Rethink Church

by guest-blogger, Reverend Debra McKnight.

In my denomination, The United Methodist Church, the phrase, “rethink church” has been branded on everything from t-shirts and hats to Conferences and conversations. But if we are honest, when it comes right down to it, rethinking anything is easer to put on thousands of sweatshop-free t-shirts than it is to actually do. Change and the fear of loss that comes with it invites us to hold on tight, and if we are not careful, we can love something (even our faith community) to death.

If you will allow me to embellish on a church growth legend, imagine a consultant working with an aging congregation. He found they were brave enough to recognize they were missing out on the diversity of voices from other generations but not brave enough to make change.

Frustrated he asked, “How many of you love your Grandchildren?” Hands shot up!

“How many of you,” he continued, “love your grandchildren so much you would give them money if you new it made a difference in their wellbeing?” Hands waved for attention and ladies started pulling photo books from their handbags to show off beautiful babies.

“How many of you would give even your own life for your grandchildren?” Hands stood at attention with the intensity one might expect of navy seals being briefed for a mission.

Then he asked, “Now how many of you would be open to adding new music in worship if it meant, your grandchildren would feel at home and find space for their spiritual exploration?” The forest of hands started to shrink.

Change is never simple for a faith community. I think in part because it challenges us to the core of who we are, and we take it as criticism rather than recognition that evolution is a part of life. It is seeded all around us, healthy elements of creation evolve; they find new ways to give life into the world, or they struggle to exist in changing climates.

At First United Methodist Church Omaha we are exploring church in a new way. This is not because we are dying, but because we are growing. It is an adventure to see how the space shapes and reshapes our experience. It is born out of the notion that evolution nudges us to change the DNA of our space and structures. So with care and courage, we have opened the Urban Abbey. An Abbey, originally a French Monastery, is a space for covenant relationship, for books, for food, for prayer and for wrestling with questions. We are exploring what this new space, that is part non-profit coffee shop and part bookstore does to shape community. I dream that it is a living sanctuary, active all week long, as refuge to folks who need space to study, reflect and worship, as safe space for folks brave enough to wrestle with questions and as creative space to inspire us to love the diversity of who we are. I dream that neighbors and friends will help us explore what that means to be an Urban Abbey.

Debra McKnight serves as associate pastor at First United Methodist Church. She is a graduate of Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University, which invited her to love liturgy, explore diverse theological perspectives, and experiment with preaching in a rigorous academic community. While Dallas, Texas boasts fine winter weather, she is glad to be home in the great state Nebraska and grateful to be serving at First United Methodist Church Omaha. She owns a clergy collar for two occasions, parades and protests. Her work focuses on social justice, liturgics and young adult community building. While in Omaha she has started a Pub church, called Wesley Pub, though she doesn’t drink beer and now a coffee shop, called Urban Abbey, though she prefers tea. Most of all, she is grateful!

No Limits

by Project Interfaith Development and Finance Intern,
Rema Nair

Having worked as an intern at Project Interfaith for seven months now, having met people of diverse religious backgrounds, and having learned a bit more about their religious traditions, I admit that these days I am struggling to believe in individual religious exclusivism which states that one religion alone takes us to GOD and heaven while the others take us to eternal damnation. However that does not mean that I do not believe in my Hindu religion, beliefs, values and faith, or my Indian culture and traditions. Ultimately, practicing what I know and believe everyday is how I've found meaning and purpose in a once alien culture. I love my culture and traditions. I respect the wisdom, knowledge and the insights it has given to me. However if someone were to say to me that practicing Hinduism alone would take me to that one exclusive path of self enlightenment, I would immediately beg to differ. I personally fail to understand how my creator can express himself or herself through just one particular religious faith, belief or tradition; touting and encouraging one particular religion as the only way to seek and find him or her when all religions’ scriptures talk and preach of the existence of only one GOD.

In fact if I was to live this particular notion day in and day out, I would find it terribly difficult to live my daily life. I mean just imagine my monotonous, dull and extremely boring homogenous world. I could only associate myself with people practicing the Hindu faith, beliefs, culture, values and traditions. I could never have been friends or been supported and influenced by all the awesome people I have known throughout my life who belonged to different religions, faiths, beliefs and cultures. Most awful of all, I could never have expanded my awareness and knowledge. I could never have experienced the beauty and richness of other religions by attending Jain Satsangs , visiting the Islamic center, the Buddhist monastery, Christian churches, Jewish synagogues, the Sikh Golden temple, or attending Sufi dance programs. Without religious and cultural diversity I would have turned into an ethnocentric, fundamentalist individual. I can only think with dread how such a homogenous association would affect my world views on a number of topics. Further my infamous food experiments in the kitchen associated with different religious festivities would never have seen the light of the day.

Claims of being the one and only means of achieving GOD and the divine truth lose their veracity in our technology driven modern world that is both pluralistic and diverse. Despite attempts, the major religions of the world were not able to wipe out many of the lesser known religions maybe because GOD truly wanted them to survive and flourish. Perhaps we should give credence to the saying that variety is the spice of life or, rather in this case, variety is the spice of GOD’s magical creation called universe. Of late this conviction leaves me with absolutely little doubt that GOD speaks to all of us through all the popular and not so popular religious beliefs, values and traditions of the world.

Rema Nair is the Development and finance Intern at Project Interfaith. Rema holds a Bachelor's degree in General Studies from University of Nebraska at Omaha, and also a Bachelor's degree in Accounting from the University of Bombay - India. During her time with Project Interfaith, Rema hopes to gain more experience with and understanding of the non-profit world. Rema is married to Pradeep Nair and has two daughters Shruti and Gayatri. Rema enjoys reading, travelling and spending time with her family. Rema is currently concentrating on getting her Masters Degree in Accounting from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.