Are We A Church?

In my post last week, I wrote about our use of the word ‘God’ and how our understanding of ‘God’ may continue to evolve. Each of us is at his or her own perfect unfolding in our relationship to the word and to the power that the word represents. Whether we choose to use the word ‘God’ or replace it with another, such as ‘Divine Life,’ ‘Universe,’ ‘Source’ or any other word, the essence of the One Presence and One Power expressed by the word does not change; only our experience of it does. 

This week, I am considering our use of the word ‘church.’ We have been in conversation recently about our participation in the Unity Identity Program, a “branding” initiative implemented several years ago by Unity Worldwide Ministries (UWM) for the purpose of establishing a common logo for all Unity ministries. The intent is to promote name and image recognition for the Unity movement, in much the same way that the cross with the red flame identifies a Methodist church.

The research conducted by UWM prior to launching the initiative focused on the segment of the population referred to as “cultural creatives,” a term coined by sociologist Paul H. Ray and psychologist Sherry Ruth Anderson to describe over 50 million Americans who are the “more educated, lead-edge thinkers.” Ray and Anderson, in their book, Cultural Creatives – How 50 Million People are Changing the World, characterize them as people who combine serious focus on their spirituality with a passion for social justice.

UWM’s research revealed that those in this segment of the population often have negative associations with the word ‘church,’ and as a result tend to avoid them. The connotations with ‘church’ most often result from less than favorable experiences with one or more traditional Christian churches. Because of the research findings, and a belief that “cultural creatives” should be a target audience for Unity, UWM has suggested that their member ministries omit the word ‘church’ from their names when choosing to participate in the Unity Identity Program.

I relate to the input from those surveyed, as I, too, had experiences in church that stimulated feelings of shame and guilt. The traditional Christian churches of my past did not engender feelings of love, peace and compassion within me. For many years, I did not attend church because I wanted nothing to do with that kind of church. My reluctance to make myself vulnerable and risk the pain of rejection that I previously experienced kept me away.

For the first thirty-four years of my life, I was unaware that a church existed that teaches love, acceptance and inclusion for all. I did not know that until I started looking for a new way to understand God. It was then that I became willing to give church another chance. Yet, even then, I was wary of going to a church because I did not want to hear the same old Christian dogma of hellfire and damnation.

Still, I knew I needed a spiritual awakening. Because a friend had told me that Unity was different, I gathered my courage and attended a service. I was a little concerned when I walked into the sanctuary and saw a large cross hanging above the platform. Part of me wanted to run, but I stayed to hear the message.

What I found at Unity was the God of Love I always wanted to believe in, but did know truly existed. I found exactly what I was seeking. I found hope and renewed faith. At Unity, I met the God of my being and I began my spiritual recovery and healing. I know that many others have had similar experiences in Unity.

While the Unity movement may want to attract the “cultural creatives” and may believe that they are the future of our movement, I am sure that they are not the only ones who are seeking a new way of relating to ‘God’ and ‘church.’ I believe that those who are hurting, those who are in need, those who are seeking relief from the pain of separation and the suffering caused by a belief in a God of judgement and retribution are also seeking something different. They are seeking the spiritual awakening and personal transformation that Unity teaches.

Those who are seeking Unity are not seeking the “church” of their past. They are seeking a new experience of spiritual community; a new relationship with God; a place of love, acceptance, compassion and healing. They are seeking a community that will embrace them right where they are. They are seeking people who will love them through their pain. They are seeking a place that will help them realize the power of God within them. They are seeking a place to belong.

Those of us who already enjoy these experiences know the power of learning and living the Unity principles. We have been transformed in many ways. I trust that each of us wants the same for all of our brothers and sisters. We all want to contribute to the global spiritual awakening and personal transformation, even if it is one person at a time.

Are we a church? We are a church in the sense that we are group of people with shared beliefs who come together to learn and grow in our understanding of God and our relationship to God. We have a Sunday service. We have adult and youth education programs. We hold weddings, funerals and other sacred ceremonies. We operate much the same as any other religious institution.

Yet, we are not a ‘church’ if one thinks of a church as a place where he will hear traditional Christian rhetoric. We do not espouse belief in a God who judges and condemns. We do not preach salvation through the blood sacrifice of Jesus. We do not teach a doctrine of heaven as a reward or hell as punishment in the afterlife. We do not embrace a belief in “original sin.”

We are different, and we want others to know it. We want to make ourselves open and accessible to anyone who is seeking a positive, practical approach to Christianity, one that is not generally associated with the word ‘church.’ That is why we have prayerfully and thoughtfully considered participating in the Unity Identity Program and adopting a new name omitting the word ‘church.’

If the word ‘church’ stops one person who is seeking a new relationship with God from exploring the God of Love in which we believe, is it really important to call ourselves a ‘church’? If calling ourselves a “church” impedes even one person from stepping foot inside our doors to experience the unconditional love to which we aspire, we must not say we are a ‘church.’

I realize that many of us have positive associations with the word ‘church.’ Any negative connotations we may have had with the word have already been healed. We have evolved in our understanding of what church is. We even embrace the word ‘church’ much the same as we freely use the word ‘God.’ We understand that Unity’s way of interpreting the Bible is not the same as many other traditions. We grasp the metaphysical meaning of the cross. We know that the master teacher Jesus was teaching Love, not judgment. Those of us who know these truths are here to welcome and embrace those who have yet to discover them. From our current perspective, we are here to serve them.

We are the ones who are here to hold in our hearts and minds those who are just now beginning their search for a place where they are encouraged to explore and share their personal beliefs, needs and concerns; where they can discover their Christ nature and realize the power of God within them; and where they are inspired to awaken to unity in God and oneness with all life. We are here to be that place. We are here to be a sanctuary in a world that is suffering.

Eliminating the word ‘church’ from our name does not require us to change anything we do, alter our teaching in any way, or do anything differently. We will continue to be Unity in every sense of the word.

From my current perspective it does not matter if we call ourselves a church. Just as the essence of the One Power and One Presence does not change according to the name we use for it, the essence of who and what we are as a community is not dependent upon a name. However, it may matter to those who have yet to find us. And, that does matter to me.

My prayer is that we are willing to move beyond our comfort zones, open ourselves up and lovingly welcome all who are ready to receive what we have to give as we move forward honoring the traditions of the past, embracing the present and co-creating an exciting future with a new name, a powerful vision for our world and an inspiring mission.

Join us on Sunday for our 10:00 service as explore further who we are as a spiritual community.