our own traditions. The session today was led by a fellow intern. She created a worksheet that asked basic information about your tradition - What is the role of the Eucharist? What is ministry? What is the role of the Bible? What is the Mission of the Church? How was the Church founded? . However, the twist was that once we wrote our own tradition on the top of the page we were asked to pass the page to the right. Then we had to fill in about someone else's tradition. It was fascinating. Emma passed me "The Uniting Church in Australia" Even though I have spent much time with Emma, I knew nothing about her Church. I had no idea what its services are like; I did not know what the ministry looked like; I did not know how it was founded. It was humbling for me to have to sit and not be able to write. I have always been the kind of person that knows things. Even if I am in a situation where I may not be an expert, I generally feel like I can contribute. I felt very foolish today. I like to think that I know a lot about Church - I have spent some time working within my Church and I talk about Church all the time. I live and breathe "Church" - but I couldn't answer a single question about her Church. I need to rethink what I know. It was also interesting to hear about my Church from a person outside of it. I am Episcopalian (although I am not confirmed - so I am not technically Episcopalian). The Episcopal Church is very well known and is part of the even larger Anglican Communion. It was humbling to be in a place where I could not answer the questions.

I also loved learning about my friends' traditions; we all have very different beliefs, but we are together in our Christianity. Everyone has different ideas about the Bible and the role of the Eucharist and what ministry looks like. Each Church has a hierachy, or lack thereof. Each Church has certain beliefs about who can take Communion. Some Churches give communion to all - some only to confessed believers in Christ - others only to confirmed members of their own tradition. Some believe it is simply a symbol of Christ's death and resurrection, others that the bread and wine literally become Christ's body and blood. Others see the Eucharistic Celebration as The Church. Yet, we all are together. We are the Body of Christ. What does this mean?

What does it mean for us to say we are "ecumenical"? What does it mean for us to say that we are all Christian? What is the Christian Faith in this setting? What is unity? I have much to think about tonight. What does it really mean for us to say we profess the same faith, when our traditions are so different? Today was truly and Ecumenical Learning session.