Discipling as Hope

A RESPONSE TO “Liberal churches are dying. But conservative churches are thriving,” BY DAVID HASKELL, WaPost, 1/4/17

First a confession—I freely admit that I read this article defensively. I am progressive, and I am sick and tired of being told that my position is so fundamentally flawed that I can never succeed. Mr. Haskell once again throws the conservative argument that we in the progressive school don’t believe anything, so we are doomed even before we begin. 

CRITIQUE

First, the sample size of his research is absurdly small. 22 churches is nothing. That is akin to me using Sacramento Presbytery as indicative of the entire PC(USA) with our 31 congregations, or, even worse, somehow equating this presbytery with all of American Christianity. If I did so, the image would be bleak, even for Mr. Haskell, because our presbytery is small, conservative, aging, and dwindling. The result would be that Christianity is failing. Living here, I do not believe that. A wider cross section reveals a dynamism, vitality, and growth that is irrefutable, albeit in a context that is overwhelmingly secular.

Second, our experience here in Sacramento indicates that it does not matter if one is conservative or progressive. Church is irrelevant to a wide majority of folks here. What we see is confirmation of the Pew Research that found that in America, all faith communities are declining. There is a visceral reaction to evangelical moralism, to boot. The exclusion, judgmentalism, and narrow-mindedness associated with anything named Christian is the first and formidable hurdle to overcome. 

As I look at our congregations, stability is found in all types of churches. The theology is not what matters so much as a sense of belonging. Our strongest churches are built on a foundation of relationships. These congregants are friends with one another. There is a sense of home positively. Their care for one another deepens the sense of the importance of the church to their lives. Additionally, their inherent connectionalism leads to a fuller engagement with the world. Being loved fosters being loving. 

VALID POINTS

The major validity in Mr. Haskell’s essay is in this thought—

the growing church clergy members in our study took Jesus’ command to “Go make disciples” literally

Discipling is the task of religion if it is to be real and viable. Faith is the core of our being—it is the affirmation of central core that makes life sensible, livable, and intentional. If we have found that core that makes life existentially valuable, then we should share it—we should want to share it! So, we all become evangelical when we find that which answers the most fundamental questions of human existence. Pastors and congregations that quail from this point need to rethink just how central their faith is to their lives and question how much joy (existential shalom) it brings. Why is there no enthusiasm for sharing it?

That leads to the second major valid point Mr. Haskell makes—

one might venture that it is the strength of belief, not the specifics of belief, that is the real cause of growth

Becoming inviting as adherents of a faith community directly flows from the seriousness with which the members hold the essential tenets of said community. This is true not only in Christian churches, but in any faith community. What makes Thich Nhat Hanh and the Dalai Lama so appealing to non-Buddhist Westerners is their absolute conviction that they have found the means to peace—inner and global. Sincerity earns them an audience. We see that here. A congregation that is truly centered on a core belief in God, including a call to model one’s life on the attributes of God, are the most stable. Where there is any sort of apathy in the pews (this really doesn’t matter, it’s just what I do), we see problems, decline, and isolation from the world. If we truly believe we have found something vital, important, and life-affirming, we are more likely to share it, especially if surrounded by others who share our conviction. Passion drives evangelism. 

Finally, we need to consider what discipling means. Depending on one’s theology, this definition will vary. A conservative church may define it as having folks accept Jesus in a public affirmation of faith, coupled, perhaps, with baptism. That public affirmation will include an acceptance of a set of essential tenets, perhaps a code of ethics and behavior, and a commitment to share these religious practices and beliefs with others, inviting and encouraging them to their own public affirmation. A progressive church may define it as modeling one’s life on the practice of Jesus. Jesus worked among the poor, so a disciple will do the same. Jesus welcomed the outcast, so a disciple will do the same. Jesus witnessed as often with deeds as opposed to words, so a disciple will do so, too. In short, as Jesus did, so will a disciple. Jesus embodied compassion, so will a disciple. Evangelism may well be simply be an invitation to join the work with no further actions required. A more contemplative congregation may emphasize the personal practice of spirituality—i.e., meditation and prayer. A disciple is one who dwells with God, so this type of congregation will offer the ways and means to become a contemplative follower of Jesus. Evangelism will be rooted in sharing the practice with others. Obviously, the first model will result in more tangible evidence of growth—a congregation will visibly add members. The main challenge will be to encourage engagement in work beyond oneself—as long as I got my ticket to heaven, nothing else matters. Secondarily, there is the problem of self-righteousness—a community built on codes of behavior has to deal with the constant threat of declaring themselves more pure than those who do not share their code. The second model will get a lot done in the world, working for justice and liberation from social ills, but there may not be any real growth in terms of numbers. Also, this type of church can easily get lost in works righteousness—i.e., we are doing justice, and, therefore, are more holy than those who don’t—we have earned our blessing. Grace can get lost. The third model leads to a rich and deep experience of the holy. There will be a profound experience of the depth of being human. The main issue here is self-focus. Lost in prayer, there may be little or no interaction or engagement with the world. Interestingly, the most profound mystics through the ages found the truest fulfillment of the spirituality when they re-entered the world to serve others through the presence of God, extending mercy to any and all.  Furthermore, this group will add members incrementally—public perception, while admiring the contemplative, recoils from it because it is seen as too arduous to undertake. Moreover, it can be dismissed as utterly irrelevant if there is no accompanying engagement with the world in compassion. 

These are not the only definitions of discipleship, but they open the door to further exploration.