I have been thinking about how much religion has become predictable, staid, out-of-touch, and irrelevant to many. New knowledge of the universe, technology, and the human brain has peaked interest and captured the imagination of this world's younger generations. It was even told to me recently that this current generation has out grown God.
What a shame! Our thoughts about and understanding of God have not kept pace with newly discovered knowledge of the universe, technology, and the human brain. Knowledge is always cumulative, but for some reason knowledge of God has not kept pace with the knowledge of other bodies of inquiry. Our thoughts of God are often elementary and inadequate to a generation looking for a worthier and larger idea of God to meet the needs and demands of this day.
If we do not have such a vision of God to pass on to this generation, many will, as Harry Emerson Fosdick once said, "give up all vital thought of God whatsoever." And Fosdick points to the truth behind Sam Foss's poem:
"A boy was born 'mid little things,
Between a little world and sky,
And dreamed not of the cosmic rings
'Round which the circling planets fly.
"He lived in little works and thoughts,
Where little ventures grow and plod,
And paced and ploughed his little plots,
And prayed unto his little God.
"But, as the mighty system grew,
His faith grew faint with many scars;
The cosmos widened in his view,
But God was lost among his stars.
"Another boy in lowly days,
As he, to little things was born,
But gathered lore in woodland ways,
And from the glory of the morn.
"As wider skies broke on his view,
God greatened in his growing mind;
Each year he dreamed his God anew,
And left his older God behind.
"He saw the boundless scheme dilate,
In star and blossom, sky and clod;
And, as the universe grew great,
He dreamed for it a greater God."
I invite you to let wider skies break in upon your view. Embrace a greatened God in your growing mind. Dream of God anew. And imagine a church equipping this generation and generations to follow with an understanding of God which challenges and captivates their imaginations.
No church is better poised to lift up to the world a worthier and larger idea of God than the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Make this the center of your congregation's life and you will connect with people who have written church and God out of their lives [the 'dones'] and people with no concept of church and God [the 'nones']. Our congregations are the places where people experience God. Give the people a God worthy to be praised!
Challengingly yours,
that Deirdre Harris-George will, on a part-time basis, serve as their shared Advocate for Racial Justice.