This is a question for those who do participate in faith communities, churches, or other groups where faith and/or religion draw people together. How to you make it work for you as a person, as an individual? What personal tools and understandings help you prosper or grow here...or is it occasionally more about survival?
We all know the complexities of such groups...hypocrisies, scandal, woundedness. That seems to always be floating about somewhere (unfortunately). Yet, I think there is something else at work that somehow make these communities worthwhile, at least for some of us.
I was musing over this myself because my own community has a heirarchy, and canons, and rubrics....and (sadly) recent scandals aplenty. Headlines say this and that. Yet so many, including myself, choose to remain and find much richness here. It had me thinking that for me, the real substance of a community isn't necessarily in the external trappings and codes (which do have their rightful place). What is more telling is how a community prays. Listening to those words yields much more insight into the core reasons of why people are there. Maybe it captures the aspirations of each individual and those, in turn reflect those of the community.
Another thought: theological doctrines and pastoral practise. In my church it is easy to focus on doctrine and various statements of faith. They are one reality and again, these have their rightful place. But I have also seen first hand the pastoral care of those in need, in grief, in dysfunction, and the very real, understanding of a humanity that binds us all together. We all have our disconnects, don't we? Real-life pastoral care often goes unseen, but I observe it at work all the time and have been the recipient of it myself. It is a wonderful thing.
A final thought for now: in my own faith community we have local churches scattered here and there, and the reality in each place may vary widely. Some find their experience to be very dry or boring, some don't. Seems fair....I find this sometimes, too. But I have also learned to see and live with a broader continuum of experience beyond my local reality and this has made a huge difference. I do not rely solely on the talents of the hard-working local pastor (at least where I live)...but also on a long line of faithful over time and in places not so close to home. I find this more entire reality very enriching and grounding.
Oh well, my random musings. How do you live in faith community? What makes it work for you? What sort of things do you draw on that fan the flames of your own personal inspiration? Just wondering.
We all know the complexities of such groups...hypocrisies, scandal, woundedness. That seems to always be floating about somewhere (unfortunately). Yet, I think there is something else at work that somehow make these communities worthwhile, at least for some of us.
I was musing over this myself because my own community has a heirarchy, and canons, and rubrics....and (sadly) recent scandals aplenty. Headlines say this and that. Yet so many, including myself, choose to remain and find much richness here. It had me thinking that for me, the real substance of a community isn't necessarily in the external trappings and codes (which do have their rightful place). What is more telling is how a community prays. Listening to those words yields much more insight into the core reasons of why people are there. Maybe it captures the aspirations of each individual and those, in turn reflect those of the community.
Another thought: theological doctrines and pastoral practise. In my church it is easy to focus on doctrine and various statements of faith. They are one reality and again, these have their rightful place. But I have also seen first hand the pastoral care of those in need, in grief, in dysfunction, and the very real, understanding of a humanity that binds us all together. We all have our disconnects, don't we? Real-life pastoral care often goes unseen, but I observe it at work all the time and have been the recipient of it myself. It is a wonderful thing.
A final thought for now: in my own faith community we have local churches scattered here and there, and the reality in each place may vary widely. Some find their experience to be very dry or boring, some don't. Seems fair....I find this sometimes, too. But I have also learned to see and live with a broader continuum of experience beyond my local reality and this has made a huge difference. I do not rely solely on the talents of the hard-working local pastor (at least where I live)...but also on a long line of faithful over time and in places not so close to home. I find this more entire reality very enriching and grounding.
Oh well, my random musings. How do you live in faith community? What makes it work for you? What sort of things do you draw on that fan the flames of your own personal inspiration? Just wondering.
