Wednesday May 21, 2008
Keepers of the sacred
Here\’s a provocative statement about the church: “Society has fired us as keepers of the sacred.”
That doesn\’t come from vociferous atheists like Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens, who have had books riding high in bestseller lists. It comes from Bruce Sanguin, minister of Canadian Memorial United Church in Vancouver.
Once upon a time, “keepers of the sacred” described the Christian church fairly well. The church – more accurately, its clergy – dispensed history, tradition, education, healing… Often, it was the last resort for justice, when people sought sanctuary within its walls.
But times have changed. The church has handed over history to universities, education to public schools, justice to the courts, healing to governments and professional associations. The church still upholds its own traditions, but fewer and fewer people seem to care.
In Canada, the fastest growing religion is “none.” Fifty years ago, less than two per cent of census returns indicated “no religion.” Today, 17 per cent do nationally; in B.C., 35 per cent.
Other gods
A quotation often attributed to British author G. K. Chesterton says “When people stop believing in God, they don\’t believe in nothing – they\’ll believe in anything.”
So other things become “sacred.”
Lottery sales suggest that many transfer their faith to the almighty dollar. The volume and content of my spam e-mail suggests that vast numbers now worship at the altar of sex. A significant number have raised nature to the status of god.
Meanwhile, church membership has plunged. The United Church of Canada now has fewer adult members than it used to have children in Sunday schools. Conservative churches – even the megachurches that everyone wanted to imitate – are feeling the squeeze too, but about 20 years behind the mainline churches.
But why? To receive this column regularly via e-mail, send a request to [email protected]. E-mail subscribers also get excerpts from correspondence about these columns. Please forward a copy of this column to anyone who might be interested in subscribing.
If you want to order my books, you can call 1-800-663-2775 in Canada, 1-800-328-0200 in the U.S., or order them on-line at the Wood Lake Books website.
For a lighter look at ethics, faith, and life, I recommend Ralph Milton\’s weekly e-newsletter Rumors. You can subscribe to it at the Wood Lake Books home page in Ralph Milton\’s Site, or by sending a note directly to [email protected].
It\’s also worth pursuing Charlene Fairchild\’s United Online site. Another site worth visiting is David Keating\’s \”SeemslikeGod\” page.
If the church has become just another service club, then I\’d have to say that service clubs do a better job. Rotary has almost eliminated polio worldwide. Kinsmen raise millions every year to support cystic fibrosis research and treatment.
I admire Rotary\’s motto of “Service above self.” I support their adherence to four principles: truth, fairness, goodwill and friendship, beneficial to all. But with no disrespect, I rarely hear much examination of “Why?” Why give so generously? Why serve? Why care?
It\’s just taken for granted that we should. I guess if you don\’t, you would never join Rotary.
The churches I know are the only places that regularly ask, “Why?”
Every week, in church, someone makes the effort to explore why we take certain principles and values for granted.
Contrary to some assumptions, our system of ethics did not spring fully formed from The Enlightenment in the 18th3\”> century. It was shaped over centuries by what people considered encounters with God. With the holy. With the sacred.
Some people wrote those encounters down. Christians call that record their Bible. Others reflected on the implications of those encounters. We call that theology.
As long as churches continue to explore the significance of those encounters, churches will continue to be “keepers of the sacred.” Whether or not society cares.
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Copyright © 2007 by Jim Taylor. Non-profit use in congregations and study groups permitted; all other rights reserved.
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