Oh, there were some people (not counting the clergy, who seemed like a different species entirely from us "normal" people) who were not merely Christians like the rest of us. These people were "religious", a code word for excessively pious. These people quoted the Bible, prayed in public, wore crosses visibly, and made us Christians uncomfortable. At my boyhood church, such people usually disappeared to go work and live in far-off mission fields such as Africa and South America.
There was one serious downside to this old pattern of being a Christian. One did not really pick up much of use about Christianity. By the time I stopped attending church when I was 14, I knew almost nothing about the Bible. My family and I never prayed outside the printed Sunday-morning prayers in the worship bulletin. And I could not say that I had ever experienced God as anything more than an abstract subject of Sunday school lessons. I had a vague sense that this stuff mattered. Occasionally, I worried about where I might be spending eternity. But, when push came to shove, I felt well-enough equipped to go about life without Christianity.
Turns out, my experience was not unusual. I am part of an entire generation of people in North America who stopped going to church. I am also part of an entire generation of people who, nevertheless, are keenly drawn to the idea of spirituality. We have been called, by those who study such things, "Seekers". Having abandoned the church-on-Sunday religion of our childhoods, we have struck out like Conde-Nast adventurers in the wide world of religious practices and spiritual experiences.
During this same time, the Christian church was going through its own changes. The very practices that once seemed a bit too zealous for us - Bible study, prayer, meditation, worship, and living out one's faith in daily life - were being re-introduced in Christian churches all across the denominations and beyond. Christianity was re-claiming its place among the world of "spirituality".
One practical result of all this at my church is that I feel called not to be the "professional religious guy" who people consult for theological insight or to baptize their babies. Rather, I feel called to explore with them how they are spiritual, and how they can live out their spirituality in everyday life. As such, the thing lurking in my mind is that "ministry" is the job of every Christian, not just clergy. I do not consider it an option for Christians to read the Bible, pray, and work for Christ's peace and justice in the world. I consider it their duty. I also believe that these Christian practices will fill their lives with joy, laughter, tears, powerful friendships, and (sometimes) wild adventure.
What do you think?
Rev. Lee Seese is Pastor at Mt. Baker Park Presbyterian Church. This article is from the September 30, 2007 issue of The MBPPC News.