Todd Hunter, recently made a bishop in the new ACNA, was interviewed in this month's issue of Christianity Today. I really liked what he had to say. Here's what I like the most:
I'm working mostly with the de-churched—people who had been in church and had some kind of bad experience. Here's my real vision: I feel I really understand the postmodern, post-Christian angst of the 16- to 29-year-olds. I know people this age who are sleeping with whomever they want and are vaguely spiritual but not sure they want to be religious. I have a vision of them praying the prayer of confession week after week, and me doing spiritual formation with them, not saying, "Bad dog, you can't sleep with him or her," but saying, "Why don't you come to church every week and just pray this prayer, and then come back and see me in a month?"
Some of these people honestly don't know what they can believe. I have a vision of saying to them, "Don't worry about it. I want you to come to church every week for six months. Just say the Creed, and let's connect every few weeks over coffee." And we'll ask, "So, what are you stumbling over?"
I have a vision of liturgy as a tool for evangelism and discipleship, a tool that is grounded in Scripture.
1 comment:
I'm really intrigued by the ways in which people are differently perceiving and using the words "religious" and "spiritual."
I've realized that for me, "religion" is an ugly word--if not a dirty word. How did this happen? I think I need to reread Kathleen Norris's "Amazing Grace."
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