|
|
|
So, who needs a church anyway? A recent survey of U.S. Christians 18 years of age and older, undertaken by Christianity Today International in partnership with Zondervan Publishers, found that those who identify themselves as Christians fell into five distinctly different sub-groups, each roughly equal in number. Only two sub-groups, those labeled “active” and “liturgical,” attended worship regularly and participated in church activities beyond worship. One of the critical issues which emerged from this study was “The local church is no longer considered the only outlet for spiritual growth.” This is hardly news to any of us. Bryon Wilkerson, senior pastor of Grace Chapel in Lexington, Massachusetts, responding to the survey results, observed “Faith is relevant for many people, but church is not. People want to attend to the spiritual side of their lives, they are interested in God, but their experience of church has not been relevant.” We’ve heard that too before—sometimes painfully. Wilkerson continues, “These days, people can get good teaching, wonderful music, and excellent writing, whether through iPods, TV, or online. They learn to shop around and pick and choose. Then they expect the same high quality in their local church. A generation ago, the average person learned to accept his home pastor and was faithful to his local church. But now, people’s appetites for excellence have been heightened.” And so congregations everywhere embark on strategies targeting specific population groups—music with a contemporary flavor, activities that gather young adults, Bible studies for men, support groups for recently divorced. Larger congregations of course can of course do this best, though I’ve noticed nearly all congregations today provide considerably more options than used to be the case. Those with specialized staffs and roomy facilities are able to provide a virtual smorgasbord of worship services and programs, each targeted at a specific age group or demographic. In general, they have done this well and typically grow larger as a result. But as potential church-goers become ever more choosey, at what point does one reach the conclusion “Who needs a church anyway?”
So who needs church? Sometimes even pastors wonder. Barbara Brown Taylor, who to all appearances carried out a successful pastorate in a congregation in Georgia, eventually reached the conclusion that what she was providing for others she didn’t really need herself, as she details in her book Leaving Church. It would seem that one of the most important benefits congregations can offer is the opportunity to provide community. Those that remain in churches usually have found that. Those who have left usually have not. Which leads one to wonder, exactly what kind of community should congregations provide, one where everyone who thinks, acts, and believes alike feel at home, or one where everyone present feels a bit mystified that they are even in the same room together? Belonging to a congregation where most people share the same cultural values is a comfortable way to satisfy the need for community. One doesn’t have to worry about how to act or behave. It is not difficult to make friends. Having one’s opinions and beliefs shared and affirmed is gratifying. It meets many social needs. It is, however, a kind of community with subtle pressures. Since it is built on joining together individuals with similarities, revealing differences could be risky for being different immediately shifts one from the category of belonger to outsider. Congregations that build community on shared interests must either be very selective about admission or very devoted to maintaining superficiality. I once heard M. Scott Peck observe, “There are really only two reasons to marry. One is to raise children. The other is for the arguments.” It may be not too great a stretch likewise to say that one of the main benefits to be enjoyed by belonging to a congregation are the arguments. Christian community, it seems to me, is not founded so much on similarities but on differences, differences that are not merely tolerated, but are amazingly bridged under the shadow of the cross. To be sure, many of the arguments one frequently encounters in congregations are petty, uncivil, and occasionally downright vicious. There is little beneficial in such interchanges. But I can’t imagine being able to break down the walls that divide us from one another without arguments, with a degree of discomfort, the ability to be honest, the courage to risk, and a willingness to give and receive forgiveness. Large congregations have sometimes taken on the look of diversity. I long to belong to a congregation where not only do the people present dress differently, listen to different music, talk differently, go to different parties, and vote differently, but also a congregation where some of the members have viewed pornography, some are struggling with an addiction, some are disturbed by violent nightmares, some have had an abortion, some have difficulty forgiving, some are living with someone, some have overwhelming financial debts, and some have spent time in prison. I suspect I already do. We just don’t talk about it. Thus, we haven’t yet been able to experience community, the grace-filled community where “tax collectors and sinners” are welcome. Five Types of Christians The five types of Christians identified by the survey were: Active Christian (19%): Committed churchgoers who accept leadership positions and feel obligated to share their faith. Professing Christians (20%): Similar beliefs as Active Christians, but less involved in church and less committed to Bible reading and sharing their faith. Liturgical Christians (16%): High level of spiritual activity mostly expressed by serving in the church (These were identified as “predominantly Catholic and Lutheran”). Private Christians (24%): Have a spiritual interest but seldom attend church or read their Bibles. Cultural Christians (21%): Affirm that there are many ways to God and demonstrate few religious behaviors or attitudes. In Jars of Clay Consisting primarily of articles I have written for Fireflies, a book In Jars of Clay will be published soon. Watch for further details.
In Christ's Service, Roger Kruger This e-mail newsletter is an endeavor of Partners in Caring, Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska, Inc. I envision it as a way to share ideas, resources, and conversation about the joys and struggles of ministry. I welcome your input. Feel free to pass it on to friends.
|
A Church of One
I can probably find and play music in my CD collection that will be more inspiring to me than any I will listen to in church. I most likely can discover a book in a bookstore on a religious topic that will be of more interest to me than any sermon I am likely to hear. I can easily go on-line and correspond and discuss issues with individuals who share my theological perspectives. Presumably religious education for children is something important to parents, but in reality maybe parents rather than religious professionals should be doing that anyway. It is nice to have a special place to go for weddings and funerals, but there are a lot of other options these days. Christmas? Easter? There are meaningful ceremonies and traditions one can carry on at home, either alone or with family.
On the surface they appear a little more like what I suspect heaven will look like. Unfortunately, it is often only a superficial diversity, based more on tolerance than forgiveness. Thus, people are able to participate in diversity without having to negotiate it. The focus still usually remains on grouping participants into smaller groups based on likenesses, not differences. 