So Derek and I attended our first church service in over two months this morning. We went with Derek's cousin and his wife to a local church plant that is being held in a museum of all places! It was actually pretty neat--it was a younger, more post-modern type of crowd, mellow and non-Charismatic in their style of worship and interaction.
We sat at the back just taking it all in. I can't believe how foreign the feeling of a church
service has become to me in just a few months' time. I'm surprised at myself, and how much of an
intrapersonal personality I have become. I'm not sure whether it is the down time at home or the fact that I am teaching hyperactive junior high students that has done it to me (perhaps it's both).
The teaching that came this morning was an interactive one; the leader spoke on the topic that there are "outsiders" in church and in society that are pushed aside or overlooked by people. However, he noted that these same people are often the ones that Christ looks to first. In fact, even in the traditional nativity story, we can remember that it was the shepherds (social outcasts and hermits) and the wise men (strangers from afar) that met the newborn Christ
first, even before the local religious community or royalty.
Once the message had been shared, there was an open mic style of sharing from the audience. People shared honest and sincere sentiments and experiences on either being an outsider or having seen how outsiders can be treated in society and even in church. One single woman in her late thirties commented how much stigma she receives even from the regular church crowd about her singleness. People wonder what is "wrong" with her, why she is not married yet, and even suggest she might be gay. She said her singleness, as simple a thing as it may be, makes her feel her "otherness" very much.
As I sat and listened to people share their bared, vulnerable hearts, I made connections of my own in the crevaces of my mind. The new initiative in education is moving toward
differentiation in teaching; in other words, teachers should create lessons within lessons that fit the needs of the various learners in their classrooms. Basically this is a movement that fights against previous movements to standardize and to expect that all students can and do learn in the same way. While Student A may learn best through listening to instruction, Student B may learn best by using his hands. We've heard before that people can be visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learners, but now a man named Howard Gardner has come forward with his
Theory of Multiple Intelligences which suggests that peoples' levels of intelligence (for example, their IQ) should not be based on measuring their general intelligence. Instead he suggests that there are 8 (9? 11? I think the theory has been expanded recently) types of intelligence that people can have various levels of ability within. Someone, for instance, may be a visual "genius" but may struggle musically. On the other hand, someone may be a musical genius but may struggle spatially or verbally.
I have been a huge fan of this theory ever since I heard it in my second year of university. Since the education system is really pushing it, I am also forced to take it into consideration when I am teaching. Therefore, I should attempt to use different teaching and learning styles in my classroom, to help
differentiate and accomodate
all students, thereby including and not isolating anyone. This can definitely be a challenge and a huge workload, but I do see the value in it. This system is attempting to ensure that no kids "fall between the cracks". I find it amazing that a secular institution would undertake such a huge project for the sake of caring about people. I also find it amazing that churches, for the most part, have not caught onto this way of thinking yet.
It is clear that there are "outsiders" when it comes to being in the church circut, subculture, or even service. Some people are social misfits, not fitting the pre-approved profile for what a Christian "should look like". Others do not enjoy singing during the worship service, which casts a nasty stigma on them as believers. Still others find themselves daydreaming or falling asleep during sermons--surely a heathen act!
However, where in the Bible does it say we should sit in pews, listen to sermons, and sing songs? In fact, I recently read in an enjoyable book that in the New Testament, the believers only sang together twice--both times they were in prison! I am not saying we shouldn't sing in church; I am merely saying that some of our churchy practices are greatly isolating people and are, in fact, creating these
outsiders that we fret over.
As I mentioned before, if a secular institution like the education system has figured out that all people are different, approaching things differently and learning things through different lenses, why should we assume that people can all approach God through a musical/verbal-linguistic/auditory perspective? What about people who best learn and experience things through a bodily-kinesthetic perspective? What about people who need an interpersonal approach?
In January, Derek and I, along with another couple, will be planting a church in our city. It will start out small, as a new type of experiement in experiencing our faith. We hope other believers or seekers will join with us in approaching God and community in new ways. We hope that people will find it refreshing to view art as worship, dance as praise, and fellowship as thanksgiving.
We worry as Christians about these people labelled as "outsiders" (a true concept of
Otherness); however, there should be no outsiders or even insiders when it comes to knowing God. There is no inner circle, no hierarchy. We are all the same, merely living life and coming to know God through our own frame of existence. And what is wrong with that? The "wise men" in the story of Christ's birth were some of the first to come to know him, and they found him as they sincerely sought the truth they looked for in the stars. In the end, however, they found the living Son of God.
"Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened." - Matthew 7:7-8* * * * *
As one other aside, I saw
The Nativity Story last night at the theatre. I was hoping it would be well done and not be an embarrassment to the entire Christmas story itself. I have to admit I was cynical going in.
However, this was perhaps the most breathtaking movie I have seen in a very long time. The imagery and detail were beautiful, and the acting was just perfect. I would really encourage you to see it. It provided so much insight into the Jewish culture, and it de-fantasized my ideas of the traditional nativity story. This is one to rewatch, for sure!
