26 November 2007

The Table

“On the whole, I do not find Christians, outside of the catacombs, sufficiently sensible of conditions. Does anyone have the foggiest idea what sort of power we so blithely invoke? Or, as I suspect, does no one believe a word of it? The churches are children playing on the floor with chemistry sets, mixing up a batch of TNT to kill a Sunday morning. It is madness to wear ladies’ straw hats and velvet hats to church; we should all be wearing crash helmets.” Annie Dillard, Teaching a Stone to Talk (pg. 52)


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Yesterday, in one of our church gatherings during family communion, we asked the church to write the names of those who are hurting during the beginning of the holiday season on a large sheet of paper in the front of the sanctuary.

Some wrote their own names. Others wrote the names of women and men experiencing Thanksgiving and Christmas for the first time as a single mother/father. One person wrote the names of homeless women and men he'd been working with the last several months, while another person wrote the names of people undone by the loss of a spouse. One young person prayed for their grandma; at least I deciphered the writing, "Mimi," as the work of a grandchild.

In a time of systematic, commercial frenzy--the church is a place that offers healing, relationships, and listening ears. We do not offer "air-tight" answers for most people need a person, not a clever diatribe on suffering, angels, and God's activity in the world.

4 comments:

Courtney Strahan said...

I'm really liking all these Annie Dillard quotes...

What have you read by her? I'll need some reading over break...

Courtney Strahan said...

Hahaha, nevermind. I just saw the title. But I'm still interested in your favorite stuff of hers... I've read "The Writing Life" for my Advanced Comp. class and loved it. Curious what her other works are like.

Josh Ross said...

I applaud churches that cultivate atmospheres and enviroments where all people can express themselves. The moments that you described are priceless.

Josh Graves said...

Courtney:

Pilgrim at Tinker Creek is what Dillard is most famous for. I also have a collection of short stories she wrote.

Josh--It sounds like we are doing similar stuff. I can't wait to get you up to Motown.