Postmodernity and Contemplat-i-oli-o
Last week, as folks were leaving ThPM, Sean mentioned how most pomo churches or house groups or whatever tended to place an emphasis on contemplative practices. Lots of them pray the hours. Friends of ThPM are into the labyrinth. We talk about and practice forms of centering prayer and meditation. Most art-based events that we host of visit have some form of meditation incorporated into them. He was wondering about where that connection comes from. And he (and I) were wondering about what to do for those folks for whom cotemplative practice don’t scratch where it’s itching.
I’ve got some ideas about the former (ancient/future connections and all that stuff) but not the latter. Anyone out there in cyberland what to ring in on either?
|^ I raise my hand! (Is there a symbol for that in cyber talk?) Good questions, and worth considering. I am one of those non-contemplative types–not in a group or guided experience, anyway. I tend not to appreciate it when a group leader tells me when to stand or raise my hands or sit quietly. I don’t usually appreciate the sloowwww or repetitive reading of prayers. Candles don’t do a thing for me. I tend to prefer to do my own thing on my own schedule, which is often not at the same place and time as others or the leader.
I think it’s ok to do group things that are contemplative in nature, but don’t expect everyone to be there with you. Perhaps that’s the beauty of having lots of smaller groups–each group can meld to the personnel there. One group may be artsy and contemplative while another is more focused on learning the Word and talking about how we apply it. That’s the itch I want scratched. Or, maybe it would be best for all if groups incorporate both styles into their meetings. We could benefit from the others and learn from them, rather than remain just the same with folks we already feel comfortable with.
I can tell you why I am turning to a more contemplative prayer/worship style, and expound as to why I think so many others are, too. For years, main-line churches haven’t allowed moves of the Spirit in their structured services. Even in the Pentecostal churches, where I come from, I didn’t see as much as we proclaimed there should be. In recent decades, there has been a great moving of God, accompanied by signs, miracles, wonders, and more.
But God isn’t a sign or a wonder. And I was tired of waiting to see Him do something marvelous to someone else. I wanted to meet Him myself.
And now that I have heard of the comtemplative/mystical practices of the Church, I believe that there is a way for me to experience God, to meet Him in my living room, rather than being a spectator at church.
Amen, Richard. I think I’m in the same place as you.
On the one hand, Rachelle, I hear you. Perhaps for those who are not new to the contemplative stuff, they can fairly say that it doesn’t work for them. On the other hand, I’d hate to reduce it to a “style” that we either like or don’t. For me, being brand new to the concept, it’s been a revolution in my thinking about, and experience of, meeting God.
hmmm..I like that connection Mike…about having the power encounter stuff at home and in my personal life as well as in the big group experience. That’s not WHY I do the contemplative thing, but it has been something that’s come OUT of it. It’s intriguing to me to find it this way.
So much depends on how you view the purpose of the gathering. I think I’m beginning to see more of the training/practicing aspect of the corporate spiritual practices. Regardless of how experienced I am at the particular practice I want to submit to the whole group, to join them - to do it together.
When church is viewed along the lines of a health club (lots of people working out but there for themselves)then of course you want to work-out with people who are at your level of fitness, not too fast - not too slow. To me that just won’t work for the church.
Although I said I was seeing more of the training aspect of the corporate practices I also think we have to be careful not to see it as merely a means to an end. Praying together, contemplatively or otherwise, is good.
One of the cool things about experimenting with expressions of church is the flexibility. We do a fair bit of contemplative stuff, if only because traditional institutional worship doesn’t always do that too well, and we get something out of it.
However, I think the key is doing different things - so that different people can connect in regardless of their spirituality.