Our Lent theme at church is: Decade by Decade: Questions Along the Journey. Each week, in addition to the sermon, a member of the congregation is sharing a bit of their faith journey. Each week focuses on a different decade of life.
My goal is to reinforce the fact that our entire life is a spiritual journey. Too often we treat adults in one big lump, as if we are “done” with spiritual growth, as if faith formation is something for children and adolescents, as if Confirmation is really: Graduation from Thinking About God.
Last Sunday, which was the first Sunday of Lent, a young woman shared what it was like to be confirmed, go away to college, come back to her home church, and find her place in that church as an adult. All this when she is barely 22. Today, on the second Sunday of Lent, another young woman shared about her journey. She is in her 30s, married less than two years, and with a young baby. She spoke about the meaning of the word “Home” for her now, and how it has changed physically, metaphysically, and spiritually.
Both women did outstanding jobs of sharing very substantively, but briefly, and I am so glad to have had the chance to hear them. I find myself looking forward to next Sunday. I wonder if the church will look more and more like this in the future — built around people sharing their faith experiences, and using those experiences as a springboard to action. What a refreshing change from the “don’t ask/don’t tell” attitude about faith that I learned as a young child in a conservative, rather self-righteous church.
If this is the Emerging Church, then I say: let it emerge!