A recent article in our local newspaper, Why yoga and acupuncture are replacing booze and schmooze for CEOs, reminded me yet again what traditional Christianity has to offer our contemporary world.
People are trying to fill our “God-shaped hole” with wellbeing and meditation courses and practices. They are great, of course. But, I can’t help each time noticing how they are thin shadows of the great Christian tradition of spiritual life and disciplines.
The sad part of that is that so many Christians, all the way up into our Christian leadership, have little appreciation of that rich heritage, little formation in it, and next to no ability to be able to help others into and on that journey.
As well as that, there is a parallel lack of engagement with our contemporary context – the church regularly uses 19th and 20th century communication means in our Third-Millennium, ever-changing context. So that even if there is a wonderfully contemplative group meeting every lunch time for busy city people, how would anyone know about it?
Have I, here, outlined some of the things that I think that are needed?
- People, especially the leadership, needing familiarity with the great wealth of the Christian spiritual traditions
- People practiced, nurtured, and formed by those traditions
- People, especially the leadership, skilled in initiating and nurturing others into those Christian spiritual traditions
- Groups facilitated at accessible times where others can come and grow into these Christian spiritual traditions
- Promotion of such groups, people, practices, and traditions using the most up-to-date media
If I were not a Christian, how do you think I would find out that there were Christians seriously on an inner journey, at least as seriously and as profound as the well-known Buddhist, Yoga, and other pathways?
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I enjoy Yoga ,work in Healthcare and presently are studying for a degree in Health and Wellbeing. As a Christian seeking a thrist for a Christian life the above don’t quench this.
I seek this at church from learned professionals. So yes I agree with the above points you make Bosco. The church needs to advertise its programmes. Made the main thing as the main thing. Blessings Ruth.