Last week I copied the new Pew Forum survey about religion and public life to this blog. (See below.) The ‘landmark’ survey catches a lot of attention because it confirms the ‘diversity’ and ‘fluidity’ of current religious affiliation in the U.S. The survey catches my attention because, I too am one of the ‘fluid’ ones. When the small fellowship that we had been a part of dissolved last year, it marked the last in a long line of church disassociations for us.
When I read the blogsphere, I am amazed how often writers will see this fluidity as a good thing. The argument seems plausible: If Christians are not having a fulfilling and meaningful church relationship, let them move on to some other Christian venue. The reasoning sounds a lot like that which a young married couple might use: “If we’re not happy, should we be forced to spend the rest of our lives together?” My own experience notwithstanding, this sort of argument, at the least, leaves me wondering.
The other thing that catches my attention is the word “community.” Maybe it is because I’m watching for it, but it seems to pop up at the drop of a catchphrase. I told Marlene the other day that “they had better not talk ‘community’ to me: After you have lived Old Order Amish you can definitely say ‘been there, done that.’”
I am not arguing for a return to my Amish roots but a little bit of community, a little bit of permanence, a little bit of home, would go a long way. Aren’t our associations with brothers and sisters in the faith, one of the things that God has ‘joined together,’ things that should not be severed? I am not arguing for a formal religion of works, ruled by demigods and hemmed in by fears, but couldn’t we somehow say ‘I do’ and mean it for the rest of our lives?
Will I go through the rest of my church experience having ‘no abiding’ place? It seems that with each successive church disassociation the wound gets deeper. Is this spiritual nomad lifestyle somehow in God’s intent? If I had my druthers, I sure would like to, for once-and-for-all, come home.
March 2, 2008 at 3:08 pm
I resonate with you friend, at least with your longings. I believe the permanence is there but we, in our temporary/temporal measurement of life, unable to contemplate eternity, fail to measure it that way. I’ve never had what you describe as a “HOME” but I have the longing for one. I guess I now believe that that longing is much the same as the longing I have to breathe air. Just because I breathed it once doesn’t mean that it just stops. As far as church, I’ve just decided to breath the air that God provides me with and see doing “church” much the same way. I do church with who I am with in the context that we find ourselves. I give to those in need as I am prompted and support ministries that I get a sense of the truth from. I know it lacks the church authority but I have close friends that I can tell anything that help me keep my rudder. Many blessings and hope to you friend.
March 4, 2008 at 10:46 am
Here’s the rub in America. We are a mobile culture. With the increases in technology we are able more and more to be less dedicated to the places we live in. Our jobs may call us elsewhere and we “have” to move. This is just the nature of living in such a highly mobile society.
Now, as for moving churches within the same city, I agree with you. If you read my posts on emerging churches, I feel that often they are breaking off and finding “new” ways of doing church at the cost of leaving the established churches that have been around for one hundred plus years. I have learned that sometimes such steps are necessary, but I feel that they have to be a last resort. It is interesting that you consider Church membership and marriage similar covenants. I had never thought of it like that before, but it is a really good analogy.