I’ve been following the blog by author, Rachel Held Evans, for a couple of years now. Much of what she writes resonates with me. Either she and I have experienced a lot of the same things or she has done some extensive research and interviews to be able to present her arguments, either way she’s hitting the nail on the head each and every time.
However, Sunday morning I awoke to find her latest article, Why Millenials need the church. I had to do a double take…and a triple take.
Did she really say that?
I posted on my Facebook wall and wondered, among my friends, if I had somehow missed a point. Was I taking it wrong?
And just what is a Millenial anyway? I’m 40 years old and hadn’t heard that term other than in her writing. Maybe I’ve been too sheltered? Again, I asked my friends. Apparently, I’m also a Millenial. Which is great, because I wasn’t sure I should address her article since she seems to be aiming her thoughts for this group called, Millenials. So here I am, a fellow Millenial (a latch key one, at that), so I feel some responsibility to reply to her article.
After she briefly describes her non-church going Sundays, she introduces this main idea:
“But eventually I returned, because, like it or not, we Christian Millenials need the church just as much as the church needs us.”
Now, if you’re like me and know there’s a stark difference between the Church and the church then we need some clarification on her context.
Since she wrote about not “going to” church and “going back to church”, it seems that we can assume she’s talking about the locale of a building where Christians meet on Sundays.
Therefore, I can agree the ‘church’ actually needs us..or rather, our money. Because without money they simply won’t operate for much longer.
But do we, Christian Millenials, actually need that building filled with pews?
Another fellow Millenial also wanted some clarification and she asked Rachel to explain.
Rachel went on to explain why we “Christian Millenials” need the ‘church’.
Her first point was that of baptism. Yet the way in which she describes our need for baptism isn’t quite as clear to me. Perhaps it’s because I view baptism as a symbolic religious ritual (tradition) in which one gets dunked as a symbol of their choice to walk with Christ by faith.
In my view, it doesn’t make sense to say it ‘ drags us – sometimes kicking and screaming as infants – into the large, dysfunctional and beautiful family of the church.’ I don’t believe infants should be baptized as a symbol of THEIR DECISION to follow Christ by faith when they aren’t even old enough to make that decision. However, for the denominations that do so, then yes..I can see how an infant baptism does drag them into church life.
I’m still not sure why that brief explanation is a reason why we need the ‘church’.
She then goes on to present her second reason, confession.
She feels that we can become too idealistic about changing the world from our iPads. Although, I have to say that many compassionate and fearless people on Facebook most certainly have changed my mind about a lot of things.
She also says, “The accountability that comes from participation in a local church gives young Christians the chance to speak openly about our struggles with materialism, greed, gossip, anger, consumerism and pride.”
I’m not sure how many congregations she has been a participant in, but I’ve been to my fair share and I have never been able to find a place where I can speak “openly” about these things. More often than not, I’ve been shut down, silenced, and snubbed out of any opportunity to speak openly about anything.
In a more perfect congregation, sure…that COULD be a place where you could do that..and if you have such a place then I’m super happy for you and you should be thankful you have that kind of a faith community.
Rachel then mentions, healing.
“At their best, local churches provide basements where AA groups can meet, living rooms where tough conversations about racial reconciliation occur, casseroles for the sick and shelter for the homeless.”
Key words, “at their BEST”. She goes on to suggest that someday, people who have been hurt by the church may be able to find healing there. I hope so. I my experience, a lot of healing was undone when we were “beaten” into submission, had our own thoughts erased and replaced with dogma, and brutally cut off when we left…leaving us deeply damaged.
Next we see her bring up leadership. I can’t help but to laugh and spit my coffee on my keyboard at that one. Don’t get me wrong, I actually do know of a few rare exceptions where leaders are genuine servants who truly love their congregations. But for the most part, I’ve seen far too much abuse coming from the pulpits of American churches. Even if I go back to a ‘church’, the leadership is the last group of people I would trust.
One more thing about her thoughts on leadership,
“We can learn a lot from the faithful who have gone before us, and the church is where we find them.”
I disagree with this one. In part. I think “a” church is where we ‘might’ find them.. but not “the church is where we find them”.
There are many faith-full people outside the institutional church and we shouldn’t discount their diligent, faithful, and compassionate work outside the 4 walls. I’m not claiming that she has said that, I’m just making sure to say that *I* am saying it.
Next is her contribution to our ‘need’ for the ‘church’ through Communion. This is another term I think is widely misunderstood in church life and in biblical interpretation. Communion is an open exchange of life, experiences, thoughts, and beliefs. The eating of the bread and juice(wine in some churches) is simply another symbol to serve as a reminder. A reminder of what Jesus actually did that evening of the last supper. He broke bread and drank together with friends of faith. They interacted over a FULL MEAL. I’d much rather go back to a congregation that has a real communal time of gathering over a meal than to a 5 minute ritual of letting a wafer melt on my tongue with a mini shot glass of grape juice. No judgment, I just prefer a full communion time with friends of faith than an appetizer that lasts 5 minutes.
