The church as a spiritual gas stop

And he charged them, saying, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod”.
Mark 8:15

Anyone interested in Swedish church affairs may have noted the recent stirrup caused by two new liturgical innovations, one just approved and the other waiting in the wings. The first is an act of public blessing of gay partnerships, the other some kind of blessing for divorcees, also public. Since I know nothing of their exact liturgical content, I won´t say anything either for or against them. It would be a bit too cumbersome to discuss such complex issues as one single package, so I´ll leave it aside for now. Rather, what I want to adress is the “demand” for church rites, more than whether the church should “supply” them. It´s a fair assumtion that it´s not the approval of the church that is asked for. After all, the days of it´s moral authority are long gone. But something still draws the crowd in, when there´s anything to really celebrate.

“Rites of passage” is a universal phenomena, and I think quite an uncontroversial concept from cultural anthropology. All human cultures have certain outward signs or rites indicating a passage from one state to another; when we finish school, move, retire, die, there are celebrations with very characteristic forms. Some of these have a religious tendency, others don´t. As a believer, it´s natural to handle such “passages” by thanking for the old and asking for blessing upon the new from the Lord. But how should we interpret the desire for church rites, from people who spend 99% of their time in complete ignorance of things godly? And I´m talking about the state of affairs now, and the use of “regular” rites such as baptism and burial as simply a “moody setting”. Of course, most who want a church rite of some kind, have a belief of some kind, but often not a christian faith, even by own admission. Still, there seems to be nothing to beat the church for ritualistic grandeur, the selling argument for an organization counting something like 80% of the population as members, including yours truly. So why is the church better than the competition?

Rites of faith are spiritual chargers; something mundane, an object, a word, a motion, becomes “more”. Through faith? Yes and no. There can be nothing arbitrary about a rite. It is us reaching out for God, but it must also be God reaching inward for us. Therefore the supreme rites of the church are those instituted by Christ, the “sacraments”. Namely, baptism and the holy supper.
Thus, rites are also spiritual signs, escapees from a transcendent reality. And, appearantly people have spiritual needs. The material world is not enough. Transcendent reality is appreciated. Of course, demands posed by faith and obedience are not appreciated, neither sacrifices of things worldly to follow Christ. Because such sacrifices are called for, make no mistake.

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel´s, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his soul?Mark 8:35-36

Transcendence is nice, if it stays transcendent. If it starts meddling with this mundane existence we call our own, making all kind of tricky demands, it´s suddenly Get thee behind me! [Mark 8:33]
Which is the leaven of Herod, who when challenged by God´s prophet, John the Baptist, for his marriage to his brother´s wife, simply put said prophet in prison, later to be executed. For Herod (and wife) that was an untolerable demand, to refrain from the wife of his brother. He had the desire for her, took her, and wanted no one to tell him otherwise.

For me as a believer, it´s completely unacceptable for the church to be a convenience store, supplying whatever comes in handy with spiritual garments. Those garments are for people and they´re for anyone who wants to be clothed in them. But as for rites, what the church celebrates, is the gifts of God. The church only stock, what God in his mercy provides.

I could end there, or make a cautious remark. Caution is a bit boring, but sometimes also necessary. Admittedly, for an outsider liturgical rows are just nonsense and a waste of time. Particularly if one considers that a gay person is murdered because of his sexuality (yes, it´s a he) in Sweden every year, one homosexual human being assaulted in Sweden every day because some feel their male identity is threatened by that human being. There´s “christians” in that wonderful country of America running around with signs at Aids burials written “No tears for queers” and “Another fag dies, God smiles”.

Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Exodus 20:7 (And that´s one of the ten commandments!)

Let´s be honest about it, anyone who calls homosexuality a disease is playing the same game nazis did with jews, gypsies, and actually quite a lot of homosexuals. It´s painfully obvious that the rhethoric is exactly the same: they´re a cancer thumour, they are weak and weaken us, they need to be eliminated. And that is said in Sweden of today, we need go no farther. So caution is called for, and timing, and sense of priorities. Still for me liturgy also matters. And I think it´s a bit sad watching the church just go with the flow, and really not asking the question what God wants in all this shouting that´s hurled about. With that I´ll hold my peace...