Avoiding for a moment the accuracy of the statement, I am filled with a deep feeling of nostalgia. It reminds me of a simpler time with simpler ideas, a time when the church played a central role in the life of every community – at least that’s the way I saw it.
Well, is that the way I really saw it, or is my nostalgia obscuring the finer details of my memory?
Honestly, attending church (yes, it was required) was a crashing bore. The people were nice enough, but most weeks I just couldn’t wait until it was over. I had no idea what the preacher was talking about. There was that vague, but perpetual, sense of unworthiness that I think every teenager felt. Perhaps you remember, “All that fun in the world of teenage exploration must be tainted in some way.”
I did learn the stories, and figured that this Jesus guy must be really important. I learned that generosity was important and that God really wanted people to be praying and doing good religious things. Selfishness was “out” and self-denial was “in”. The Bible was important, of course, but I came to the (liberal?) conclusion that “The Bible is not true simply because it is the
Bible. Rather, it’s the Bible because over centuries, people have discovered it to be true.” So, what if my insight was a bit superficial? At least I was thinking about these things.
My point here is that no matter how narrow and frankly boring my church experience was, it played a significant role in laying down the foundations for my growth into adult thinking. While I see its limitations only too clearly, I also see its value.
But in those days the church didn’t have to compete with the rest of the world for its central position in the community. Of course, religions competed with each other, but for the most part, there were plenty of people looking for some place to worship so every church had enough. The church was the center of the religious, social, and service life of every community. And churches all had governmental support, too, not monetarily, but through the “Blue Laws” that made most other possible Sunday morning activities illegal. Stores were not permitted to open, and it was unthinkable to organize a youth sports program that cut into the church’s time. (This was not a time of social justice for all religions, however. Jewish communities, for example, certainly didn’t enjoy a comparable level of legal and cultural support.)
Twenty-first century
So many social, athletic, and educational opportunities compete head-to-head with the church these days. Besides, with all adults in a family having to work to make it in our economic environment, Sunday has become valuable time for shopping and family. The church is no longer the only game in town. It is my belief that if we try to compete for the attention of today’s consumers, we will lose. In fact, we are already losing badly.
There are some churches, however, that seem to be holding their own pretty well in the marketplace. I see three factors that affect their growing numbers. First of all, many churches have put massive resources into the level and quality of the entertainment they offer. Bands playing “modern” music, powerful sound systems, and multi-media presentations grasp the worshipper’s attention with the effectiveness of a hyperactive television screen. Secondly, they are not ashamed to give clear and unequivocal answers to life’s thorniest questions. And finally, the theology of such churches always includes at least one of two themes. God is fundamentally dangerous and will “get you” if you don’t have the grace of Christ to protect you, and/or if you get it right and stay connected to this particular religious approach, God will reward you handsomely – and then you can be rich without guilt!
I admit to overstating the issue a bit, but I believe that it is essentially accurate.
So, here is my dilemma when I think about the place of the church today. I can’t bring myself to lead a church into behavior or beliefs like those “more successful” churches. Entertainment is enjoyable, but my soul requires more substantial food to satisfy it. Simplistic answers to life’s complex questions just don’t help me. In fact, I am attracted to the wondrous complexity of creation and of reality itself. The complexity of life simply means that there is always more to learn. And if God is just a bigger and stronger version of a pathologically jealous and destructive adolescent, what’s the point.
I’m left with these questions, though. If not in the church, where can people find encouragement to transform humanity along the lines of Jesus’ vision of the Realm of God?
What will stimulate people to think more deeply about essential matters of faith, life, and relationship, and where will they get the courage, to say nothing of the encouragement or necessary perspectives, to challenge the quasi-religious beliefs that continue to support systemic injustice in our world?
And finally, how will the church discover its true identity apart from our culture’s consumerist pressures?
If we are to be people of faith who gather together for our mutual support and health, then we will need to move away from our nostalgic views of what the church once was. Its identity will have to be born anew.
"No matter who you are, or where you are in life's journey, you're welcome here."
The United Church_____of Christ
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