We’re on a voyage of discovery with some friends of ours who are doing some serious rethinking of their spirituality. We’ve gotten together a couple of times now, four families, for supper and the evening. So far we’ve mainly just been getting to know each other: While each of the two families we invited knows the two host families, neither knew each other before a couple of weeks ago. We’ve also spent some time discussing (around five active small children!) what we’re hoping for from the group. What has emerged is that we want:

•  real community,
•  authenticity/no B.S.
•  a safe place to get messy.

That last one springs from the fact that not everyone accepts the core tenets of the historic Christian faith, and some of the ones that do are pretty angry and disillusioned (we actually have been calling ourselves, half jokingly and half seriously, the Church of the Angry Doubters) and so are looking for a safe place to express doubts and wrestle with questions.

I’m also earnestly desiring and praying for a fourth thing:

• the Presence of the risen Lord in our midst.

This coming week we’re planning to talk about how we can meet in a way to cultivate those three desired things. And we’re planning to begin sharing with each other the stories of our individual spiritual journeys to date. We’re finding our way as we go, so beyond that I don’t know where we’re headed!

csr