Over on Carol Howard Merritt's Blog there is an interesting discussion of the place of education in the spiritual formation of pastors that demonstrates something that Michael Kruse is talking about from another angle. We are rapidly degenerating into separate cultures in this country that do not talk to or understand one another.
The Big Sort that is characterizing this era in our history is a continuation of the conflict set in motion by the upheavals of the 1960's, which shook us loose from almost every steadying anchor in every part of our communal life: Christendom, Victorian morality, Post-War Bipartisanship, rigid family life and sex roles.... One part of America shook loose, and another part of America hung on for dear life to each anchor; other parts did a little of both. Now these fragmented Americas are struggling to find a way to live in the same country together. The preference at the moment seems to be another form of "separate but equal," where we have places that one part of America can live, but other parts are not welcome. My favorite picture from Bill Bishop's work on The Big Sort is a picture of a woman in full angry protest mode holding a sign that says, "I moved here to get away from people like you!"
And we, mainliners but especially we Presbyterians, are caught in the middle. We are being torn by each side. I have a response to Carol and to the not-so-civil discussion in the comment thread: it is our negative responses (fight or flight) to this conflict that have killed mainline churches all these years. Congregations ebb and flow, yes-- but 50 years of ebbing is more than a natural life cycle. We have not come up with a creative response to the conflict that is more and more rapidly balkanizing us into self-affirming echo chambers of cultural, educational, and socio-economic homogeneity.
This is the time to think and act anew. Not everyone will understand or appreciate it, but it is time for the Church to do what Christ did-- not to run! Not to fight! Stand, love, and take the punishment-- open our hearts and hands, and let them be scratched, bitten, nailed, broken. We must speak and live out love into the face of the whirlwind. We must hang on to each other-- whether we think the other lacks passion or that they lack intellect; whether we think that progress is on our side, or that time will prove us right.
What a witness a church that stayed whole while its native culture divided would be!
I'm not sure I have much to add at the moment, but I'll repeat what I said over at Carol's blog: this is a discussion worth having.
ReplyDeleteI am just an "old" lady who is not educated in theology, but I thought Christians were supposed to be brothers and sisters who love each other even if they do not always agree. All that the world seems to be hearing from us is which side is right and which side is wrong! If we really believe that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Saviour, THERE ARE NO SIDES! He is the ONE who is always right and we are to be obedient to Him! I wonder if I will ever live long enough to see a world - or even this country - who truly lives as He told us " to love one another as He loved us"
ReplyDeleteIn Christ's Love!
Thanks, Clay. It's a beautiful post. As I said, I am just pleased when people find a spiritual home. That home is not going to look the same for everyone.
ReplyDeleteAbout the life-cycle thing... I have served a church that was in decline, and probably dying. It grew while I was there, but I don't think they sustained the growth when I left. They were a beautiful congregation, full of people who cared for each other. But they were old. Their big day was 50 years ago.
Did I think that they were godless or that the Holy Spirit had left them? No. Of course not. They had some wonderful years, a proud history. They were just old.
You know, we let individuals die in dignity. I don't know why we have to shame churches when they get old, and they don't quite know how to relate to another generation. Closing a church is very painful, I guess my way of framing it in terms of life-cycles is to give them a bit dignity for their decades of ministry.
I didn't understand your meaning as individual congregations as much as the larger currents that they are part of; but I hear you now.
ReplyDeleteI think that the place I would disagree is that death cannot be the end; a congregation near us "died," but there is a thriving hispanic Presbyterian congregation using what they built. I wish I saw more of that kind of dying going on.
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ReplyDeleteYes! Absolutely. Another reason why cycle is good to me, then we can think about death leading to new life.
ReplyDeleteLook at the PCUSA stats: http://tinyurl.com/by7tt7. There are 554 pastors who want to start a new church, and 8 positions available.
Clay,
ReplyDeletethanks for your great blog. I appreciate your comments to act anew. For so many years the PCUSA, has been fighting and people are drawing lines in the sand.....but where is the body of Christ in that? It is hard to attract people to follow Christ when they see that we are fighting and slinging mud rather than loving one another. Thanks for the image to do what Christ did, especially as we reflect on the Easter story.
This last comment makes me think of two siblings fighting (which is probably a fair analogy, anyway). Most parents in such situations don't ask "who started it?", but rather tell both kids to stop fighting.
ReplyDeleteWhile assigning blame to one side or another is definitely not helpful here, I think the analogy also works to the degree that the two sides/kids aren't going to just stop fighting on their own. Someone/something is going to have to make them stop. Because even if blaming isn't helpful, you know the "kids" are going to try. They always do in these cases.
I'm not sure there's any appropriate "parent" to be found, though, so I really don't see how the fighting will be made to stop, unfortunately.
B-W;
ReplyDeleteWhy can't WE be the grown-ups? Kids who are 18 don't do this; they learn to talk to each other, even when they can't agree. I can't accept that we are permanently stuck in two-year-old games.
I have been through too much and seen too much to play anymore. And I know that I am not alone.
BW
ReplyDeleteAs adults we are often told (at least at OCPC we are) that children look to us as models of behaviour. If they are to learn how to love by watching us, the fighting MUST stop. That certainly is what God wants us to do. From what I can see nothing has been accomplished by the fighting so why not try LOVING as Jesus told us to do. There is nothing to lose and so much to gain. Most parents would not accept constant fighting and would tell their children that there would be consequences for their behaviour. What do you suppose your heavenly Abba is thinking right now?
In Christ's Love!
The point I'm trying to make is, people can say "we need to be better" all we want. It's not going to change the reality. Something is going to have to happen to change our behavior. It's not just going to change on its own.
ReplyDeleteMy apologies if this is (more or less) a repost. I had some browser trouble...
ReplyDeleteIt's all well and good to say that we need to improve. Each and every one of us that is fighting in the way we're describing should. However, we all know that things don't work that way, especially when we're talking about passionate disagreements held by large groups of people. The fighting simply won't stop unless something happens to make stop. I'm simply trying to give voice to that fact.
Perhaps the "something" to make it stop would be just two people agreeing to disagree and still love as brother and sister. It has to start with someone. The fighting CAN stop if people want it to and are willing to stop thinking about who is right and who is wrong.
ReplyDelete"Everything is possible for him who believes" Mark 9:23
Is anyone out there willing to try?
In Christ's Love!
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ReplyDeleteIf two would stop, the two could become four, and the four could become eight and so on. It has to start somewhere and I believe that it CAN happen and like yeast makes bread grow, LOVE can grow and spread around the world. I guess I see life as a half full glass rather than half empty;-) In all things there is always hope. That is living by faith!
ReplyDeleteIn Christ's Love!