Paths Untrodden
O God you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(ELW, Evening Prayer)
What does it mean to be called to an untrodden path?
Pamela used to live in Montana where all roads seem to pass through or lead to the wilderness. Then in the wilderness it appears that there are no paths at all. But wherever there is terrain, there is a path. Somehow anything that moves has to find its way from one point to the next. The topography invites all that creeps, crawls, walks or rolls to take a certain course through the geography. From the moment the first print of paw or foot is made on the new ground, the path begins to emerge, and the more frequently the path is used, the broader and more permanent it becomes.
The path to spiritual growth and maturity has always been there, since the time of Jesus and his disciples and apostles. When did the church lose its way and begin looking for programs, gimmicks even, to try to get believers to grow in faith and spirituality? Recovering the ancient path is what we seek to do here. To create an awareness of God's holy presence in the life of the believer and to foster intentionality around the baptismal life.
It seems that in the 20th Century the church seemed to forge a path that grew into a highway. Structures and systems seemed reliable, even manageable and predictable. But now we are in the 21st century. God’s call has not diminished but the territory is different (and so are we in some ways). The landscape that the church faces now seems to be more like wilderness than like civilized, well groomed terrain.
Once upon a time human suffering was basic: survival and a hope for some quality of life that has purpose. We still suffer, but in a more complex (some would say advanced) world. The mission field changed. The environment has shifted and is less welcoming. But, it is not a matter of need. We have more than enough, generally. Sometimes we have too much which keeps us away from responding to the divine life. And yet, human suffering and pain are as much a part of existence as ever. The essence of that hunger has not changed at all.
Humans will always hunger for God and for Life in Christ, for we have been made by God to be Children of God. However, people respond to that hunger by gravitating toward the most palatable and accessible sources of satisfaction. Needless to say, the options are growing exponentially – no matter what your particular pain or desire, there is someplace out there (either real or virtual) where your need can be met. It may cost you money, but it won’t cost you your life. You can try things for a while and then change your program for wellness with absolutely no fear of being transformed. “You” are in control. Increasing numbers of people believe that there are many, many more effective ways to relieve mental, emotional, or spiritual hunger than to head to a church. That is if they can identify spiritual hunger in the first place!
Given that terrain, the pathway of the Gospel is being walked by decreasing numbers. People who were on the path are wandering toward other goals, to seemingly more user-friendly terrain. Folks who never were on the path and who have been watching us trod on by are now becoming even more confused. They might ask: “Why do they keep going in different directions?” “Where is the leader?” “Whom shall we follow?” They might throw their hands up and say “This other path seems the more popular and well traveled. It has more interesting attractions. It has numerous exit ramps as well. Let’s go there.”
So we find ourselves, as the people of God, on a path that is not well defined, that takes us through all sorts of pain and challenges. And we are called to keep moving in response to the Great Commission. We are the church, the baptized family of faith. The Body of Christ, the church, will never be extinct, the structures of the church and the denominational expressions of the Gospel will continue to evolve in ways that we cannot predict.
That evolution process is creation in action. The Body of Christ and everything it impacts is in the throes of a process which will ultimately emerge as a new creation. We cannot know how long that process will take. We cannot see whether we are in the middle of the process or close to the end. All that we know is that it is happening all the time and that God is actively leading and supporting us -- each one of us – and will ultimately accomplish the goal of drawing us all into One in Christ.
Lutherans have prayed together this prayer for decades, if not hundreds of years. Our forefathers were called to ventures of which they could not see the ending, through unknown perils (think of Abraham and Moses, Joseph and Jonah).
We find ourselves wandering, beckoned, drawn to Romans 8: 18-30 confident that this creative process of “birthing” in the church is not new, realizing that this process is not unique to our decade.
As we write, we are keenly aware of the perils that are encroaching upon our path. We see the entire church and a vast majority of its leadership experiencing shifts and jolts that prompt a response of fight and/or flight, anxiety and fear. We hear from increasing of numbers of pastors that they are compelled to choose the path of separation – sometimes it is separation from a denomination, sometimes it is a split from what was once a friendship or collegiality, and sometimes it is a complete recanting of one’s commitment to rostered leadership. The church is groaning under the pain of labor. . . the pains that if a pregnant woman did not know what was happening to her, she would think that surely she was going to die.
What is God up to in the church and in the world? How is the pain of this present time a part of God's constant work among us? St. Paul asserts that God is subjecting the whole creation to this frustration. . . for what purpose we want to know? The promise is freedom from bondage, liberation from the pain and suffering. And so we wait, with eager longing. . . just like that pregnant woman who waits for her child to be born, to hold him in her arms, to smell his sweet skin and nuzzle him close. We wait for all to be right in the world. And until then. . . we continue to travel the path, the end of which has not yet been revealed.
We are your faithful traveling companions on the journey,
Pamela and Amy
Pamela and Amy
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