God save us from the smallness we practice

in the name of religion.   Joan Chittister

A Reflection 

by

Rev. Kenn Storck

Religion fails us.  Denominationalism binds us. We end up in a cul-de-sac circling a lifeless icon of our making.  The idol defies the Divine by its certainty.  We remain in a church full of nice people doing charitable works that are safe.  We are blessed with doxologies ringing in our ears.  The comfortable pew is familiar and benign.

 

After years of church-life there are folks camped outside the church living in a spiritual exile, yearning for a faith that expands rather than contracts the deity.  Those in exile search for a deeper theology that embraces the real world, a world that is no longer anthropocentric but has come to terms with its insignificance in a universe of two trillion galaxies.

 

The spiritual exile longs for a faith community with a mission that recognizes the miracle of our existence and celebrates the diversity and inclusiveness of life as we know it.  The spiritual exile works to create a bold community with a mission that risks its life to stand in solidarity with the marginalized. 

 

Are there questing communities of faith that have moved beyond religion?