A dear member of my congregation sent far and wide an article that I wrote for our church newsletter... she then fed back to me a staggering number of comments from all around the country... the comments were very positive, but more than that, showed me that I'm not off my rocker... I am not alone and there is much about which to be excited. As I read the responses, it occurred to me that I might reproduce the article as a blog. As I have failed to blog since before Easter and there is, to date, only one entry on this specific blog... it makes sense, don't you think?
So, although a few weeks dated, I offer you these words... and, shockingly, I still believe them to be true.
As I write these words we have just come through the anticipated by some, feared by many and mocked by most, “Rapture”. It was to have happened on May 21st at 6pm. That moment was to herald the end of the world as we know it; properly endorsed and “saved” Christians, were to raised up into heaven, leaving the rest to suffer a violent dramatic end. As far as I know, it did not happen. At least it didn’t happen to me... and presumably, it didn’t happen to you, if you are reading this. Why not? Well, if there was a Rapture on May 21st, it must be that we aren’t “Christian” enough.
The week before the Rapture, the National Post ran a front page article headlined “United They Fall”, noting that United Church of Canada is “undergoing one of the most precipitous slides in modern religious history”; “in the midst of breathtaking erosion in its membership”. According to the article, there are a couple of reasons for this:
1. We are in the midst of great experiment, redefining ourselves through intense engagement with the surrounding secular world. Pointing to our advocacy for the environment, equal marriage, the cause of the Palestinians, etc... and further noting that other social groups already do this as well or better.
2. We lack “unifying factors” to bring us together. A lack of doctrine is noted specifically, as well as an apparent reluctance to speak about Jesus.
It would seem that to the National Post, much like those ready to be taken up in the Rapture, we aren’t “Christian” enough.
And yet, in the face of these two judgements, I’m not distressed, depressed or discombobulated. Let me tell you why.
First, the Rapture is not Biblical – it was invented in the late 19th century by an English Preacher who combined in interpretation of part of Revelation, with a passage in Matthew, a little Daniel and some Psalms, creating an brand new event.
Second, I read the Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star (but then, you knew that I would)
Third, my breath is not taken as easily as is that of a National Post reporter.
It will take more than declining numbers to leave me breathless. It is true that membership in the United Church is in decline. So is membership in Costco and Kiwanis; Scouting and Blockbuster Video. Young people, the people that statistics and projections tell us will have 17 jobs and 9 residential moves in their work lives, are not keen on “joining” anything. They long for community, but are very careful about commitment, preferring Facebook to Book Clubs and www. to UCW. Yes, some churches in Canada are maintaining their numbers (notably the Roman Catholic Church), but they do it through immigration as new Canadians seek out the faith of their childhood. The United Church of Canada was not the childhood faith home for anybody outside of Canada.... how could we not expect our numbers to decline?
It should also be noted that much of the drama of that decline is also due to the policy of the 1956 and 1961 Canada Census (done by interview in those day) to not accept “No Religion” as an option and instead included people looking for a “No Religion” option as part of “The United Church of Canada”.
More significantly, in the 1950s and 60s, it was a cultural obligation to go to church. Everybody went... but a great number of people went to church and waited anxiously for that last hymn so that they could flee and forget until the next week when the ritual was repeated. I am much happier to have fewer congregations and smaller churches of people who are engaged in what goes on, not just on Sundays, but throughout out the week; who don’t flee and forget, but actually think and talk about what they heard in church, what they see in the world and what they feel within themselves. I suppose that I may have more in common with the National Post than I imagine, because I find such a change breathtaking, too.
So, what about this recent engagement with the surrounding secular world? I suppose that I would like a definition of “recent”. Is recent the last year? Decade? Century? The reason that I ask is that this “experiment” seems to have been going on for some time.
We established one of Canada’s oldest charitable funds in 1928, now called the Mission and Service Fund, that supports not only mission and ministry but communities in crisis and need... building hospitals and schools, supporting agriculture and education.
In 1929, a fine United Church woman (with the support of her church), Nellie McClung succeeded in having woman declared as persons in Canada.
In 1933 the United Church of Canada provided 9,000,000 lbs of Fruits and Vegetables to Western Farmers and Toronto Conference of the United Church called for Bank regulation. During the Depression, the United Church set up classes to teach families on welfare how to sew and cook; they taught literacy and helped people find work.
In the Second World War 323 United Church Ministers enlisted in the Armed Forces and local churches provided their buildings to be dancehalls and canteens for our soldiers; the United Church organized congregations and provided advocacy for Japanese Canadians in internment camps.
The United Church of Canada has run inner city missions and provided support for the homeless since the 1950s; the United Church has been in engaged in the struggle of justice in the Middle East since the 1960s (always insisting on Israel’s recognition and right to exist, even as we insist on Palestine’s right to exist).
In 1986, we apologize to our First Peoples for the tragedy, arrogance and insult of Residential Schools and are actively working with the Canadian Government in Truth and Reconciliation efforts.... Perhaps you see why I wonder what the National Post means by “recent” because, it seems to me that we’ve blurring the lines between the church and the secular world since we began
Which is what Jesus did.
When he broke Sabbath laws... when he touched the “untouchables”... when he spoke with and included woman... when he stood before Pilate... when he spoke of Rich Men and the Kingdom of God... rendering unto Caesar and rendering unto God that which is due to each.... when he dared tosay “Blessed are the poor...” Jesus has quite a history of blurring the lines...
And see, we do talk about Jesus. We talk about Jesus divine and human, we talk about Jesus as teacher and resurrected Lord, we talk about the Jesus of History and the Cosmic Christ... we talk about Jesus in old ways and struggle to find new ways to talk about Jesus, not satisfied to just let him be buried in tradition and history. And that means that we won’t all talk about Jesus in the same way... but we’re still talking about Jesus.
And we are taking what Jesus said, lived (says, lives) seriously. Jesus didn’t desire to build a church, he invited us to build the Kingdom of God and change the world. Not by building bigger and bigger churches; not by impressing others with our zeal or accomplishment, but simply by loving our neighbours.
After the Rapture; after the National Post, we received a letter at the church office. It came with a very generous and kind donation... but it’s not the donation that I want to share, it’s the letter. It said, in part:
Dear Jubilee,
My wife and I would like to recognize and show our appreciation for the wonderful influence Jubilee has on our community.
We moved into our home in 1958 and although not members of the congregation our family has enjoyed and benefitted from your many activities.
Again, we thank you so very much and just want you to know how valued you are.
I think that this letter might be reason that I’m not worried about whether the National Post or the “Rapturists”| think we’re “Christian” enough: I am quite confident that Jesus would think that we’re “Christian” enough for Him, and that’s good enough for me.
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