Why The 'Great Divide'?

After I retired I agreed to be on an synod team to brainstorm ways to do church better.  Ways to bring God’s word in more effective ways.  Because, it was becoming more than obvious that the mainstream denominations were less and less needed — Less relevant.  Less important in people’s lives.

I am no longer active on that team; but my heart is still actively involved in the why, and how the need for God, or church membership, or faith has been replaced in people’s lives.

This trend away from the practices, and ingrained rituals, of the institutional church has created a huge need for the people of God to change how they “do church.”

That my friends is monumental expectation.

Here is what I think is the number on reason for this movement away.  It is the first time in history we can fine four, maybe five, generations in one congregation.  This one fact alone should give us good idea what has created, what I have named, ‘the great divide.’

All you have to do is imagine five generations living in the same home.  And each generation has its own way of doing life.  

BOOM!

          And life is never the same! 

                                        And changes happens!

However change, vicissitude (Unpredictable change usually meaning an unfortunate event or circumstance. Things that alter the moment but also our way of living, thinking, reasoning), the intrusion that creates alteration, is not only a natural in life’s cycles.  It is a good — or can be good — for positive growth.  

Just like the change of seasons offer a wealth of variety to the earth.  Change give each of us the possibility, the opportunity, for a more creative and abundant life. 

After all, history and its progress, has a way of creating change in all areas of human situation and habits.  That is, with each evolving generation the world has experienced ”different.”

The vicissitude being realized in the Christian church today has altered the entire vision of what it mean to be a “Christian” — one who wants to follow the ways of Jesus Christ — that sidesteps the traditional Christian mores, customs and rituals.

This change has smashed the institutional church’s way of spreading the Word to the world.  Creating a quandary for those called to lead. 

In the Lutheran tradition, as well as other denominations, these intrusions are not received with great joy. Quite the opposite, the mentality is: “ We like it the way it has always been.”    But it is actually more than that.  It is a matter of knowing, worshiping and living faithfully to God. It is what they know as “right” and “good” and “sacred.”

There in lies the problem with a major part of the world population. 

Those, in the younger age groups, find it hard to be apart of the traditional vision of “a church member.”  And the  ingrained ways of “doing church” are almost impossible for them to penetrate.   

They get too much resistance to their wonders, questions and ideas.

We older folks have grown up counting on, and revering,  the old rituals as treasures to a truth we hold dear.  It is almost as if it is they are right there, with the ten commandments, written on stone never to be erased. 

In many ways, being a born traditionalist, I also have grown up loving the liturgical ways of worshiping God.  My favorite church, as a child, was the Roman Catholic congregation.  I was totally drawn to all of their regularly practiced rituals, their icons and metals to the Saints.  I wanted to be apart of that way of following Jesus. 

However that was the same time in history when it was against all the “holy rules” for Catholics and Protestants to go to a another church and visa versa.

In those days there was no flexibly between denominations.  

    

No possible way to budge. 

    

No wiggle room for change.

My husband told me about living in his small Montana town, when he was a boy.  The Lutherans church was on one side of the street.  The Catholic church was on the other.  It was against every thing they believed to walk on the “wrong side” of that street.  

The Lutheran kids walked on “their side,”

The Catholic kids side walked on “their side.”

They lived all of their life in that non-inclusive way.

I can’t help but wonder if that narrow way of thinking bled into the social times?  I mean, did the grade school and high school activities exclude any possible connection between the two?

I have to assume it must have;  because the huge issue, of the day, was if two people, of different church affiliation,  decided to get married.  WOW! All hell broke loose in the two families involved.

Pretty sad.

Change can be, and is, just a part of our human existence.  Gradually change comes whether we like it or not.

One thing I do know for sure — at least as far as I can be sure — God’s love for we nutty people never changes.

I cannot help but believe that God is filled with ecstatic joy, and laughter, when we simply  believe in His existence.

Okay, Okay, or Her existence 

But you must remember I am seventy-seven years old and God will always be a “He” to me.  

Jesus did, after all call, God “father.”

So, I keep asking: What has changed this passion to worship God with sisters and brother of the faith?  

Or, has it change?  

Maybe the passion is still there, just displayed in different ways in different people?  Maybe people are just as faithful, just as real, just as honest and true; but doing faith differently.   

What I have come to know, from much personal study, is that it isn’t because people don’t believe in God  anymore.  That is not the reason people are not filling the pews on Sunday morning.  

No.

The young people I have been privileged to serve with think it is more important to live their faith by simply doing what Jesus taught.  Serving, loving, giving acting, speaking in Jesus name.  

Being a “member” of a congregation is not the only way to be a “Christian.”

What I am thinking, as I am writing, is:  Is must boggle our minds today to read about people who spent their entire lives — every minute, every breathe — just longing and waiting to be in Jesus presence.  To spend ninety percent of their energy wanting to please God.

That is just not obvious in todays busy culture.

The truth is, God handles “different” quite well. Because God sees past the obvious to the depth of each generation  — each person's heart.

Whether we sit in a pew or ride a bike, or take a walk, of play tennis, run track, or play golf…God knows we believe in him or not.  

And by the way, it is not how “much” we believe.  But that we do believe.