No, not talking VPL or whale tails here, but what is the bottom line as far as Christian faith content and practice is concerned for SofaChurch?I ask 1) for communal clarity and 2) because of arriving at a place of personal honesty which may or may not dictate the acceptability of my faith in certain contexts. This is a bit rambling, disparate perhaps, but has been bubbling away under my surface for some time.
By means of disclaimer, this text is entirely my own opinion and neither reflects endorsement nor accepted doctrine by individuals and denominations associated with SofaChurch.
Now the main reason for these musings is this. For the first time since my early teens, any sense of vocation to church ministry has gone. I don't know if it's revoked, dead, or gone on holiday, but in the three months I've suddenly found myself with no mental picture of myself involved ministry. Ever. Strange, but it's given me a lot of confidence and determination to get on and do that which I have already found within myself to do.
The spiritually castrative effects of some theologies which I have been observing is also really rattling my cage and further convinces me that, as far as I am concerned, conventional Christianity is a dead vehicle in terms of relating to people and to God. I meet enough people who also feel that. The church needs nothing short of a new reformation.
I continue to feel drawn to more engaging spiritualities for my outlook- Quakerism, or even pushing further towards Druidry. As my Facebook belief description says "Work in Progress".
I retain a strong belief in Christ as The Logos (John 1:1) - the undergirding principle of The Universe in Whom all things hold together, and was incarnated a full, vulnerable human being, died, and resurrected. For me that's about as far as my Christian faith goes if I'm totally honest with myself. I don't believe in the efficacy of prayer; I see it primarily as a psychosomatic benefit for the cognizant pray-er and pray-ee. God knows (and I know he does) when I last sat down to read the Bible and actually get anything from it either.
I can talk the talk, and I can get evangelistically aroused and gush forth 'the right theology', but it's not me.
I am a pantheist - God in everything and everything in God loosely speaking (I might even go so far as animist of sorts), a universalist - all paths leading to God - and while I believe coming to an articulated faith in Christ can help, the pantomime of Church life tends to cancel out the Good News Christ is supposed to bring.
Is SofaChurch able to accommodate a heretic, yeah, maybe even apostate in some eyes such as me? I keep trying to accept the way things are commonly held to be, but it just doesn't add up for me. I feel a huge fraud, with people thinking I am ABC, when in fact I'm XYZ.
Also hanging over my thoughts of recent months are these three musings, the latter two being more relevant to the bottom line thing:
1) As far as our time and culture are concerned, Church and Christianity are just not able to cater for men between late 20s to early 50s unless you fit a particular model. Children, OAPs, and women of any age find a communal niche. Any male friendships, if there are enough of them, are those forced into 5 to 10 mins of tea / coffee time after the important service has subdued all sense of community once a week. Church really is not the Good News it ought to be. Even more so if you're a man in the middle bit of life.
2) I'm still trying to work out where SofaChurch sits regarding Scriptual authority, in view of general acceptance that there are parts of Scripture which are less reliable or contradictory on non essential matters.
3) I would reckon the group is welcoming and open to homosexuals, though I wonder how it would fare if we had an active homosexual couple join us?
6 comments:
Thank you, Tim, for being so honest.... that takes a lot of guts. I do hope that doesn't sound patronising as its certainly not meant to be. Its just that I'm so grateful that you feel able to share your true feelings about your faith, calling, Christian community etc. Afterall, essentially the 'bottom line' of SofaChurch is being able to be yourself: to feel safe enough to be honest, genuine and real, simply because you are with 'family'.
I think many of us at SofaChurch would say that our faith is a matter of 'work in progress'. Personally, I don't really know how to define myself in terms of a '....theist' or to create any profound theological/philosophical argument for what I know deep down within my very being.... I'm just a simple soul really, who echoes the words of a blind guy that Jesus healed once who said "All I know is this: once I was blind but now I can see." As to how conventional church fits into all this.... eek! haven't got a clue... just think that Jesus may have left the building a long time ago and is now exceptionally busy within the surrounding 'secular' community!!!!
Yup, I totally agree with you in terms of how profoundly difficult it is for menfolk to feel 'connected' to any form of community... christian or otherwise. Is this intrinsic in our post-modern society, maybe? Think it may be an issue we need to explore within SofaChurch as it affects quite a few of us... discussing it aswell as exploring possible solutions.
Please, please try not to worry too much about feeling so 'at sea' with things at the moment. It was never going to be easy pushing the boundaries of our faith and moving forward into 'unchartered waters'. At times it is going to feel like we are in pitch blackness, that we doubt all that we once held so dear. I am reminded of that incident where the disciples were out fishing in a terrible storm when they suddenly saw Jesus walking on the water towards them. Its quite interesting really that He didn't at first stop the raging winds and waves but simply reminded them that He was with them. Think that life is a bit like that sometimes.... confusing, terrifying, full of doubts too... but somehow, even if we don't always see Him, He is still there.
