During much of my sabbatical I have been thinking about the church – Bracebridge United Church in particular. I have had many conversations with people – both those who attend regularly and those who used to come but don’t anymore. I also had a few converstions with some folks who grew up in the United Church but for whom church has never played a part in their adult life. It has been very interesting to hear what people have to say. I have been curious to hear why they come, why they don’t and if they did what made them stop.
I have also been doing some reading around this topic. One of the best books I have read is Diana Butler Bass’s book called “Christianity After Religion. It is both a comprehensive look at the past and what was formative for the Christian Protestant church that we have known and experienced for the past half-century and she pushes her readers to think about what the church will look like in future decades. She writes in particular about folks who describe themselves as “spiritual but not religious”. This has become a descriptor for many people over the last number of years as people grow more and more disenchanted with organized religion but continue to yearn for a connection with God and the mystery and awe of spirituality.
As religion gives way to spirituality Butler Bass’s research leads her to conclude that “Christianity is moving from being a religion about God to being an experience of God… but most religious institutions act as if the gap does not exist and the questions have not substantially changed in recent decades.” This is certainly reflected in what I have been hearing from the folks I have talked to.
It is hard for those of us who love the church and are pretty comfortable with the way things are but there are others of us who long for change and a different expression. As we look forward to the future the one thing I know for sure is that God is doing something amazing and interesting and it promises to be an interesting ride over the next number of years!
