Hope : Duane W.H. Arnold, PhD
I think we have faith, although diverse and divided in its expression. Love, that is Christian self-giving love is evident, but most of us seem to love our own and not necessarily “the other”. Hope, in terms of the future of the life of the Church, seems to be limited and in short supply. Yes, we have the hope of heaven and the consummation of all things; a hope for that time and place that is beyond time and place, in which “we shall rest and we shall see, we shall see and we shall love, we shall love and we shall praise, in the end which is no end”. It is the future “in time” that seems to fly in the face of hope.
Returning from Europe, I had a long plane flight in which to reflect. Apart from some isolated pockets, Western Europe is, by and large, post-Christian in terms of societal norms. In the United Kingdom, there is evidence of evangelical, “Hillsong” inspired mega-churches on the rise, but they have a tenuous relationship with the established Church of England. The divisions in the Church of England itself, are evident as Anglo-Catholics and Evangelicals are increasingly divided over societal identification as much as doctrine or styles of worship. Understand, there are good men and women doing good work, but they increasingly marginalized by the population at large. While supposedly LGBTQ and gender issues have been “addressed” in church legislation, rifts remain and the church is shrinking in numbers and relevance.
In the remainder of Western Europe, the secularization of society has for some years been the rule rather than the exception. While this secularization has extended over the course of the last century, in most Western European countries you now have two to three generations for whom this is the norm. The churches stand as monuments and venues for concerts, but little else apart from, of course, exciting the admiration of tourists who come to see what once was, but is no more. In my own experience over the last forty years, I have watched the process accelerate and, at least in my opinion (barring a miracle) become irreversible. While in the United States the reaction to the abuse scandals has been anger and outrage, in Western Europe Roman Catholics have simply “voted with their feet” and view the scandal as an affirmation of what was already suspected. Even the remnants of a “cultural Christianity” have become increasingly scarce.
In the United States, it seems to me that the situation is slightly different and, perhaps, more complex. I think basically we have been a “religious” nation. Note, I have written “religious”, not “Christian”. It has been a cultural distinction rather than a spiritual description. We have used religious vocabulary on every side of whatever political or societal issue that has confronted us as a people and a nation. In the American Revolution, religious precepts were put forward by both loyalists and revolutionaries. The same was done in our treatment of Native Americans and, indeed, in the debates over slavery, reconstruction and women’s suffrage. Religious overtones were extended to our wars as well, even those of colonial expansion. We are used to the employment of religious language, even when we are distant from Christian values. Many White Nationalists quote Scripture, while many of their opponents do the same. Politicians of the left and the right lay claim to “Christian values”, but for many, if not most, the words are mere window dressing and are being used in the pursuit of political power.
Now, while those of us who are older argue about “culture wars”, making use of religious language, a large percentage of those in the two generations below us have checked out of the discussion altogether. Many of the contentious issues which have shaped our lives, from Vietnam, to gender equality, to LGBTQ issues, are not issues to them. I’m not saying that these issues are not important. They are… to us, but not to them. Yet we continue to fight the battles, employing the time honored final card in all such debates that “God is on our side”.
I’m convinced that for the most part, the culture wars are over… and no one has really won. Indeed, all of us have probably lost. Reducing our faith to serve the issues of the moment (whether liberal or conservative) has resulted in a post-Christian, post-Faith society that both sides claimed they were fighting to avoid. It has resulted in the use of religious language that, for many, had become void of meaning or of content.
Sadly, such language has often been devalued by those who, although they can still “talk the talk”, no longer “walk the walk”.
In article after article, post after post, forum after forum, I read the comments of those who name the name of Christ, yet have abandoned any physical community of faith. I find those who are willing to argue the doctrine of inerrancy ad infinitum, yet cannot be a part of a Bible study with other believers. I see arguments about the nature of baptism and the Eucharist from those who barely frequent a communion rail or bread broken with others. We excoriate contemporary praise songs, while we seldom lift our voices in worship with other believers. We decry pastoral failings, all the while lacking a pastor ourselves or, perhaps even worse, being prepared to go somewhere else the moment a pastor challenges our own certainties. Then, of course, there are those who, abandoning any hint of Christian charity, simply love to fight, whether in church or online.
In all too many cases, we have forgotten how to be the Church and yet we rail and scream at the nature of our post-Christian society. Meanwhile, we wonder at the rising generations who have abandoned the Church and wring our hands saying that we just don’t understand what has happened.
It’s Lent, a time for reflection and repentance. Individually, perhaps we cannot change the course of the Church, but we can change our own course. Individually, perhaps we cannot make any difference in the state of the Church, but we might make a difference in some small struggling congregation. Individually, perhaps we cannot influence the rising generation, but we might make a difference by mentoring, helping and praying for one young man or young woman that we know.
