The Grainy Life

I received a Facebook message the other day and thought it might be interesting to share it with you: “I have a thought provoking question in search of your opinion. You said in Godology that people are beginning to search for the “grainy” life. I agree with this statement. In this vein, education gurus tell us that people learn best with hands-on experiential learning (e.g. Montessori, Foxfire, etc). Granted, in church, we sing and read scripture, but do you have any thoughts on how to make congregational worship more hands-on and experiential?”

–Jeremy

In response to your question, Jeremy, let me back up a bit and explain what I mean about the “grainy life.” Technology, in many ways, has both positively and negatively benefit our society. It has given us news ways to stay in connection to one another. It has brought us deeper into a global community and allows for the kind of ecumenism that I think the church can benefit from. But it also has its negative repercussions. One thing I am finding (at least, in myself) is that because we are always a computer click away from updating our Facebook status, or calling a friend, or Skyping, or whatever, there is an incarnational loss inherent to technological advance. There is a lack of flesh, so to speak. I was presenting a paper last weekend in Stirling on virtual reality and pilgrimage and someone asked me in the Q and A afterward about this idea of incarnation. She was responding to a comment I made about Jesus coming to earth as a person, not a pixel. And I told her that while virtual reality can connect us from one another, it can also disconnect us in ways that we don’t even realize. It tricks us into thinking that online community is equivalent or even better than face-to-face community. Flesh community. And I am finding people are hungry again for this fleshly kind of community–a grainy, nitty gritty kind of community

So Jeremy, your question is interesting because it addresses how churches can appropriate the grainy life. I certainly need to spend more time developing this, but I think the answer lies in spiritual disciplines. Spiritual disciplines like fasting and meditative prayer, and even labyrinth walking awaken us to spiritual realities otherwise undetected in our lives. You mention that people learn best through hands on experiences and corporate spiritual disciplines like pilgrimage and chanting provide us incarnational ways to express our faith. All the disciplines I mention in Godology can be practiced in corporate worship, though services these days rarely focus on them. For example, let’s say you want your congregation to experience what it means for Christ to be at the center of our lives through the discipline of labyrinth walking. Clear our the chairs and make one giant labyrinth in the center of your church so that people can physically walk through the service during the sermon, during the singing. An organic movement/flow of people not looking at the preacher, but inwardly aware of the direction of their lives, of their individual and collective direction. Instead of sitting and listening, this would create a kind of incarnational atmosphere that, in my opinion, gets the sermonic message across with great articulation.

There are many other ways to incorporate the grainy life in our services. I’d be interesting in what you guys think. Please feel free to leave comments.

Blog