Movements and Parishes

Jack over at Integrity has some good posts discussing the tension (in the positive sense) between the life in the parish and life in lay movements.  This is a topic that I, as someone who works in a parish, have been interested in writing about for some time.  I have always stopped myself because I recognize that this topic needs a bit of theological nuance that requires a lot of hard work.

In a certain sense, parish life is a movement itself.  That is, I don't think that the parochial structure is necessarily the only structure the Church could use.  I think it was an expression of the Spirit that has become institutionalized.  I'm not sure if it's even a useful structure anymore.  Certainly the temple is needed for the celebration of the Mysteries (sacraments) but all in all I don't know how good a job a parish does of preparing the faithful to be "bearers of Christ" in the World. 

Unfortunately the educative path of most parishes is limited to the homily at Sunday mass.  And an even greater poverty is that most homilies are reduced to "try harder" Catholicism.  Even in parishes where there is a lot of adult formation (here I point to my old parish St. Mary's in Brenham) most of this formation is catechetical and apologetic.  And while this might be good for helping people understand and defend the teachings of the Church, I find it does little to help the faithful to Christian maturity.  That is, I think most people still have no idea what any of this "Jesus" stuff has to do with their life.

Christ remains the guy who fixes stuff or the guy who blesses you.  He's the supreme "lifeline" when you're in a jam.  As if there is "you" by yourself until SNAFU and then you call on Him to come.  Christ as the meaning and substance of all of life is sorely missing.

The other problem is something that "good parishes" especially suffer from:  Church people.  You know, a parish that is "so active" and there are always tons of people at Church, hearing talks, running fundraisers, organizing parties.  It's the Catholic Country Club and it's exactly opposite of a missional life.  This is as true of "liberal" parishes as it is of "orthodox" parishes.  There is a strong tendency to think that faithfulness and life at a parish means that people spend a lot of time there.  Bah!

I always tell my teens that becoming a "Church kid" is a sign of a lack of understanding of Christ.  That the more you know and understand Christ the more you want to go to the places he is not and to bring him there.  My kids in Brenham understood this well.  They didn't go and "Jesusify" all the places that Jesus wasn't, rather they knew that they were Christ in those places.  That all they had to do was to live their life authentically, with passion, always following the truest desires of their heart and that this would bring him.  Their only task was to judge their experience and recognize His sweet presence.

Does this happen in parishes?  Yes, sure.  Hopefully.  In some.  Unfortunately this isn't true of most parishes, at least not anymore.  The way parish life is lived needs a serious re-examining.  And it needs it now, before the floor falls out from underneath it.

Read Jack's comments on Parish vs. Movement?

Introduction
Present Reality of Parishes
Purpose of Parishes
Why Movements at all?

Comments

[Fred K.]

Thank you for this thoughtful contribution to an important discussion.

[lms]

I disagree with your idea of an active parish being a bad one. What is wrong with people having other holy friends to support one another? I understand that people should show Jesus to others, but don't see the harm or negative side to "church people" as you call them.