Monday, November 26, 2007
I Don't Fit In Church
Richard Beck is a professor and experimental psychologist. I find his blog very enlightening. Last week he created a post that explains why many people like myself are uncomfortable in church. The bottom line is that "church people" just don't like to dig for answers. They tend to be the types of people who are comfortable with short answers to over-simplified questions. I never leave a conversation at church with a feeling that we have even scratched the surface, let alone made any progress. Instead, I always leave church feeling unresolved and unsatisfied. Cliche phrases and buzz words make me curious but more often, they make me uneasy. Church doesn't appear to be a place designed for curiosity.
Richard has also written an entertaining post about the Left Behind craze called "Why The Anti-Christ is an Idiot".
7 comments:
Mike,
I agree with you. George Barna documents the flight from "traditional" churches in his book "Revolution." You may not agree with his evangelical emphasis, but he does chronicle the reasons why people are leaving the "traditional" church.
My wife and I have not attended a "traditional" church for a few years now, yet we have never felt closer to God, to each other and to those we minister with and to.
Peace, Kim
Mike,
I understand the point, but is this really true or does it have to be true? To say that church people don't want to dig is an over generalization. I have a couple -- in their 60s. Wanted info on the rapture -- gave them a copy of Barbara Rossing's Rapture Exposed and they're going at it -- having great fun.
Not everyone wants to dig, but that is true both inside and outside the church.
Bob, you don't get a vote. You live in California so I'm not sure that is a "real world" experience. (just kidding)
Maybe if UGA plays USC in the rose bowl this year, I'll pay your church a visit around new years! I'd love to experience it.
I think Richard Beck has hit onto something. I think maybe the reason I am so dissatisfied with most ostensibly progressive church services is that those services, despite the lip service that they pay to progressive virtures, are aimed at the first order compliant people who dominate the service.
You know, I'd be inclined to discuss theology during coffee hour after church some time, especially after having just digested scripture readings and a sermon that probably discussed those readings in some depth. But that isn't what people do at coffee hour, is it?
I think he might be onto something as well. In many ways, church is almost like a boundary (or box), rather than elastic. You can go, and you can question, but only in a certain way, and if you question in other ways, then you're too full of doubt, and must be reigned in. I'm not saying all churches are like this, but a lot do seem to be, because they have to reach the middle ground. But it would be nice to have a church say, "Give me your doubts! RIght here! Let's dive in!"
What I'm liking is Mystical's idea of a theological coffee hour, and just ripping everything apart (in a good way).
Richard's blog is one of my favorite stops. However, I can't understand how he remains at ACU, given his obvious support of a UR view. Guess there's a lot to be said for tenure and the fact that his area is Experimental Psychology.
Not only are many traditional churches unprepared to engage in deep meaningful dialogue, replete with questions, doubt, and diversity, but they despite it, believing those kind of conversations lead to division in the body. I hope that changes oneday because shallow unity that can’t survive in the presence of uncertainty or diversity is not real unity at all.
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