In the post-modern and post-Christendom world, the archaic reasons to attend church are invalid and foreign to fellow pilgrims. People are going to churches to experience community, unity in the diversity of opinion and lifestyle, and to be nurtured and strengthened by God’s word, so that they may love others as much as Jesus has loved us. The Church (institution) must embody the passion, vision, and mission of first-century believers or risk continued decline. I will argue that every human being, the creation, and the priestly offices are equal in God’s eyes. I will also submit that the world and its inhabitants cannot be divided into the Sacred and the Profane. Finally, I will share my experiences in cultivating and nurturing inclusive worshipping communities, to show that the real Church is the people.
In traditional and conventional wisdom, espoused by the majority of churchgoers, attending church is considered a way to be present in the house of God, and God can only be worshipped in a church setting. The world is divided into sacred and profane. Sacred is hallowed ground, while profane is everywhere else. The demarcation of the created order in sacred and profane negates the essence of the created world. In varying degrees, we posit that God’s hand was in the creation of our universe and the planet. The question arises as to how God’s creations can be profane. Can human beings who represent the image of God be sacred and profane? Are university classrooms and auditoriums profane because of the knowledge imparted in them? Furthermore, can knowledge, education, and technical skills be profane, as God is the source of all knowledge and wisdom?
Saint Paul, even though he lists five callings in Ephesians 4:11 (Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher), emphasized that all work, including his own as a tentmaker, is a potential means for serving God and can be a vocation or divine calling. The focus is on the attitude with which one works – doing it heartily for God or doing it for personal glory and ambition, rather than the specific occupation itself. Saint Paul instructs believers in Colossians 3:23-24 to work heartily as for the Lord and not for human beings. Thus, Saint Paul transformed secular tasks into acts of worship and service to God. In Corinthians 7:17, Saint Paul submits that God assigns each person their place in life and calls them to that position. It implies that everyone must discern and respond to their own call. In conclusion, every work and profession contributes to God’s agenda for people and the world.
In Galatians 3:28, Saint Paul clearly states spiritual unity within the Christian community. The verse states that in Christ there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile, slave and free, male and female; thus, all are one. Faith in Christ transcends social, ethnic, and gender divisions. It highlights that all believers share the same status as children of God through faith in Jesus Christ, and we shall add that this is also because of the image of God they depict.
Jesus reached out to and addressed the needs of people regardless of their ethnicity, gender, or social status. He presented a Samaritan as the example of a good neighbour, ate and communed with tax collectors, healed people on the Sabbath, protected a woman who was ready to be stoned, and talked with a Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus also stood against the oppressors. He called them out on their shortcomings, either through the parables, healing and curing, or teachings in their midst. According to Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus equates Himself with the marginalized of the world. In this parable, Jesus offers insight into the Day of Judgement. Nations of the world were separated as a shepherd separates sheep from goat. One group was cursed and punished, while the other was blessed and invited into God’s kingdom. The reason was not their religiosity, spirituality, or ethnicity; instead, it was their response to people in need. Jesus told them that as much as you have done it to the least of my children, you have done it to me. At the Ascension, Jesus commanded Peter to care for Jesus’ sheep and flock. It must be noted that taking care of the flock was done to follow Jesus’ example by curing the sick, feeding the hungry, visiting the prisoners, and clothing the naked. The worship, relationship with God, prayer life, and rituals strengthen a believer to be a beacon of hope and love in the world.
Pentecost, the birthday of the church, set the standard and the template for the church to follow and emulate. Every person, regardless of their ethnicity, heard the message in their own language. The native language, also referred to as the mother tongue, holds a special and intimate place in a person’s psyche and development. Hearing the message in their mother tongue allowed them to experience God reaching out to them in a most familiar and intimate way. The challenge for the church has been, and remains, to speak a language that everyone can understand. The descent of the holy city in the book of Revelation reveals the image of God’s kingdom. In Revelation 21, we are told that the city descended from heaven, and all the people of the earth were gathered around the throne of God; the temple was not in it. It should be noted that the temple was for the chosen nation. Thus, God took away the exclusive privilege of an ethnic group and replaced it with ethnic inclusivity.
The early church, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, strived to follow Jesus’ example and commandment. They kept a common purse, took care of the poor and the impoverished, had hospitals for the sick and the injured, ran a hospice for the old and weak, groomed future leaders, and spread the gospel to the ends of the earth. Despite internal conflicts and issues, they remained committed to Jesus’ mission.
