Two weeks ago I was asked by a former student, If you were not a clergy person and you had the opportunity to attend a church of your choice, how would you make that decision? To be honest I was very unsatisfied with my answer. I told the former student that I would make the decision based upon three simple observations. 1) Location in relation to access related to my ability to be involved 2) Hopefulness of the congregation in relationship to her self vision 3) Size of congregation. Small enough that I would be seen and missed but not so small that being seen and missed reflected on the potential survival of the congregation. While all three of these observations were truthful they do not honestly reflect how it is that I would and will someday make decisions about church attendance. Let me explain! I am a United Methodist Clergy person by choice. I was not raised in the United Methodist Church. I do not have a naive belief that the United Methodist Church has the corner on gospel truthfulness. I am United Methodist because I made a decision to be United Methodist based on the theological and historical vision of Wesleyan Theology. As a minister these past 27 years I have always held before myself the core theological tenants of United Methodist philosophy of ministry. We are neither Protestant nor Catholic but a middle way. As a middle way our theological praxis gives credence to Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox theology with an understanding that we are not attempting to construct a universal Orthodoxy but an ortho-praxy We are attempt to look at Church not through the lens of churchy-ness but through the lens of the practices that constitute a Christian body. Therefore, what followers is my expanded reflection on this quesiton-- The first hint as to how I would choose a church. A church I attend must have a radical preoccupation for the worship of Christ and the service of the gospel. Worship must not be reduced to a once a week gathering wherein we have the trappings of religion without the basic spirit of service. Any church I would attend would have to have a theological commitment to these two areas first and foremost. These are per-operative realities prior to ever looking at a church. I have encountered far too many churches that are not preoccupied with worship and service but with administration and size. As for me, I will not be involved with Churches who have a preoccupation outside of Christ. Second clue to what I will look for when I someday get to choose a church to attend. I will look for a church that is interested in the practices that constitute a radical Christian body. A body that understands that its members are bound together and not just mere attendees to a given space at a given time. Practices that begin with being known within that body. To be known is to be named by the body as a participant with unique gifts and grace to fulfill a God given task. To say that we believe that all believers are called through baptism is to say that all believers have to be known not just by name but by gift and grace. Practices that begin with being allowed into the lives of others in such a way as to know them. For me to be known requires the risk of the other to allow themselves to be known. Robin Dunbar, the evolutionary psychologist I believe is correct that this sort of knowing is at the root of forming authentic leadership and authentic relationship. This sort of knowing does not happen without being known and without knowing. The third clue as to how I would or will choose a church is rooted in a philosophy of multi-culturalism. Hegemonic communities of faith are not a particular interest to me. While I like white people, white people alone do not have enough pigment. While I like middle class people, middle class people alone do not have enough want or wealth to make life interesting. While I like Van Gogh if all I ever saw was Van Gogh I would never have an appreciation of Jean-Michel Basquiat or Taki 183. A forth clue as to how I would or will choose a church is rooted in a political philosophy of society. A church that is myopically focused on the gospel begins with the lives of people. Lives are messy. Lives are broken. I am not interested in a holy club. I am not interested in a church of the healed. Church for me is made up of people struggling and fighting to make sense out of life. I do not mind disagreement but leadership that demand agreement will chase me away immediately. A fifth and final clue as to how I will or would choose a church is rooted in a theology of space. Space for me is sacred. The earth breaths Gods beautiful creation. I am not interested in cute play to make space sentimental or meaningful. Goyas Asylum of the Insane is as significant as Michelangelos Creation of Man. Sanctuary decoration will never impress me and cluttering up the eucharistic altar will never make me feel anything. I will look for a theology of space that radically understands what happens in creation and encourage that creativeness in forgiveness, art, dance, laughter and mourning. I will look for truthful engagements with space that transcend decoration.
Posted on: Tue, 13 May 2014 05:55:18 +0000
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