Dear Church,
"How the heck are you? Learned anything lately? Surviving all your international projects? On the brink of any crazy ideas? I hope, of course, that you and yours are well. Me? Well, I'm not exactly basking in the spiritual high life. I am not always fine these days. And unfortunately, it's not just me, Church. Many of my peers seem to be calling in sick as well." - Sarah Cunningham from Dear Church: Letters from a Disillusioned Generation
In our next worship series, Can U Hear Me Now?, we'll explore how different generations are choosing to interact with the church and why. One of the resources we'll be using is Sarah Cunningham's book, Dear Church: Letters from a Disillusioned Generation. She speaks from the twentysomething perspective and expresses her disillusionment with church stemming from things she's experienced at church like hypocrisy, exclusivity and lack of authenticity. She also admits that part of her disillusionment comes from her own preconceived ideas about what church should be and how that hasn't matched up with the reality that churches are communities of flawed individuals.
We invite you to share your Dear Church letter. What's your experience with church and how has that affected your relationship to the church? Do you have ideas about how the church can better communicate with and equip the next generation to live the faith? How can the church communicate more effectively across generations? What barriers does the church need to overcome? What's the church doing right?
We'll certainly use your letters as we plan this worship series and we may use excerpts in worship, adult education and/or devotional material. You can write your letter anonymously here by submitting a comment or you can e-mail your letter to kimxtom@yahoo.com or drop your letter off at the church office. Do you have friends or family disillusioned with church? Please ask them if they'd like to write a Dear Church letter.
5 comments:
Dear Church,
It seems as though there is some kind of self-doubt going on with you lately that deeply concerns me. For most of my life, I imagined the church to be like a rock. No matter what, the church could be counted on to speak the truth, without equivocation. As a young child, you taught me how to love Jesus, and how to be loved by God. As a young adult, you taught me the difference between right and wrong, and about reconciliation and forgiveness. I remember routinely needing to hear about the later. As I grew up and took on responsibilities, like a job and a family, you were there -- encouraging and supporting. Much of this time, you gave me more than I could possibly give back. If I have any regrets ‘til now, it’s that it took me more than fifty years to get the Spirit thing. I have come to realize what being called means. I have come to know you more broadly, and deeply, than ever before – as you have helped me to understand my relationship with God more broadly and deeply at the same time. So many things seemed to be coming together at once, between you and me. The experience was joyful. Now, gradually -- just as I am getting to know the person and life of Christ and what that means to me, my relationships to God, family, and strangers -- I see your hesitancy, feel your lack of enthusiasm, and sense your fear. Words that used to ring loudly in my ears now echo back with a hollow, shrill sound.
“So justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter. Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. The LORD looked and was displeased that there was no justice.” ISAIAH 59:14-15
Self-loathing does not become you. Hesitating to stand for something firmly looks more like standing for nothing at all.
I feel God’s calling me forward, and I cannot say “no”, or “wait”. As in “No, we [the church] are not ready, yet. We lack what we need. We are unsure of where we are going. Wait while we study this. Please, just wait.” Listening to God, I hear “Now is the time. For all God’s children. As one body in Christ. You have all authority through Christ to show God’s love, to share, to grow, and to go.”
“He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” MICAH 6:8
Peace,
--eric
Dear Church,
After many years of being forced to attend your worship services with my father at the helm, I spent several more years trying to discern where you belonged in my life. I ignored you, but eventually came back. I discovered I was comfortable within your walls, enjoyed the fellowship of other members, and knew that I could be of service in some capacity. I spent a dozen years at a traditional Lutheran church where my husband was born and raised. I was bored. My spirituality became stagnant. I was only rejuvinated in youth events which were lively with wonderful praise music and inspiring speakers. I felt the need to find a church that would have these elements. I have found such a congregation! It seems, for the first time, I am loving you. The music is wonderful and lively, traditional and praising. The sermons are inspiring. Best of all, the members all want you to grow and reach out to the community, both locally and globally. What an awesome place to be.
