But the Beginning of Birthpangs
Lectionary Scripture - Mark 13:1–8 (NRSV)
As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look,
Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!” Then Jesus asked him, “Do you see these great
buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown
down.”
When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter,
James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will this be, and
what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?” Then
Jesus began to say to them, “Beware that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’
and they will lead many astray. When you
hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but
the end is still to come. For nation
will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be
earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning
of the birthpangs.
Reflection on the Lectionary
Jesus predicts the fall of the Temple and immediately his disciples sit
up and take notice. How is that he
prophesies the fall of religion in their time?
Easy, Jesus in not bound by organized religion of his day. He is free to speak whatever God places in
his heart to say. Ultimately -- then
like today -- religious authorities displeased with dissident voices that challenge
their authority find a way to make dissidents pay and even way to silence them. Then, like today, such things make clear that
there is no longer any need whatsoever for religious authorities or their fantasies
of spiritual authority over others. Time
to give up it boys – and sorry ladies, it’s also time for you to do so too if
you’ve bought into the illusion.
“Church” was never meant to be an institution. It was only ever meant to be an opportunity
of gathering, of coming together and supporting and encouraging one another
along our individual and collective journeys.
There was never meant to be one true religion of any kind – or that we
should pursue “separate, but equal” paths of faith. Such sentiment only supports self-delusion
and provides for secretive places in the heart where one whispers to oneself, “My
God is better than yours,” or “My Gods are better than yours.”
As the religion scholar and author, Reginald Bibby, put it in Fragmented
Gods when trying to describe
Canadian spirituality, the life of faith for most Canadians is a rich and
fascinating mosaic. Canadians chose
something from one faith tradition and incorporate it and then chose something
from another tradition and assimilate it.
It drives systematic orthodox and neo-orthodox theologians nuts because
they like everything tied up together in a neat little systematic package. Sorry ladies and gentlemen, time to give that
one up too. God planted a plethora of
traditions in the world to try and keep us honest and seeking engagement with
each other. Your Temple to the one true
religion is crumbling right before your eyes.
Wake up and smell the coffee cause it ain’t half bad. Take it from a self-defrocked bishop that
life and spirit on the other side of faith that’s free of the encumbrances of your
organized religious world is actually quite amazing. The birthpangs have been well worth it.
How so? Well for me, I love how
freely my writing/preaching comes to me now in this blog compared to early
postings when I had to worry about upsetting religious authorities in my former
faith tradition and thus worry that I didn’t say anything too provocative so I
still had a paycheck. Frankly, it feels
good to nip a bit at the heels of my former overlords while they run away from
me or ignore what’s happened to me spiritually since May 2011. I can smile now at a dog who loves chasing
after cars or after sheep and can say, “Hey buddy, I get it what makes that so absolutely
wonderful for you!”
Too bad organized religion authorities didn’t get it while they had a
chance. All that the world ever asked of
you was unencumbered faith. All the
world ever needed from you was help interpreting the experiences that
unencumbered faith brought into their lives.
All you ever needed to be and provide was safety and well-being within
community lovingly embracing rich and diverse spirituality that brought recovery
and healing from all the world’s evils and greed and competition which you
gladly supported and participated in.
Instead you contented yourself with labeling people heretics. Instead you made them feel unsafe relative to
their livelihoods or sense of community if they spoke out. Many dissidents you hideously tortured and
executed in the most humiliating ways you could think. In these last few centuries, you managed to
tone it down a bit but still you repressed women and you repressed God’s
calling in their lives until the lid finally blew off and they would have it no
more. Next it was gays and lesbians and
bisexuals and transgendering persons that you assailed – still today you fight
over the legitimacy of God’s authority and Spirit at work in their lives and
fail so damn miserably to be prophetic over something that should never – ever –
have been a question in the first place which is their right to serve their God
and their human family. You owe an
abject apology and you owe a debt to our LGBT brothers that can never be repaid
or forgiven.
These days when I drive to a mental health clinic that serves severe
and persistently mentally ill, I realize that I am driving to church. I am driving to a place where healing and
recovery takes place by means of the phenomenal gifts God has placed in the
lives of each one of my staff. On the
way I sing hymns like, “Touch Me Lord with Thy Spirit Eternal” or I sing, “Brothers
and Sisters of Mine are the Hungry”. I
go there celebrating that some small aspect of personal insight will happen for
someone hungering for counseling that day.
I go there celebrating that medication from one of the prescribers will calm
the demons and horrors of past trauma. I
go there realizing we offer a seminary where each and every person awakens to
the priesthood of possibility residing in their soul. I go there each and every day feeling blessed
that I am allowed to serve as the senior clinician and thus the shepherd and
this does my pastor’s heart more good than I ever experienced in any brick and
mortar church building.
Organized religion, your temple is crumbling and not one stone will be
left upon another. When you finally
figure out that your time is over, call me.
I’ll be happy to help you try and reclaim your soul, for something wonderful
is on its way and if you listen closely you will hear it breathing.
Brad Shumate, M.S.,M.A., LMHC
Free of Encumbrances
Vancouver, Washington
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