It’s time to remember how to be the Church. It may be our only hope, not in eternity, but in time… now.
Duane – “I read the comments of those who name the name of Christ, yet have abandoned any physical community of faith.”
I agree and I would call on all professing Christians who have stopped going to church for whatever reason to give up their animosity towards “the local church” for Lent. Six weeks, go back to and participate with a local body – put God to the test to make that union whole.
MLD
Nice to agree on something for a change…
I have to agree with your proposal Duane. Well done.
The preacher somewhere says, “Today, if you hear his voice…” and again “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace….” It’s individual but also communal. It’s anywhere but its in the worship service.
Jean
Many thanks. For the first time in many years, what I saw in Europe frightened me.
Duane,
Here in the Midwest, there are a lot of frightened seniors in our churches who have lived through the decline and see their own family churches on the precipice of closing permanently. It’s a very hard thing to witness. And the current situation, which took decades to get to where things are, can’t be undone or reversed in the short term by making a few executive decisions, even if one had the right decisions. The miracle is that faith still exists in many places. It remains to be seen in any given place whether repentance and faith will again take root and grow.
The last paragraph says it all…I have to take personal responsibility to represent what I believe the church to be…
Jean
I sent the article to a friend who serves as the rector of a small church. They replied that the article represented their day to day reality.
I’m currently attending a church that is not my style of worship; not my style of music and in which I’m the oldest. I’m attending in order to help mentor the pastor who has asked for my help. The priority must be, in my opinion, to “strengthen that which remains”…
Michael,
We ALL need to take personal responsibility…
Duane,
Absolutely…I’m just overly skilled at telling others what to do… 🙂
“I agree and I would call on all professing Christians who have stopped going to church for whatever reason to give up their animosity towards “the local church” for Lent. Six weeks, go back to and participate with a local body – put God to the test to make that union whole.”
By doing so you are encouraging those who disagree with this tradition and its being inspiration, to essential capitulate to you. While many agree with Jesus is Lord, many also don’t not hold the traditions of Lent as being one they should observe.
And there lays the conundrum with your statement.
A writer who supports Lent states this about the rest of us:
“Protestants are no strangers to the disciplines taken up in Lent: mourning over sin, giving alms, loving neighbors, extending forgiveness, putting aside favorite amusements in order to focus mind and heart on God. Protestants do these things anyway. But for some, making rules about it seems worrisome. After all, rejection of Lent figured importantly in the kick-off of the Reformation in Switzerland. In 1522, Ulrich Zwingli defended a Zurich printer and his staff for conspicuously eating sausages during Lent. Zwingli’s central arguments still have deep Protestant resonance: Lent does not appear in Scripture, so Christians should not be bound to observe it. If Christians want to fast, fine, but only if they choose to.”
https://aleteia.org/2016/02/09/at-lent-a-protestant-looks-to-the-first-christians/
In the ideal to build ecumenical community why must one conform with those in whom they disagree?
Sorry to post a rebuttal, but thank you for patience.
BTW Duane thank you for the article.
Duane you wrote:
“Meanwhile, we wonder at the rising generations who have abandoned the Church and wring our hands saying that we just don’t understand what has happened. ”
I don’t think there’s any mystery as to why the Church, or one of its many sects, is being abandoned. In the final accounting it simply comes down to value. We can say all we want about grace, free gift, spirituality or some other enigmatic ideal, but if there is no value to the observer it will be left along side the road.
Faith in general has to have value to the one who has it.
Mud Man – you miss the point. Lent is not the object of my statement – it is the background for the timing. The point is ‘go back to church’ – and not just go back, but go back with the intent to reconcile – put trust in God. The Lent part right now gives a 6 week window to try.
btw, if we can only make statements where everyone must agree with all elements of each sentence, well this would be a silent world. Lent is observed by the vast majority of Christian bodies worldwide – so I guess in the end I would encourage the strays to jump on board. 🙂 PS, I observe lent but I don’t fast.
one other thing about the next generation abandoning the church – didn’t our generation (the early boomers) do the same? Was that not the reason the Jesus Movement was invented – kind of like a new church marketing scheme?
MLD
I got what you wrote and the second form, “The Lent part right now gives a 6 week window to try” is very similar to the first. Acknowledging Lent in any form of practice is to many an acceptance of the tradition.
I’m in my sixties and came from the reverse, I discovered the Church in my late teens because a man of deep faith spent the time to personally tell me about Godl. While I wasn’t raised in a traditional Christian home I never felt the traditional churches were the center of God’s purposes in Jesus. Just didn’t reject something I never was a part of.
