Consider les Future
Are we willing to consider the idea that our Sunday morning buffets of spirituality (see Sunday mass, Sunday gathering, Sunday worship etc.) are over? That for the most part they have lost their intrinsic spiritual prowess or perhaps more truthful that they never had a one-up on any other day of the week in the first place… and all the people under 35 said “let alone before noon…”
Is it possible that globally the absence of humanity from what we call God’s house on Sunday mornings has more to it than people are simply resisting, rebelling, ignoring God? Is it evidence that 1700 years of doing the business of God for Him on one special day of the week has benefited the few that Jesus didn’t seem to spend time with? I do not have a grudge out for our weekly special on Sundays but I feel as if I have matured (clarification needed – matured to place on my own journey) into the realm of possibility wherein I am in fact open to, well, simply, other possibilities… that we as humans are pregnant with the possibilities of journeying to God and with Him… and the fragrance of that type of exploration is more intoxicating than ever. The not knowing, the figuring out-ness, the waking up to that kind of pregnancy, that kind of change, that kind of newness and smelling again a reason to wake up, to stay up late, to be around people despite our folly, is a much more rich fully life changing faith. More life altering, challenging and painful – but damn well worth it – than anything I’ve experienced in the last decade trying to figure out why I was sitting in that pew again Sunday after Sunday.
I guess this makes me one of them then eh?
God help me I’m a heathen… and for the first time in my life I have really really embraced that, again I repeat God help me.
All too many tears,
DSW
Is it possible that globally the absence of humanity from what we call God’s house on Sunday mornings has more to it than people are simply resisting, rebelling, ignoring God? Is it evidence that 1700 years of doing the business of God for Him on one special day of the week has benefited the few that Jesus didn’t seem to spend time with? I do not have a grudge out for our weekly special on Sundays but I feel as if I have matured (clarification needed – matured to place on my own journey) into the realm of possibility wherein I am in fact open to, well, simply, other possibilities… that we as humans are pregnant with the possibilities of journeying to God and with Him… and the fragrance of that type of exploration is more intoxicating than ever. The not knowing, the figuring out-ness, the waking up to that kind of pregnancy, that kind of change, that kind of newness and smelling again a reason to wake up, to stay up late, to be around people despite our folly, is a much more rich fully life changing faith. More life altering, challenging and painful – but damn well worth it – than anything I’ve experienced in the last decade trying to figure out why I was sitting in that pew again Sunday after Sunday.
I guess this makes me one of them then eh?
God help me I’m a heathen… and for the first time in my life I have really really embraced that, again I repeat God help me.
All too many tears,
DSW
posted by DSW at
4:05 AM
10 Comments:
It's a scary place to reach that position isn't it? Because it can get so comfortable to attend your clique each week. Place that beside the question, "who am I becoming?"... and you have a recipe for terror/excitement, because youre often unsure just which one you're feeling when you choose to take another path based upon the tiny spark inside you that urges you to believe "it can be better than this!"
I like the idea of being heathens, because we state it in a context where we understand eachother... turning what many people view as authentic Christianity today and saying, "balls to that", I want out!
Let's be people who live lives together that intentionally seek an alternative path, become people who we would never have imagined, and then laugh about it all and thank God for his grace and mercy when we're 70 up at my cottage fishing (and catching nothing).
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Anonymous, at 7:26 AM
Ok, so what are some of the other possibilities you see?
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Anonymous, at 2:06 PM
That's the terrifying part of the equation. I don't think that the possibilities are understood yet as if they are known paths, methods, or possibilities. For the most part, as we live, we're going to find the possibilities.
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Anonymous, at 4:58 PM
I agree with Dave in that christianity can't be (or atleast has to be more) than a sunday morning pep rally.
The only thing that is damaging is when we are not in some way living out our faith to the standard we know (which sadly for some people is attending a sunday morning service - period) and actually DOING SOMETHING, then we become nothing more than empty talkers or philosopher. Chrisitanity is not a relationship that involves talking about or reasoning about God or Church - but actually taking the step of faith to obey the God who gave us life. It's less about wondering what will happen if we take "Such and such actions" but actually taking them.
