From Churchainity to Christianity
Faith is to be principally lived, witnessed to and developed in the context of everyday living. We have made the heretical mistake at times of implying that the heart of Christianity is the gathered Church, and more specifically, worship services. I believe that one of the reasons we see so many people falling away from the Church as they grow older is that for most, church was by and large, just a worship service, with maybe some additional activities added on: Sunday school, youth group, confirmation, and so on.
If a young woman or man grew up with the idea that the extent of their Christian life was attending church on Sunday, it will be relatively easy for them to drop that one hour a week. If they grew up in a nurturing, holistic Christian way of life, it will be harder (though certainly not impossible) for them to part with their faith so easily, because in this case, they are not dropping a Sunday, but a whole way of life.
This sort of talk is often interpreted as blaming parents for the failure of the Church, but that is not (in the vast majority of cases) what I am saying. The fault lies with Church leaders (yes, I include myself here) who have essentially allowed this view of churchainity to continue unchallenged. As church leaders we need to be sounding the bell that the primary domain for faith is life - principally that part of life that takes place outside of the gathered Church: in the neighborhood, at school, at work, on vacation, whenever and wherever.
Part of this situation is largely no one’s fault, but is a result of a society that has moved beyond Christianity and no longer, as it once did to varying degrees, supported general Christian morals and values (for more on this see here). Christians will not find their faith commended or affirmed by prayers in schools, or Bible readings at public events, or by the morals of popular culture at large. This means we will be a minority and will have to grow more comfortable in being different from other people.
To be faithful we need to spend far more time wrestling with the implications of Christian faith for living, living in practical and concrete situations by pondering questions like:
“What does it mean for me to be a Christian and a plumber?”
“I’ve got two job offers. Should my faith factor into my decision in anyway?”
“This divorce is a mess, how can I, should I, witness to my faith in the midst of all this?”
“I’ve got two job offers. Should my faith factor into my decision in anyway?”
“This divorce is a mess, how can I, should I, witness to my faith in the midst of all this?”
“We’re building a new house, how, if at all, should our Christian faith impact this project?”
“Should the home life of a Christian family look any different than the home life of a non-Christian family?”
“There is a controversy in the community over a new city ordinance, how should Christians respond, what if we disagree with each other?”
“What does our faith – Holy Scripture, Holy Tradition – have to say about this topic?”
“There is a controversy in the community over a new city ordinance, how should Christians respond, what if we disagree with each other?”
“What does our faith – Holy Scripture, Holy Tradition – have to say about this topic?”
Are these and similar questions being discussed and explored in depth in our churches? Do we even think such questions are integral parts of Christian discipleship?
How can we begin to encourage a holistic Christian lifestyle again?
PART 2
ReplyDeleteLastly, you raised a good point in how the home of a Christian should look. There is no magic formula, but in general it ought to have a few Christian books on the bookshelves and some overt Christian symbols. In Catholic custom, there ought to be a crucifix over each bed. A "prayer corner," with perhaps a small shrine, a kneeler, and maybe even a small altar, if space permits, is a good idea. If you have an altar in your home, it is a welcome thing to a traveling priest who needs to say a mass for that day! In short, what a Christian home should convey is "We in our family put Christ above all other things."
In conclusion, Christ and the Faith are the guiding beacons in life. They are not mere conveniences to be indulged when they don't interfere with other aspects of life. They are not meant to be purely personal or internal.
Being small is not a bad thing. The ARRCC is not as big as the Episcopal Church, for example. It is more important, though, to try to live according to what Christ desired for his Holy Church than to have the pews filled because you brought things to the least common denominator. Being all things to all people in the manner of Saint Paul means trying to help people understand Christ and the Church in terms they can understand. It does not mean making the Church a chameleon that changes to suit every individual.
Pax,
+RBJ
PART 1
ReplyDeleteNote: Part 1 was somehow lost by the blog service, so this is the gist of what was originally written, albeit in somewhat of a condensed form.
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Dear Father Kevin,
You have it quite right. Far too often church has become merely something to do on Sunday for an hour, and even worse, it has often become more about socialization than worship. Yet, we are called to attend the liturgy on Sunday. The Holy Mass is the highest form of worship, followed by the Divine Offices. It is through this liturgy that we, as members of the Corporate Body of Christ, join ourselves as individuals and as a group to Christ and his Sacrifice. This is not something merely to experience on Sunday, but should be carried throughout the entire week.
First, the reception of the Sacrament on Sunday ought to energize you spiritually for the entire week. Also, daily mass is a laudable custom. Especially for parishes will full-time clergy, there is really no excuse not to offer daily mass, even if only one person (or no one) comes.
It is absolutely essentially for Christians to consider all that they do in the light of what Christ intended and what the Church teaches. This applies to job searches, political voting, leisure activities, and everything else.
If one is a corporate leader, for example, one has a duty to make decisions based on Christian ethics. The corporate world says a CEO's first obligation is to the shareholders. This is incorrect. The first obligation is to God. All else follows. A business decision that is good for the shareholders, but violates Christian ethics is a bad decision, and an executive making such a decision violates the trust given to him by God.
Similarly government officials have a duty to follow Christian ethics in all that they do. All voters have a duty to vote for the candidate that is most in line with Christian ethics, even if that may not be the best candidate overall from a political standpoint. For example, it is better to vote for a somewhat less appealing candidate than to vote for the better politician who neverthless supports legalized abortion, suppression of Christianity, etc. Voters and government officials alike must make decisions by thinking in terms of the Kingdom of Heaven, not in terms of earthly kingdoms and nations that are transitory.
An additional point: It is beneficial for clergy and religious to wear their habits to the liturgy, even if sitting in the pews. In the ARRCC, for example, this is required (choir dress or at least house dress). The clergy suit is civic dress, and perfectly fine for being around town. However, at the liturgy, the cassock or other habit conveys a completely different and more spiritual message. It makes an impression on the people...and if the people are truly devoted to their faith, it will be a positive impression. While excuses for not doing this abound, it is not that difficult to don a cassock. I have never received anything other than a warm welcome and positive comments about my wear of the cassock when visiting another parish, including an Episcopalian one.
ReplyDeleteDon't let the casualization trend stop you from wearing your habit. A casual attitude towards clothing in Church, epecially a habit and vestments, leads to a sloppy attitude towards worship of God. If you just "throw something on" to go to Sunday mass, especially if what you wear is determined by what activity you'll be doing after church, then you're not really making Church the focus of your Sunday.
Let your internal spirituality be conveyed outwardly through the symbol of your habit. Tell the world you belong to Christ and serve as a positive example to others.