Is there room for mystery in a pre-packaged world?
The Church, no less than any institution in which human beings are involved, is in part a product of its environment. We live in a society in which we expect to receive what we are looking for, in an easily digestible form, involving a minimum of effort. As an example, when we go to Micky-D’s we want our hamburger, not a dissertation on the challenges facing the fast food industry. We are so enculturated to the pre-packaged, instantly accessible that one can not perceive when it spills over into our relationship with God and the Church.
By definition, mystery cannot be pre-packaged, especially God’s mystery.
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Tuesday, November 3, 2009
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I don't see the comparison. For me, it's not about pre-packaging, it's about the way the message is packaged. I say let's use the culture to deliver God's message. After all, if we can't speak the language of the age, how can we communicate? Wouldn't it be like living in France and refusing to speak French? Or worse yet, living in France and repeating the same thing over and over in English, just a little louder each time. Well, maybe France is a bad example, but perhaps you get my drift.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking the language is one thing, and I agree with you Jacqui, that has to happen. But what I think I am hearing from this writing is that we (society) just want the final product without the labor of understanding what we are receiving. As Fr. Richard said... minimal effort. Feed it to us in a way that we can easily understand, but keep all the details, the nuts and bolts, out of the picture.
ReplyDeleteI think all too many times we come to church thinking it is somehow a distraction, a time out from the routine of daily living. We sing, we pray, we fellowship together, and then we leave feeling good about life. That's all find and good and necessary on occasion, but sometimes I would like to leave church rattled a bit! I want to be challenged in my faith, in my walk with God, in my understanding of how to best serve Community. I welcome this and think that it is absolutely necessary for the health of the congregation.
Having said that, I don't think we are suppose to sit and "soak up" information either. If we are teachable and want to learn, it stands to reason that we ought to then take it upon ourselves to read, study, and pray more on what it is that we are receiving .
Why is this? I dunno other than maybe we are too busy with our lives and choose not to find the necessary time. Maybe it's that we just want a "good fix of feel good" to carry us thru our week. Maybe we are afraid of discovering something that would actually challenge us, shake our understanding of God, the Universe, and our own lives
Ok... the last part of this where the big break occurs... not suppose to be there! Sorry! Guess the edit function didn't work for me :-)
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