When the world is falling apart, what can we say? How do we pray? We are powerless to prevent earthquakes and wildfires that cause so much devastation. We can’t make sense of the foolishness of world leaders that fire missiles at other nations, killing and injuring innocent people. Our minds boggle at the money being poured into technologies that exploit their users rather than tackling injustice and feeding the hungry. Another NHS trust is found wanting and no-one knows how to put it right.
Over the summer I have been reflecting on what it means to be church in a community like ours and at a time like this. What are we doing to help one another grow spiritually and make sense of our crazy world?
I grew up in a church that put a lot of effort into teaching its members, often lining us up in rows of chairs to listen to a monologue by an older person (almost always a man) rambling on about a book of the Bible or a Christian doctrine. A few of them really knew their stuff and surprisingly a lot of it stuck – at least in my head. But, I came to realise that what was in my head didn’t seem to make much difference to my life.
Most of the time I learn best by doing something. I have returned, after many years, to playing the piano. I am acutely aware that I am out of practice. I also know that my playing won’t improve if I just read a book about it or spend my time listening to a brilliant pianist. But, if I practice, my fingers will begin to pick up the rhythm and the music will flow from my heart and not just my head.
Religious communities have known this for centuries. Prayer, sacred reading, silence, fasting, hospitality, and contemplation were at the heart of the Christian life. Over time they became rhythms of life that transformed them into people of wisdom and compassion. Spiritual practices can clear our brain and give us a different and more hopeful perspective on the chaos and suffering around us.
So, over the next few months, as a church, we will be introducing a number of opportunities to develop our spiritual practices, to be a bit more curious, and try different ways of praying or reading the Bible. Everyone is invited.