The above discussion can be summarised as follows:
- Every profession is a vocation and can be offered in thanksgiving to God.
- Every human being is equal in God’s eyes.
- Faith is actualized and practised in the ministry to the marginalized.
- God’s kingdom includes everyone.
The conversion of Constantine in the 4th century AD ushered in the institutional structure of the church. The hierarchy mimicked the Roman Emperor’s court model. The Pope became the absolute monarch, Cardinals were the princes, and other orders (Archbishops, Bishops, Clerics) held their positions and exercised authority vested in their office. The church morphed into an empire at the expense of Jesus’ mission. The dogma and the doctrine determined the membership and the ministry of the church. The Church became aloof, and ordained individuals served as the mediators between God and the laity. The Reformation and the creation of the Church of England challenged the system on a doctrinal basis. It created new denominations but continued the exclusive and hierarchical model in various ways. The evangelical, charismatic, fundamentalist redefined hierarchy and absolute authority through the division of saved and unsaved, and the imposition of a strict moral code and financial commitment to the organization.
In 2025, we are discerning why we should attend church. It is a pertinent and relevant question, as the mainline denominations in general, and the Anglican Church of Canada in particular, have experienced significant decline. The diocese of Rupert’s Land is dealing with declining numbers, ageing worshipping communities, empty buildings, and dwindling financial resources. The church leadership has addressed the situation by closing the churches, offering part-time clerical ministry, while maintaining support for the hierarchical system. The bishops enjoy absolute authority to veto any synodical decisions, and the laity is expected to follow the lead of their cleric in most cases. Dissenting voices are often disregarded and labelled as arrogant, not a team player, condescending, and opposed to the institution and its leadership. The church has evolved within the ancient framework of governance. Doctrines and dogmas have been changed to align the policies with society and culture, but the governance system remains unchanged.
The emergence of post-modernity has confronted the modernity paradigm. Post-modernity has replaced society with community, religiosity with spirituality, raised awareness of the disparity between the poor and wealthy individuals and countries, and individual interests have been subsumed by the communal good. Movements to forgive the unpayable debt of the developing nations, advocating for fair trade practices, and championing the rights of peasants, farmers, and labourers are a few examples of the vision and passion of post-modern pilgrims. The pyramid form of leadership is replaced with the circular form of leadership.
Post-modern pilgrims are prophets of our times due to their passion for re-creating the world order and their obsession with equality for every person, regardless of ethnicity, social status, sexuality, or religious affiliation.
Post-modern pilgrims’ values resonate with Jesus’ mission and vision for the world. Jesus destroyed the barriers and united the human family. Jesus’ commandment was to love others as he has loved us, and love acknowledges a person while transcending all differences.
There are several congregations within the Anglican Church of Canada that, through their liturgy, music, mission, ministry, and attitude, have created exciting communities. These congregants, through introspection, discerned the will of God for their context and, with courage and faith, followed the Spirit’s call.
St. Saviour’s is my fifth parish in my thirty years of ordained ministry. In all but one instance, the parishes I have worked with established unique worshipping communities. On the Lower North Shore, the congregations created an intergenerational community because the youth had been neglected for several years. In Stephenville, instead of disrupting established liturgies, we began contemporary worship with just five people. Within a year, we were averaging a hundred worshippers. Our community included Christians of various denominations, Hindus, Sikhs, Baha’i and Jewish families. In Pasadena-Cormack, the youth of both churches wrote the prayers, delineated social outreach, and the community discussed equal marriage and their ministry to the dissenting voices. St. Saviour’s congregants arrive at nine in the morning and leave around one in the afternoon. From 10:30 to 12:00, we worship, and before and after the worship, the community enjoys each other’s company. The congregation has become a multi-racial community. The Parish is committed to cultivating and nurturing a culture of inclusion, regardless of ethnic origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, or theological and doctrinal differences.
The above examples are shared to support the premise of this inquiry, which is that the real Church is the people. The institution and its hierarchy serve the congregants. People go to church to be nurtured by the community. The world cannot be divided between the sacred and the profane. Doing so negates God’s hand in the creation and image in every human being. The liturgy should be relevant and relate to the context, and the believer’s passion must be cherished, nourished, and respected. We attend church to experience unity in diversity and equality as the children of God.
