Time To Talk Of God

My main church, like a lot of British Methodist churches, has recently been studying the Time To Talk Of God book, which arose out of a report to Methodist Conference. The need for the book is itself a tragedy: it stems from the findings of The Church Life Census in British churches about three or four years ago, which examined the relative strengths and weaknesses of different Christian traditions. Although Methodists show well on all matters social and in our appreciation of the sacraments we are among those who find it hardest to speak about our faith. Thus the report – and, unusually, one that was widely welcomed across the theological spectrum.

When I first read the book, I must admit it seemed to have very little substance at all. I wondered what on earth the fuss was about. And more so when it was quickly apparent that the book had extremely limited aims: it only aimed to get Methodists talking with one another. But the fact that we have problems even with that is a further sign of the tragedy.

Nevertheless this apparently slight book was the key that unlocked some deep-seated feelings and some highly important observations about personal and corporate Christian life in our congregation. In this post I am sharing some of these in very general terms, and with the permission of the groups.

One joy for me was that although we had not even a third of the congregation in the groups, there has been a groundswell in favour of setting up small groups in the church as a result. When I saw the church profile before considering the appointment this appeared to be a gaping hole. The reasons for seeking the establishment  of more permanent groups amount to a collective cri de coeur, though. People needed a safe space in which to air their deepest questions about life and faith, and it seemed to them that no such sanctuary had existed before. It was not possible to have substantial conversations after Sunday worship – and maybe it was not desirable: another place and time was needed. Others felt that Sunday worship made little contact with the real world: the common Methodist practice of preaching from the Lectionary led to sermons that did not prepare people to engage in conversation with friends on the pressing ethical issues of the day, such as bioethics or environmental issues. Some would explicitly like to tie together small group material and the themes of Sunday preaching. Still others commented that they had not had any courses for mature Christian disciples during their journey of faith. The church membership classes and the like were the last courses some had done. Even for me to speak about some basic Christian spiritual disciplines such as fasting or solitude was new territory. And perhaps the most disturbing comment of all: how has the church made Jesus so boring?

So we have some challenges! But good challenges. I have the rest of the summer to start coming up with some suitable material! One constraint seems to be about the amount of reading that might be done as part of a course. Despite being located in an area that attracts professional, highly educated people there has been a nervousness in some quarters to studying a book such as Richard Foster‘s Celebration Of Discipline, because the chapters were about twenty pages in length. We need something more concise. (And the same reason rules out the Emmaus Course.) I have heard mixed reports of Rick Warren‘s The Purpose Driven Life: reviews I’ve read seem polarised. Either it’s adored or decried. The CPAS course Lost For Words would take us to the next step of talking about our faith with those who don’t presently share it. Nor do people want the kind of Bible study that is merely academic and enforces the division between church and reality rather than bridging it.

And those are just the immediate resources that occur to me. So, dear blog readers, what would you recommend? I am all eyes to read your thoughts.

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