Family?

For the past couple of weeks I've been taking an intensive class called Passing on the Faith, and it's left one thing appallingly clear: by and large, churches really are confused as to how to bring faith into the home.

Now, I know there's all kinds of excuses: the family dynamic has changed, the divorce rate increased, the church desired focus outside of its' own members. But all they are are excuses. They don't smooth over the fact that families, the basic building block of our society (however they appear, as groups of individuals with close relationships) are neglected by a church that often seems to care more about being socially conscious than equipping the laity to pursue their own faith development.

Imply whatever you want from the last statement. The fact remains that faith is caught more than it is taught -- and it's increasingly hard for young families to find resources to help them with the church at home. In many cases, the congregational church has so effectively quashed the home church that the latter has all but disappeared. Parents become graduates of MSU instead of seeking answers themselves. Kids realize that belief practiced in the congregation is largely a lip service paid to dead ancestors than a living and breathing faith in the Living God. By focusing resources on getting families through the doors, we've often ignored what goes on at home. We're sort of grinding our own millstones here, I think.

I think even about my own seminary education -- I learn theology, exegesis, a biblical language or two, interpretation, liturgy, and preaching. I have one class -- count 'em, one -- in passing on the faith. The rest is up to me. It's partly a question of resources, I know -- the Synods are stretched as far as they can go, and the National Church has bigger plans than equipping the laity. I been speculating for a long time that something is systemically wrong with the church, which is what's leading to the continual bitching over same-sex blessings, the ordination of women, and the ever-present heresy of biblism. Maybe this is it -- the church had an opportunity, long ago, to take a direct hand in helping families pass on the faith through their own generations.

I am definitely not arguing that families aren't this instant participating in religious rituals in the home. I am suggesting that this is often done more by accident than design, due simply to a lack of knowledge -- where to begin? What do I say?. A lot of the pressure is put on pastors -- well, they have the education, why haven't they do something? -- except for the fact that so far, in my seminary experience, we aren't taught this either with any regularity, so we're often left to Make Stuff Up on our own.

So I wonder what would happen if some of the resources used being in Mission for Others were allocated for being in mission for all? It could possibly help this millstone problem we've been having.

Just some early-morning thoughts.