So in not so many words - If we are not attending sunday church, and we have not found another possbility (which refering to 'one heathen' these other possiblities cannot yet be understood, or are still in the process of being found) what are we doing RIGHT NOW to live out our relationship with the One Truth, the One Way and the One Life?
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Anonymous, at 11:42 AM
In response to:
"Chrisitanity is not a relationship that involves talking about or reasoning about God or Church - but actually taking the step of faith to obey the God who gave us life. It's less about wondering what will happen if we take "Such and such actions" but actually taking them."
In Mark 12:30 Jesus does something ridiculous... he says to love God with your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
What's so amazing? Read Deut6:5. See anything about loving God with your 'mind' there? Nada.
Apparently Jesus has commanded people to have faith, yet to exercise that in ways that aren't blind; meaning to use our minds and reason, is actually to obey God, not contradict him.
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Anonymous, at 11:39 AM
I think there is much to reason and talk about in terms of the kingdom of God and Christianity. Simply taking a step of faith for the sake of a step of faith could be something similar to testing God... or it could also look dangerously close to going to sunday worship simply for the sake of going... or it could simply be taking God for granted sunday after sunday and wont that be like the parable Jesus gives about the people who did things in His Name but still never knew him?
If sunday morning is the only action for some Christians I'd speculate and only speculate that its probably not even close to real anyway. I would prefer to be the individual who grapples with God, failure, disconnect etc during the week because then at least I tried.
It is important to remember that we cannot accurately nor should we judge non-action. The person who doesnt attend on sunday and/or doesnt seem to be very Christian (whatever a definition could be...) could be seriously grappling with God on their own.
And lets be very honest... life doesnt stop. Action is always happening... by not attending a sunday morning place of worship someone is either saying God is dead/not real/not for me because Church Organizationally has given only those choices to churched people... but he/she could honestly be trying to see if God is ACTUALLY found elsewhere. Therefore I think its not so far fetched to see not knowing the other possibilities for Sunday morning worship as non-action but rather one ginormous (actually a word) step of faith - away from God or too Him.
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DSW, at 11:08 PM
Ok, before on go on to respond to either of your blogs, I justed wanted to thank you for responding to me. It is good to see two leaders that aren't robots, but are after what God really desires even if it isn't popular.
Ok 'one heathen' I absolutely agree with you as to using your mind to be reasonable etc. I didn't make that clear earlier. think there is a need for honest speculation and reasoning about God and his kingdom. Reasoning is the best way to obtain knowledge.
It's my opinion that the Christian world view and lifestyle is the most reasonable and intellectually sound.
However - what I did want to make clear and maybe over emphasized, was that when God gives us a direct command we need to obey him instantly. For example when Jesus tells us to love our neighbor as ourselves we cannot sit back and speculate as to whether that commandment is legitimate or good. We can and should do our best to love the people around us and reason about how to do that.
What I really want to say is that I've met many people (espeacially professing christians) that ask the question of "What if?" "What if I hadn't just thought about what it might be like to preach the gospel but actually did?" or "What if I actually reached out in friendship to that person?"
I'm not talking about be reckless and just doing things for the sake of doing things. I'm talking about taking the chance to make friends with a person and risking rejection. It's much easier to just think about what it would be like to have a relationship with someone as opposed to having the real thing.
Anyway - I know I'm not a great writer and I'm trying to be coherent. Reasoning is good - but everyone comes to a point where they have reasoned enough and are faced with the choice of whether or not they are going to take action or not.
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Anonymous, at 4:42 PM
Dave... Im not even gonna lie; I wanna be on you.... I wanna be on you.
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Anonymous, at 9:56 AM
Cole,
Great post. I specifically liked, "It's my opinion that the Christian world view and lifestyle is the most reasonable and intellectually sound. "
This is something that I discovered and what led me to the practice of Christianity and faith in Jesus.
I also enjoyed how you finished your post. I think the most powerful words Jesus ever said, and continues to say, is "decide". I think that the how and where that 'deciding' takes place has dramatically shifted in a post-christian society... even for christians.
Let's remember that when Jesus confronted the rich young ruler to decide, it wasn't while they were in the synagogue.
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Anonymous, at 10:08 AM
This blogger has died once again.
R.I.P. David.
By
Anonymous, at 11:36 PM
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