First, the pondering I was pondering concerning the intersection of Scripture and the world has also struck the prior of (Chicago’s RC) Monastery of the Holy Cross from a slightly different angle.
Second, go read Marshall on a church for adults. I’m totally feeling him here… As a child we “technically” were not required to attend church after Confirmation. Functionally, we were obligated to go unless sick unto death. It didn’t see to have hurt me at all—but doesn’t seem to have taken in my brother’s case. I agree with bls; some of us are more hard-wired for the spiritual than others.
The Holy Cross link won’t work; this version might work:
http://www.chicagomonk.org/?p=956
Oops! Thanks, Scott; it’s fixed now.
Derek, thanks for the link. I think this would have something to do, too, with liturgy, and perhaps the resurgence in some places of interest in more formal and more traditional liturgy among younger folks. We Boomers may want to pretend we can be young forever; but that hasn’t stopped our children and grandchildren from wanting to grow up.
hmmmm…the piece about the adult church is interesting for a couple of reasons.
Asheton made confirmation last year and is starting to kick back about going to church. I can’t say that I blame him, there is only one other high school aged youth at SL. Yet I still make him most Sundays. Otherwise he would just sleep until noon. Maybe when he is 16 and can drive himself this will change. Who knows?
Second, I’ve worked with adult education/adult discipleship for almost a decade. I fundamentally believe that the church falls down in thisarea in most ocngregations. It may warrant a post, as we are starting some new things this year at SL, including a resident spiritual director (a deaconess).