Today was spent traveling to and from the town where I was raised. It was "Homecoming" Day at the old Methodist church, and we decided to be sociable and make the 1 1/2 hour trip down there this morning. While we were there we would visit with both sets of parents. It was a trip that had all the makings of a good ol’ trip down memory lane — a nostalgic journey that would inevitably bring up those strong memories of growing up among small town folk and forming fast, long-lasting friendships. It ended up proving that "home" is not home anymore.
Ignoring the metaphysical questions with which I have lately been grappling, I can say that the church as a whole — and that hometown church in particular — has always played a significant formative role in my life. It was the center of my social network during my teenage years, and the bonds I formed there are the only ones that have proved to have any real longevity. Our little group did churchy things, sure, but they did not have this look-at-what-a-good-Christian-I-am quality that so many church-related groups, get-togethers and events — and not just evangelical ones — seem to have in this day and age (and keep in mind we are only, at most, a decade and a half removed from all this). Sure, there was the occasional holier-than-thou exception, but for the most part it was a pleasant, non-pretentious atmosphere. Was I viewing all this through my naive adolescent lenses? Probably.
My first thought is that this quality — this genuineness — is what is missing now. While the church has not reached the arm-waving spiritual ecstasy posturing that is the hallmark of modern evangelist congregations, there is definitely a sense of shallowness that I did not perceive growing up. Whether it was there or not is certainly up for debate. All I know is that, during the homecoming service today, I mostly found myself making unfavorable comparisons to the Birmingham church we frequent nowadays — a tolerant, socially conscious organization whose Sunday services incorporate a more traditional, structured format (which isn’t good or bad, but is something I find agreeable). It seems serious, for lack of a better word. The homecoming did not seem serious. It seemed paper-thin.
I do not know if this particular version of Christianity is correct, or if Christianity itself is correct, or even if the idea of religion or God is correct. On these subjects I have more questions than answers — and one of the questions should probably be "what questions should I be asking?". So I do not pretend to think myself fit to sit in judgment of a church congregation. But I do know that I found something good at church once — and that church is not there anymore. I did not go to church this morning looking for enlightenment, but I did not expect to find the total absence of an environment conducive to enlightenment either. That is what I got — a podunk, watered-down version of a fondly-remembered childhood institution.
I sincerely hope that the people who still attend that church — my parents, in-laws, and good friends among them — get something out of it. I hope it offers them something spiritually satisfying. I can say that, at my current church, at the very least I come away from those services feeling peaceful and grounded. I did not get that feeling today.
Other than the realization that yet another piece of my childhood has fallen victim to increasing societal pettification (« a made-up word), it was a pleasant trip.