Sacred and Secular
December 19, 2007
Within the emerging church over the past decade there has been a return to the use of icons, images, and rituals to help point people to God.
After a long exodus of protestants sanitizing their churches and abandoning everything but the word of God, Church’s have been creating a more healthy, more tangible and more experiential expression of worship with candles, incense, painting, art, stations, meditation spaces, etc.
Yet I wonder if this renewal of sacredness only furthers the perceived divide between the sacred and the secular.
Could it be, we actually worship the creator of heaven and earth who is already all-present, if we would only stop to notice?
Maybe the only difference between the sacred and the secular is that the secular doesn’t know it’s sacred yet.
The challenge of preaching today… by Lon on January 15th, 2007
A Christian 'lifestyle'? by Lon on March 10th, 2008
Beincarnation by Lon on February 8th, 2008
Malcolm Gladwell: What we can learn from spaghetti sauce by Lon on October 1st, 2008
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December 19th, 2007 at 4:30 pm
I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest to Tom Harpur, the religion editor of the Toronto Star. Of Anglican tradition, he has fallen out of favour with most of whom are our forebears… You know, stuff about denying that Christ is God will do that to you. However, this is a forum of sorts, and most thoughts are fair to discuss, if not exactly faithful.
On the other hand, I remember mocking many an article I’ve read of his in the star. He does have a good head, particularly on matters involving the idiocy of religion.
Anyway, Harpur recognizes the value of tradition, and even keeps to his Anglican roots. But he might say that the value of the act, any act, is the encounter with God. And if there is a place to encounter, there must be a place where one cannot. Your definition of secular is good! Rather than being a delineation between Church and City, it is one of awareness and ignorance.
But watch yourself, there are hardliners everywhere watching…
December 19th, 2007 at 6:52 pm
I love that idea that the secular doesn’t know that it’s sacred yet. It makes me think about how we view Christians and non-Christians. I heard a missionary say one time that he doesn’t consider those outside the church unbelievers or non-Christians, but pre-Christians. Seems kinda like the same thing.
December 20th, 2007 at 10:30 am
Hey Alan… exactly - awareness. although i have to admit, there are some things in life that are more sacred than others. i’ve always wondered if my blog will become an issue in my future moving forward… ah well.
Rhea - Great thought. Another way I look at it is that we’re all seekers… if anything, Christians as seekers of truth and life in Christ… we should be the lead-seekers of the world declaring that there’s got to be more to life! labels sometimes are a necessary evil just to sort some things out in our heads, but i find it can be more harmful than helpful usually…
January 25th, 2008 at 10:06 am
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