Hang on in there Tim. We are standing with you in the storm... terrified too, with no real answers, and feeling exceedingly 'wet'... but standing alongside you just the same.
(((((BIG HUGS))))
I'm feeling unwell this morning and therefore not very coherent, but I just wanted to say that I think 'Conventional Christianity' is a contradiction in terms - Conventional Church yes, but Christianity didn't start off conventional and I don't believe it should be conventional now. That is my tuppence-worth in this conversation for the moment!
And yes that is from someone who has grown up within a church setting for most of her life but is still trying to work out exactly where she stands once all the trappings are stripped away!
Thank you for your honesty, Tim. x
Yeah, well done for being brave enough to say where you're at - that's not easy, and I'm glad you feel comfortable enough with us to be able to.
I'll be honest - I'm not the brains in this partnership, so a lot of what you said flew right over my head! But Andy plans to reply later on today. He'll have something sensible to say.
Like Jo, my faith is a case of 'but this I know.' There's so much I've no idea at all about, but I am convinced that it's the best path to take, having tried the other route, albeit only for a year.
I'd very much hope that a practising homosexual couple would be welcome at SofaChurch - I'd certainly have no problem with it and hope if others did that they'd keep schtum! Jesus welcomed everyone and so should we.
Is there any mileage in setting up a mens meeting? Would that help or just be another thing added to the 'to do' list? The girls group is certainly going to scratch where I'm itching.
I did feel bad making it girls only, knowing that you were wanting something similar. I wouldn't necessarily assume that the other guys wouldn't be interested. (Though I'm not letting Andy go to yet another meeting, leaving me and Kitty at home!) (He may have the brains, but I wear the trousers, can you tell?)
Let's keep up the dialogue, if it's useful, Tim.
Hi Tim
In response to a few points you make...
Is SofaChurch able to accommodate a heretic, yeah, maybe even apostate in some eyes such as me?
Yes - and if it isn't it has to change so it is. We don't all have to agree to believe the same things. We are all on a journey, following Jesus, and our paths might well be different.
...as far as I am concerned, conventional Christianity is a dead vehicle in terms of relating to people and to God.
Its a question we all ask to some degree or we wouldn't be experimenting with SofaChurch. I have a very interesting book I'd like you to read called What Would Jesus Deconstruct? It talks about how since the church has been constructed by people it is open to being deconstructed if it needs it. He also talks about the essential truths that can't be deconstructed.
As far as our time and culture are concerned, Church and Christianity are just not able to cater for men between late 20s to early 50s unless you fit a particular model.
I'm not sure I feel this, personally - or at least I'm not yet aware that I am missing something. Perhaps you need to take a lead on a solution to this, Tim - tap into your frustration and turn it into a drive to set something up.
I'm still trying to work out where SofaChurch sits regarding Scriptual authority, in view of general acceptance that there are parts of Scripture which are less reliable or contradictory on non essential matters.
I've set up a new post to explore this. I'm not sure that 'SofaChurch' should exist as an entity with its own position on issues - I see it as a group of people who have their own positions. I know what I think, and that will obviously shape things to some degree, but I don't want to develop an official and therefore exclusive doctrine on this.
I would reckon the group is welcoming and open to homosexuals, though I wonder how it would fare if we had an active homosexual couple join us?
Same answer to the first point really - if we aren't welcoming then we need to change so we are. There are plenty of hostile churches out there, the world doesn't need another one. If there is anyone in SofaChurch who thinks that they haven't got a plank in their own eye, and can therefore look at the speck in a homosexual couples eyes, they perhaps need us to point out their planks first, while acknowledging that we have planks too. (Matthew 7) For me, I would be delighted if a homosexual couple felt comfortable to explore their faith with us, I'd take it as a great compliment.
Thanks for the responses folks... will say more into next week :o)
Busy, and the net connection disappeared most of this morning, and the computer has become given to spontaneous reboots and blue screens of death with no notice...
Men's meeting - had suggested it but there was next to no interest, and I'm close to having had it in pushing new initiatives in churchy contexts. May have a possible suggestion.
I think that may be the sort of thing you just have to go ahead and plan, then see who turns up. I know with our day out (it will happen, honest!) we could leave it now, assuming that because folk have stopped talking about it, that they're not keen. But I'm sure that if we go ahead and plan something, then folk will want to come along.
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