Peace,
Diane
Dear Church,
I hear us engaging in judgment and justification such as "Jesus would get angry with the hypocrites and wouldn't stand by and accept everything as being ok." Yes, it is true that Jesus did have a wonderful way of confronting hypocrisy and thwarting the misguided leaders and those in power of his day. However, I think it is important to remember that this was Jesus speaking these words and taking these actions, speaking with the authority of God.
I hear comments made that offend me, when I know that friends or family would not be accepted by certain members-based upon comments and judgments I have heard spoken. The judging is God's alone.
I recognize my own hypocrisy in this post-as I am judging those who judge others-therefore propagating the endless cycle of "voiced disatisfaction." I know that God has a tremendous sense of humor and I thank God for forgiveness. Perhaps we, as a church, may make strides in this area of our individual and church lives to think of our own sins of both omission and comission before we take up our stones.
Dear Church,
I think that I must be crazy writing a letter to nobody. Who is the church anyway? My town has churches everywhere. Each considers themselves Christian. Which one is the church? All of them? Together? I could be down with that, every group doing their own thing, except what I remember Jesus trying to tell his people that there was one church. You all say that Jesus is your leader, but you also preach so many different rules. Jesus says simply to love God with all your heart and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself. Right? You say it is not that simple. There are rules. And from the outside looking it, I think you like your rules more than you love God. Show me that I am wrong, church. Show me God loves everybody. No, you cannot bring yourself to that. God loves those who love themselves – you don’t preach that; but you do teach that, through your actions. You worry about what you sing, and how you sing it. You worry about what you say, and how you say it. You argue the meaning and importance of these things. What people wear to church is important. How they do their hair. How they look. How they smile. The right smile at the right time. The right humility. The right sad look. Oh, how you like choreography. Pageantry. Drama. Anything but reality. Sad people are appropriately sad, in appropriately sad ways, at designated sad times, with a clear prescription – take two prayers and see me at noon on Wednesday. As if God were on a schedule. You kill me. You really do. Where are the broken people? Where are the desperate people -- people willing to do anything for a second chance in life? Can they join hands with you? I don’t think so. You are about comfort, not pain. You are all about nice. And neat. Jesus in a box. Well, church, its just not so. Jesus is bigger than once a week on Sunday. And God is bigger than keeping score by your rules. Jesus went to great pains to teach you to be one body, with many parts. God saw to it that you were abundantly blessed. And yet, here we are – you the church – and me, God’s child. And we have nothing in common. Zip. You judge. You condemn. You speak weakly, with many voices. You shun what God has created, and do so in his name. Women. Blacks. Gays. It’s always someone. But the worst of all is your deafness. Your dumbness. Your blindness. Again. And again. Will you ever hear the call? When will you follow Christ? When will you stop preaching, and start doing? When will you show God's love?
Dear Church, I'm on the "fringe" of the Baby Boomer generation and know that we comprise a large percentage of the church. I often feel a disconnect between what the church says it is and what it is perceived to be. Why does there have to be a perception that there is a lack of connectedness between the youth and the older generations? Why can't there be more opportunities for our generations to work together? It may take intentional gatherings--career days when the youth can learn about the job experiences of some of the Boomers; planting a vegetable and/or flower garden together, selling the produce/flowers and donating the monies to a charity; doing an Earth Day event together; working at the Soup Kitchen together. I would love to get to know the youth better and wish there were more opportunities for us to share our faith experiences. The Boomers certainly don't know it all; for the most part, we are very open to learning new things, experiencing new worship opportunities, and sharing what has fed our faith over the years.
Church, we're looking for ways to be more open to our youth so that they know how important they are to us. It's up to you, church, to be innovative and help grow the faith of the young, as well as the older generations.
We're looking to you to show us the way.
God bless you!
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