Stewardship
“I don’t regard Christianity as a religion,” writes the Rev. Dr. Samuel Wells — Vicar of St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London’s Trafalgar Square — at the beginning of chapter one of his book, A Future that’s Bigger than the Past. At first glance, this may seem strange. You and I would list Christianity — along with Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and others — among the religions of the world.
But if we’re paying attention we might wonder if Wells makes sense. According to a recent Wall Street Journal/NORC poll, only 39% of respondents believe religion is very important in their lives, a significant decrease compared to the 62% of respondents who viewed religion as very important in 1998.
And then there are the people who describe themselves as “spiritual but not religious.” According to the Pew Research Center, the percentage of “nones” — those who claim no affiliation with any religious group — grew from 17% in 2009 to 26% in 2019. Religion — understood as an organized, institutionally based system of doctrine and order — does not have the authority it once had in Western society.
Yet studies show most of those identifying as “nones” continue to yearn for meaning in their lives and a connection with the divine. They want spirituality, not an organized religion that they experience as restrictive, hierarchical and detached from their needs. How might we overcome these barriers to reveal ourselves to be an accessible, open and hospitable community?
What if we start by thinking of Christianity as something other than a religion? Or, if it makes us more comfortable, as something more than the particular doctrinal beliefs and institutional framework that define us.
If not a religion, what is Christianity? Jesus, who was a faithful Jew, didn’t set out to create a new religion. Instead, he called people into a new way of life. A life defined by loving our neighbor (Luke 10:29-37); feeding the hungry, satisfying the thirsty, welcoming the stranger, clothing the naked, taking care of the sick and visiting the incarcerated (Matthew 25:31-46); bringing good news to the poor and proclaiming freedom to the oppressed (Luke 4:18); offering forgiveness to the sinner and acceptance to the lost (Luke 15:11-32); being a light in the world (Matthew 5:14); forming a community of friends who love one another as Jesus loves us (John 15:12-15).
“I regard Christianity as alternative society,” Samuel Wells writes. “Alternative in terms of time, because it believes God’s future, which we may call the kingdom, is already overlapping with our present; and alternative in terms of space, because while tending to itself in ministry, the church is always sharing space with the world in mission. But alternative most of all in terms of story; Christian identity is not a possession to be owned or an achievement to be cherished or even a quality to be realized — it is a gift to be received.”
What might it mean for St. Paul’s if we think of ourselves not as a religious institution but as participants in God’s alternative society? Does it transform our ministry? Our mission? Our giving? Our relationships with our neighbors?
If we understand ourselves not only as members of a church but also and most especially as stewards of a gift, how might this renew our community? How might it transform our impact?