I might add I have no problem with a discussion about traditions and their validity to the individual or corporate church. I simply point out the statement to observe Lent in any way could be seen as a back door to acceptance by those who don’t. In this I do not wish to upset those who have value in the tradition.
MLD
Can I point out one flaw in your discussion? Ok I will anyway.
You wrote:
“Lent is observed by the vast majority of Christian bodies worldwide”
Ignoring the subject of Lent, using the argument of the majority as a point of validation is not a good one. In the end all it means is the majority embrace some subject, whether it be good or bad, valid or invalid.
So maybe we should focus on the areas we agree across church boundaries:
“mourning over sin, giving alms, loving neighbors, extending forgiveness, putting aside favorite amusements in order to focus mind and heart on God.”
Will this focus bring people back to the corporate church structure? Probably not.
I will amend my suggestion to erase any reference to Lent.
“Take the time between March 6th and April 20th to give up your animosity towards the local church and return to regular church services – putting God to the test to show that reconciliation is real.”
Mud Man – if you leave out the Holy Spirit I can guaranty it will not move the needle one bit.
This is why I say put God to the test. Make him keep his promise to make us one.
MLD
Much better!
BTW who says the Holy Spirit has validated the traditions of one tradition over the other? Normally it’s those who developed the tradition. Kind of like history is written by the victorious.
Yes I’m poking at you now, sorry. Keep up the Faith.
Mud Man
Many thanks for your observations. I just want believers to understand that we can’t do this all on our own. Christ established the reality of the Church as a place of mutual care and concern. I don’t know about you, but I need it… in my heart and in my soul…
Mud Man, you are focused on Lent. Mine, is about the importance and edification of people returning to Church. My statement was about the Holy Spirit honoring those folks going back to Church.
However, whatever the activity if the spirit is not involved there will be no success.
I will admit that I am definitely in the minority here (perhaps singular and alone), but I don’t think all churches should be populated. Here is one that I wish would empty out until they get converted. (and don’t get me wrong – they hang the name Lutheran on their blasphemous building.)
https://www.kctv5.com/churches-hold-glitter-ash-wednesday-for-lgbtq-community/video_daec6006-41c7-59ee-a46c-1319bc7ec3ff.html?fbclid=IwAR28V__3yiNRxJ_jb83fnUwnkEfqLcK-9G6ut3JJE0_5OJGF_Nn_h32OZJc
MLD
Yes, I saw it as well. There is enough silliness going around to encompass most denominations. I’m not interested in fighting these fights. The foolishness, in time, will be seen for what it is. In the meantime, I intend to channel outrage into something constructive… As I said, “strengthen that which remains…”
Except it is not silliness. These people are just a fundamentalist in their doctrine and practice as Westboro Baptist Church – and just as dangerous.
Silliness is an Easter egg hunt at church Easter morning. 🙂
It is a matter of opinion… I, for one, will not treat them with the seriousness they desire…
I wanted to so badly disagree with you, but I can’t. You wrote that Church members love each but not those outside the church (a paraphrase of course). But this has been the problem for decades. And I’m not so certain that they love each other. I think it is why Paul often said in some form to stir the faith that is in us. We grow cold so easily if our faith practice is not a moment by moment event. I for one know how the coldness creeps into my heart.
As a pastor, I have to examine myself to see if I have compromised biblical teaching and contributed to this malaise and of course all of us have. We are in the culture and it is hard to keep it out of ourselves. The answer is not to browbeat pastors and church members into submission, but to remind them of who we are. To show us all what true love is.
I think there is something mysterious about the Christian life. For it is that some us are robed prophets wondering through the streets shining our lantern of truth. The following is a quote from my dissertation. I have about it, almost daily, for over thirty years. I hope I’m an faithful to this calling
Thus I express my conviction that we should portray to men the poor garment of the Crucified only in such a way that we expound to them at the same time the rustling of the mantle of God in our age. God does not merely speak; He also marches. And why should we not venture, why should we not have to venture, to speak of this marching when we have set ourselves under the disciplines of His Word? . . . And perhaps theologians out of the pulpit, even more than preachers in it, are summoned today to hear the command of the hour and to become Socratic theologians, who will move through the markets and shelters and guard posts and command stations, and there, questioning and answering, often maintaining silence when others speak, from man to man, let this Word shine as a light in the darkness of events. — Thielicke, Out of the Depths, pp. 22-23.
Randy
This is so well said, and it deserves more than the response that I can give. I think that we are moving into a time in which much may no longer be taken for granted… “The church is there…”, “Theologians will do their job…”, “There are so many younger people coming into the ministry…”, “Families are always moving in and looking for a church to join…” And on and on. All the presuppositions are no longer realities. I’m afraid that we have to be in the trenches, or, as you say, going “through the streets shining our lantern of faith”.