Stop by any mainline church this Sunday, and you’ll most likely observe the gray hairs outnumbering the young ones. As a hospital chaplain, I can’t help but notice that more and more patients these days describe themselves as “no religious preference” folks, though they’re often glad to see a chaplain show up at their room. “I’m spiritual but not religious” is the phrase I hear most often.
If spiritual people are not going to church these days, then probably the fault lies in the churches themselves. So what are we doing wrong, to alienate so many people who admit to believing in God? I’ve taken to asking that question of them, and here are some of the answers I’ve received:
“I believe God is love, but the church I went to was full of hateful people. When they practically came to blows over moving the piano to the other side of the sanctuary, I knew I’d had enough.”
“Too many crazy rules about birth control, and how missing church on Sunday was a sin. Really?”
“My pastor told me if I didn’t contribute 10 percent of my income to his church, that God would hate me. That was my last day in church.”
“The priest said that since I’d remarried, I could no longer receive communion. So what’s the point of being part of a church community that doesn’t want you to commune with God?”
“My wife’s life was at stake, and our religion told us she couldn’t have a medical procedure in order to save her life. I just couldn’t be a party to that.”
“My heart stopped during the operation. My soul left my body and went into the light. There’s no doubt about it — it was awesome! But when I told my minister about it, he said it couldn’t be real. I tell you, it was a lot more real than his sermons!”
Basically, these reports reflect the fact that some churches can be controlling, self-serving, judgmental to the point of cruelty, greedy and just plain stupid in the name of God. Add to that the fact there is now a generation of pastors, priests and rabbis who are nervous about their future and therefore are trying to control their congregations with Bible-based edicts that just aren’t relevant anymore. Meanwhile, case after case of clergy bad behavior has sapped the moral authority of the ordained — to the point where politicians can kiss babies, but priests had better not.
Some churches would call those folks I quoted above fallen from grace, but to my way of thinking they are the new theologians, cutting through the accumulated bull of religions trying to control the faithful’s behavior by whatever means possible. There is a spiritual common sense to the Bible and other sacred texts that often gets lost when religions harp on the particular. That’s where churches can get caught up in citing scripture for their own self-serving purposes.
Some will say I paint too grim a picture, that most churches emphasize love as the cardinal moral rule. I believe that’s generally true, but more evidence is needed that they’re preaching a love that will cross denominations, faiths and cultures to promote the notion that Jesus came to save us all — even those who’ve found church lacking. After all, Jesus’ favorite targets for scorn were the hypocritical Pharisees, who mandated law over love. Sometimes it seems like nothing has changed.
At Bangor’s Union St. Brick Church — where we try to do theater that reflects life — we’re doing a Christmas play about a pastor tired of his job and looking for a sign — only to get strangers arriving at his door who need coffee, diapers, help with their cars, something to eat, a place to sleep. It’s only after total exasperation that the pastor realizes what he has been missing all along — that the point of church is compassionate community. The sign we seek, the spiritual face of God, is found in the faces of one another — just as Jesus said.
The show, “The Pastor’s Unawares,” runs Friday and Saturday, Dec. 19 and 20 at 7 p.m., and Sunday at 3:30. Admission is free, and there will be refreshments following.
Lee Witting is pastor of downtown Bangor’s Union St. Brick Church, which has been doing theologically driven community theater since 2002. For more information, call 945-9798.