Seeker Disciplines [Justin]
Perhaps people are right to focus on the corporate worship experience as a touchstone for postmodern God-seekers. People certainly seem to be hungry to experience God. How is God experienced?
We imply, by of our ways of doing church, that God is experienced when we sit in pews or chairs in a big room with lots of other people and have preaching and music. There’s got to be more to it than that - church history has forced too narrow a focus, for worship is but one of many useful spiritual practices, exercises, and disciplines. Perhaps, rather than try to get people to come to churches for theologically dubious worship services, the church should provide exercises and resources to point spiritually inquisitive people Christward.
It is to the modern church’s impoverishment that it has ignored the spiritual practices of the saints throughout the centuries. Perhaps it is the fear of all things Catholic or Eastern Orthodox, or perhaps it’s a preference for the more rationalistic disciplines of study and singing. But it is time to meet the disciplines practiced by our forbears. Some examples:
-Lectio Divina
-Morning, midday, and evening prayers
-Writing psalms
-Writing prayers
-Public commitments to pursue a certain spiritual exercise for a time
-Liturgies, including those with experiential components, e.g. lighting a candle, holding a symbolic object, sitting in a certain posture, etc.
-Silence
-Taking communion
-Taking a focused meditative walk
What frustrates me about many of things of this type is their tendency to be spiritual but not particularly Christian. A common Christian Scientist ad shows Mary Baker Eddy’s Science and Health with the caption “Fuel for your spiritual journey.” But providing fuel without direction doesn’t make sense. It’s like Disney World giving travel discounts to people visiting other theme parks. The purpose of Christian spirituality is not to be more spiritual, but more deeply Christian.
I’m starting a new website to explore a more ancient-future Christian spirituality and journey with those in the process of seeking God. I’d love to hear your input (I’m not posting a link because I don’t want it to be overrun with already-Christians). Let me know what you think in the comments.
I think you are onto something important here Justin. We started a congregation called ‘Thirst’ to address what we think could be a significant need in our community. Next year when we move into our new facilities we will be surrounded by high rise town houses. So, how do we connect with the people living there? Well, one hope we have is that we can offer spirituality seminars and other ways to help people explore their spirituality. It may not work but we will give it a go.
yeah I’m on to the “spirituality” quest as well. I’d say that my quest is more towards the Christian spiritual formation side.
I think that the idea of classic disciplines are so inviting for today’s world. They seem to take a small part of the Christian life and improve/mature/grow/progress it along. (However one would like to put it.) This is so appealling to people today because our lives are increasingly more categorized. i.e. Work, family, personal, community, recreation, rest, church, emotional, spiritual, physical, etc.
The idea of a discipline that helps in just a few small areas of life is atttractive.
The only major neg. that I’ve heard from others is that disciplines put one more “thing to do” on people’s plates. (Myself, I don’t think it is true at all. what do you think?)
So how are we supposed to comment on the ideas on your new website if you won’t post a link?
Well, I meant the ideas in this post. There isn’t really anything on the website yet.
I’m wondering if it would be a better idea to join a church (Catholic, Orthodox, etc.) that already incorporates in their spiritual life the practices you mentioned.
Well, I’m not entirely convinced that Catholic or Orthodox churches are any better at moving people beyond spectatorship and into discipleship. The expectation still seems to be that you attend, watch/participate, and leave. That’s not the kind of spirituality I’m talking about.
While the Catholic and Orthodox traditions do have a rich history of spiritual disciplines and practices, they seem to be limited to the clergy, monastics, and super-saints. It needs to get out to everyone.
Justin,
You ought to read Lumen Gentium from the Second Vatican Council. It gives a very good presentation of Church as the “People of God”.
Probably with most churches your going to have people who just put in their time no matter what you do.
With regards to monastic orders and such, I do know that many orders have what are called third orders which are primarily people who have a lay vocation. And as far as I know people are never excluded from the practices that you have mentioned.
Third orders - that’s what we need more of, except that they should be primary =).
I think every church has at some level a good theology of the church as the body of Christ and the people of God, and no actual belief in the primacy or superiority of church leaders (except the Pope). But the ground-level result of sit-and-worship church is that passivity is the norm.
I know many churches succeed in getting many people to move beyond mere attendance. My question is, how can we move everyone who’s committed past passivity? Is it bad for the church to have committed but basically inactive members who don’t practice any spiritual discipline?
I’m sure “pew sitting” has been a problem from the beginning of the Church. How committed are the members who are “basically inactive members who don’t practice any spiritual discipline”? Probably not very committed. But who am I to judge another man’s servant.
Justin wrote, “they seem to be limited to the clergy, monastics, and super-saints. It needs to get out to everyone.”
I’ve been Orthodox for 6 years and have been to dozens of different parishes from various areas. I have yet to see this radical “clericalization” of the spiritual life that you seem to see. In fact, it was in Orthodoxy that I finally found a Church that didn’t dicthomize on this issue.
One of the problems here is that Orthodox praxis is inherently humble and “non-showy”–i.e. with the exception of some opinionated bloggers (grin) etc, you won’t hear much about it. People are confessing their sins, keeping a prayer rule, doing the Jesus Prayer, giving alms, etc and not talking much about it with outsiders.
It is true that some parishes and spiritual fathers are better at really encouraging people to actually *be* Orthodox. But on the whole, even the “nominal” Orthodox are doing far more than you are probably aware of. Just some thoughts…..
Well, in fairness, I’ve only been to one Orth church once. The congregants reminded me of the Sopranos cast for some reason (probably all the dark hair =) - not exactly the type to practice spiritual disciplines. But of course the same could be said for any church, and that’s based on only one experience, so this is by no means a valid criticism. I’m just saying it didn’t seem like we were surrounded by a bunch of people who were more spiritually mature than the evangelicals we grew up around.
Also, I disagree with Orth theology, to answer Ken’s original questions. But Karl’s working on me.
LOL! I know the “Soporano” cast (or worse yet, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” cast) all too well. And yes, everyone has their nominal members, no doubt. In the end it is about whether one has the tools to really becoming holy or not. I would simply posit that in Orthodoxy one is able to practice these disciplnes in a more holistic manner since they are organically part of the Orthodox worldview and lifestyle. Whether everyone is or not is another thing–and luckily not something I should spend too much time worrying about.
And yes–I’ll keep workin’ on ya! Keep up the great posts. I’m really enjoying your thoughts.