[Craic] Future of "church"

[Bill Heffernan]

Reverend Fran Pratt is a Pastor of Liturgy and Worship at Peace of Christ
Church in Round Rock, Texas, a bedroom community on the outskirts of
Austin. She is a liturgist, musician, song-writer and mother to two
children.

On Sun., Jul. 12, 2020, 2:46 p.m. Allan Baker, <bakers3 at sympatico.ca> wrote:

> Friends;
> Over the past few weeks the topic of the “future of the church”, NOT the
> future of our Christian faith, has emerged in our Saturday conversations.
>
> Below is a contribution that came to me from a UCC friend.
> I have no idea who Rev. Pratt may be.
>
> Allan
>
>
> Q: By Jillian
>
> I would be interested to learn if you think people will return to church
> and prayer – in a time of chaos and crisis? Do you think people need
> something to “cling to?” Here in Australia we are also in shut down mode
> and I fear for those who are already in debt, lost jobs, business closed
> and the mental health aspect of some.  I’ve read of suicides after the
> Great Depression, share market collapse and you hope that it doesn’t occur
> again. As I’m an interested political volunteer, I suggested words of hope
> and encouragement might be needed rather than “Do this or else you’ll die”
> which is not particularly comforting.  Not everyone will die.
>
>
> A: By Rev. Fran Pratt
>
>
>
> Dear Jillian,
>
> It's interesting you ask this question. I personally think it's more a
> time of "letting go" than of "clinging to." I think this is a moment of
> collective apocalypse - meaning, a great revealing, or unveiling. And I
> see, at least here in the US, a lot of structures that need tearing down;
> and I believe this drawn-out moment is clarifying that reality for many
> people. Here we are literally tearing down colonialist and
> exploitative-capitalist monuments. And I think the slowdown of economies is
> highlighting things we can let go of and feel free to radically re-imagine
> going forward.
>
>
> I don’t need people to be in church, necessarily. But I do hope that the
> Church can become a voice for change. I hope it can get over its ego and
> overcome its centuries-long history of capitulation to empire and active
> participation in colonization. Again, this is a case of the Church needing
> to be rebuilt and re-imagined. In many cases, our leaving speaks louder
> than our staying. I think a lot of folks are realizing that, and also that
> the Church is not the only sacred space. People are getting creative and
> making sacred space in zoom calls and protests and marches and distanced
> outdoor visits. People are learning to “pray with their feet.”
>
>
> Basically, I think people who are doggedly asleep, are mostly going to
> remain asleep. But I pray that a higher consciousness prevails and is
> "contagious" in terms of waking up to the Kin-dom of God and its
> availability to us in this moment. And, I let go of control of other
> people, while hanging on to compassion and empathy (and indeed
> hands-and-feet helping) for those who are desperate.
>
>
> I agree that "do this or die" is not helpful, and I've been pleasantly
> surprised by the messaging I've seen around here that is more along the
> lines of "we're in this together, we can do hard things, etc." I’ve been
> encouraged by the response here in the US to the increased visibility of
> racism and systemic inequity, a badly needed awakening by the white
> majority. And I hope that the awakening will give way to Right Action,
> politically and societally.
>
>
> The things I personally cling to are very broad and generous: That the
> divine is ultimately loving and good. That we are lovingly given free will
> on this earth. That the challenges we encounter are here to teach us. That
> we can learn to live inside a paradigm of abundance (Kin-dom) rather than a
> paradigm of scarcity. That every human is made in the image of the Divine
> and deserving of dignity and safety. That we have agency and capacity for
> change. For me, if those are here, then here is Church. I can let go of
> what doesn’t align.
>
> ~ Rev. Fran Pratt
>
>
>
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>
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