By the Way: Why I look for organized religion

By Rev. Jim Hillson on October 19, 2019.

Whether I am at home or away, when it is Sunday morning I nearly always find my way to church. I observe that everywhere I go the congregations are becoming smaller and older. That seems to be true in Shediac, N.B. and Penticton, B.C., in Saskatoon and Calgary. The world is changing and churches are struggling to adapt.

The pace of change isn’t easy to keep up with. But there are things that don’t change. The things that bring tears to our eyes and prayers to our lips are fairly consistent through the ages of the planet and the ages of our lives.

Churches represent an important legacy of community leadership. People I hardly know will tell me how churches have made a critical difference in their lives during times of crisis or grief. Not so long ago births, marriages and deaths were all marked by a community gathering where people wanted a word and a prayer from a pastor or priest.

Fifth Avenue Memorial United Church recently received heritage designation from the City of Medicine Hat. A plaque was dedicated and the mayor offered a few words. But the minister of the church was not called upon. There was no acknowledgement that churches continue as places of spiritual nurture in the life of the community.

Something has been happening in organized religion which suggests that there is a disconnect between the spiritual yearning of the community and the life of the local church. The things that once worked well to connect the life of the local church to the spiritual needs of the community, don’t seem to hold as well anymore.

The pace of change in the world requires that all of us find sources of nourishment to sustain us. We need to be nourished physically and mentally, spiritually and emotionally.

I look for organized religion to bring forward a faith that helps folks through their day to day struggles.

I look for organized religion to help us notice the links between our personal struggles and the wider world of politics and social justice.

I look for organized religion to lift up a vision for something better which we and our neighbours can work toward.

I look for organized religion to refresh us with stories and rituals which help us feel the presence of God in the deepest yearnings of our hearts.

Reverend Jim Hillson is a minister of The United Church of Canada and is involved with support of our College Chaplain and sponsorship of refugees.

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