![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tealinSo I am halfway through yet another Sunday, once again wondering why there is so very little focus on appealing to the intellect at church. It seems to be a service based entirely on feelings, whether in the homily (tending to be what the priest feels about the Gospel rather than an analysis of it) or the music (why do so many modern hymns have the most vacuous lyrics?) or the comfort of mindless repetition of ritual, without explaining to anyone the significance behind it. It's not like there isn't an intellectual aspect to religion - indeed, it's entirely possible to find a great deal of spiritual inspiration in studying theology and different thinkers' takes on it. Christianity has had some brilliant thinkers in its time, such as Thomas Aquinas, Thomas More, and Réné Girard ... are they to be ignored by all those not actually studying religion? It's not like they don't have valid, relevant things to say. Perhaps the clergy are worried their audience is too stupid? Are they too stupid? Many of the concepts discussed by the great religious philosophers can be simplified enough for the average person to understand ... is this too much effort? C. S. Lewis did it very successfully with his series of Mere Christianity radio broadcasts (which then were made into a very popular book). Do they figure no one is listening anyway, so why bother?
It could be I've just been spoiled, in my formative years, by having a series of unusually intellectual priests. Every one I can remember from the time I started paying attention at church to the day Fr. Larry left St. Stephen's has been intelligent and had something interesting and well-thought-out to say, always appeared to have the wheels in his head turning in well-oiled synchronicity. But in the last three years ... yikes. The current pastor seems to base his homilies on time rather than content ... stands at the pulpit rambling on about whatever enters his mind until he notices the clock. Perhaps I am being unnecessarily cruel, but I know for a fact I am not the only one who has come to this conclusion. And yet, he is apparently very popular. Maybe the majority of people in the congregation do base their faith entirely on feelings, and since this guy is defintely one of those feel-good priests, they naturally adore him. What do I have to do to get some service around here? ("Me me me me me!" Ten points if you can spot the irony in this rant!) Spend three hours on the bus every Sunday to go to the parish serviced by the School of Theology out by the University? Or do I pursue intelligent dissections of religion on my own time and attend local Mass as a token gesture? That would be entirely the wrong way to approach it, I think... but I'm not left with much of a choice. Then again, this seems to be the avenue taken by a fair number of intelligent people...
Another point: all efforts to reach out and "spread the good news" are similarly feeling-based. You see all sorts of "Come Join the Celebration!" and "Jesus Loves You - Ask Me How!" type advertising, but never any "Christianity - it Just Makes Sense" or "If the Principles Were Actually Followed, People Just Might Get Along." This marketing of feel-good-and-don't-think-about-anything not only misrepresents religion but turns those of a more skeptical, analytical nature completely against it, because they assume it's all hocus-pocus, catchy music, and waving your arms around with no real substance to it.
I'll save my rant about insipid lyrics for some time when I'm really annoyed, likely after having to sit through an hour and a half of the Youth Choir. (Ohhh, cruel. I am a nasty old codger before my time.)
Here's my idea: Intellectual Masses. They have specialty Masses all the time, whether in a certain language (e.g. the French Mass at 5 pm) or with a certain vibe (e.g. the Youth Mass on Saturday nights) to appeal to a target audience that might feel alienated otherwise. And it will have an overwhelming attendance of ... five.
Well, it's nice to think about, anyway.
It could be I've just been spoiled, in my formative years, by having a series of unusually intellectual priests. Every one I can remember from the time I started paying attention at church to the day Fr. Larry left St. Stephen's has been intelligent and had something interesting and well-thought-out to say, always appeared to have the wheels in his head turning in well-oiled synchronicity. But in the last three years ... yikes. The current pastor seems to base his homilies on time rather than content ... stands at the pulpit rambling on about whatever enters his mind until he notices the clock. Perhaps I am being unnecessarily cruel, but I know for a fact I am not the only one who has come to this conclusion. And yet, he is apparently very popular. Maybe the majority of people in the congregation do base their faith entirely on feelings, and since this guy is defintely one of those feel-good priests, they naturally adore him. What do I have to do to get some service around here? ("Me me me me me!" Ten points if you can spot the irony in this rant!) Spend three hours on the bus every Sunday to go to the parish serviced by the School of Theology out by the University? Or do I pursue intelligent dissections of religion on my own time and attend local Mass as a token gesture? That would be entirely the wrong way to approach it, I think... but I'm not left with much of a choice. Then again, this seems to be the avenue taken by a fair number of intelligent people...
Another point: all efforts to reach out and "spread the good news" are similarly feeling-based. You see all sorts of "Come Join the Celebration!" and "Jesus Loves You - Ask Me How!" type advertising, but never any "Christianity - it Just Makes Sense" or "If the Principles Were Actually Followed, People Just Might Get Along." This marketing of feel-good-and-don't-think-about-anything not only misrepresents religion but turns those of a more skeptical, analytical nature completely against it, because they assume it's all hocus-pocus, catchy music, and waving your arms around with no real substance to it.
I'll save my rant about insipid lyrics for some time when I'm really annoyed, likely after having to sit through an hour and a half of the Youth Choir. (Ohhh, cruel. I am a nasty old codger before my time.)
Here's my idea: Intellectual Masses. They have specialty Masses all the time, whether in a certain language (e.g. the French Mass at 5 pm) or with a certain vibe (e.g. the Youth Mass on Saturday nights) to appeal to a target audience that might feel alienated otherwise. And it will have an overwhelming attendance of ... five.
Well, it's nice to think about, anyway.
