Spirituality & Culture

On Sunday nights for the past three weeks, I have been facilitating a class on Spiritual Formation & Discipleship. We have done a spirituality type survey that revealed very interesting tidbits of information about the Sulphur Well Church. Perhaps the most interesting thing is that the majority of the people who took the survey (about 40-45) are feelers rather than thinkers; they relate to God through experience, contemplation, or social action rather than intellectual dialogue!! Hmmm. Well in my rational, intellectual relationship with God, I found that to be interesting because our tradition is one that does not lend itself to emotion - it has actively suppressed emotion in fact. Thus the notion that nearly 2/3 of the people relate to God on some level other than intellectual was a very intriguing tidbit of info for my intellectual mind to think about! Oh the implications...

Also, we discussed last week the issue of liminality and the ridiculous amount of change going on the in the culture around us. As our world changes at every level, churches are struggling to deal with the chaos in a manner that is healthy, honest, and helpful for the body as a whole. As we brought up the idea of our current liminal state - this in-between state of having left behind a world with a superficial coating of Christianity and looking forward at a world where we aren't sure where we are headed or what it will look like when we get there - the anxiety in the class was unnerving. Some wanted to return to a by-gone era and longed for the "good-ole-days." Others were excited about the possibilities that lie ahead. Others weren't sure what to think but one thing was evident...There is an undercurrent of unspoken and unaddressed anxiety, confusion, and fear within our churches that does not know what to do with the changes in our culture. They want a place to "vent" their frustrations and yet be brought back to the reality of God at work in our midst despite the uncertainties. I underestimated this need as the facilitator of this class and it jumped up and bit me unexpectedly. This next week should be equally as interesting. Until next time...

Blessings....