Again we see another term that needs further clarification, confirmation. I agree with Rachel that this is a rite of initiation in SOME churches. Not all churches have this practice. Therefore, it is not entirely accurate to say the confirmation ritual is why we need the ‘church’. For me, confirmation comes from the Spirit within me. It’s when something someone says resonates within my soul. It’s when the Spirit says, “that’s what I’ve been talking to you about”. Yet, this happens every day of my life and that is the wonderful mystery that is God, each and every day in a variety of people in my life (and through nature). So I don’t need the ‘church’ in order to see this manifest in my life.
Now here’s where I put on the brakes, full force…when she declares her opinion on our Union with Christ.
“Those who follow Jesus long for the day when their communion with him becomes complete, and Jesus promises this will happen through the church.”
Now I am trying to consider her words to Alice when she mentioned we should not read into what she “didn’t” say. So I am going to walk carefully through this one while I try to unpack EXACTLY what she said.
Those who follow Jesus….ok, that’s me.
We will long for the day when our communion with him becomes complete.… who said it isn’t already complete? I have communion with Jesus every day!
And Jesus promises this WILL happen through ‘the church’. Hold on a second..or rather..a long minute.
Jesus is communing WITH many of us every day in all sorts of ways, with and without humans. Jesus NEVER once promised that he would commune with us through ‘the church’. Think only of what I’m saying..not what I’m “not saying”. Remember that I believe there is a STARK difference between the Church and the church.
The Church is the BODY, which is universal. The Church (Body) is all over the globe. Can Christ commune with us through this Church? Absolutely! Can Christ commune with us through nature? Again, yes! Most definitely.
The church is a locale. A building with pews, stained glass windows, and quaint Sunday School classes for children. Jesus never commanded for these buildings to be constructed and he never said THAT would be where He would commune with us. Now, I’m not saying He doesn’t commune with people there, but it’s certainly not the only place where He does so. Therefore, Millenials don’t “need” to go there.
This definition clarification between Church and church is SUPER important and here’s why;
“No matter what the latest stats or studies say, Christians believe the future of the church is secure and not even “the gates of hell” will prevail against it.”
Jesus never said the gates of hell will not prevail against the ‘church’. The ‘church’ is not secure, regardless of what some Christians think. Just ask the Christians in third world countries that don’t have buildings and no hut is large enough for a large faith gathering much less a potluck meal. Ask the many churches who have had to close their physical doors, because their elderly generation’s SSI can’t possibly support the finances to keep the doors open.
I understand her thoughts here:
“As much as I may struggle to fit in sometimes, as much as I doubt, question and fight for reforms, I am a part of this church, through good times and bad, for better or worse.”
I think we all can say that we struggle at one time or another (and some of us more often than not) to fit in. Many people want a real change in the institutions we often call church. The thing is..Jesus already tore down the idea of a hierarchy in the Body. We’re all equal now. So why are we continually putting this dead entity on imitation life support devices? Why are we tirelessly performing CPR on a corpse?
Rachel says she is a part of that church..”in good times and bad. For better or worse.” I just don’t find it conducive to keep dragging a dead institution around and claiming its where we “need to go”.
Rachel mentions Episcopal priest Sara Miles and she quotes her as saying, “You can’t be a Christian by yourself.”
Now, I’m not against gathering together, but John was a Christian by himself on the Isle of Patmos, so I guess it IS possible.
I love what she says here,
“The astute reader will notice that each of these points corresponds loosely with a sacrament—baptism, confession, the anointing of the sick, holy orders, communion, confirmation and marriage.
Some would say there are many others. We could speak of the sacrament of the Word or the washing of feet.
But even where they are not formally observed, these sacraments are present in some form in nearly every group of people who gather together in the name of Jesus.
They connect us to our faith through things we can eat, touch, smell and feel. And they connect us with one another.”
If the rituals are the reason people gather..so they CAN connect..because those things ARE what gets them to interact with one another, to love each other, to support the needy, and to pray with each other..then I fully support that.
Just don’t tell us we “need” those things, because not all people (Millenials or otherwise) need those things to get us to gather together, to commune over a meal, to deliver crock pot meals, or to pray with those in need of spiritual encouragement.
Because we DO gather, we DO love, we DO hug and pray with each other. We find ways to commune with Christ and with one another everywhere we go.
And while many religious leaders want, so desperately, to get people back in churches… the Church is out doing her work all over the world..in 4 walls, under straw huts, on the beach, in the coffee shop, and at the hospitals.
So please don’t try to pull us back into the pews, we’re quite busy as it is.
And you’re invited to join us, but we won’t tell you why you “need to come with us”.
So I’ll agree that Christian Millenials need the Church…. but the ‘church’? Not so much.
But really, with all the squabbling about which Church..or church… shouldn’t we be declaring CHRIST instead?
