With or Without God – Gretta Vosper. why the way we live is more important than what we believe Chapter 7 Crucial Change – Fulfilling a Responsibility

Part 1 - Media Presentation - Jonathan Haidt The Moral Roots of Liberals and Conservatives Being civil and understanding of others whose morals don’t match ours. TED Talks

With or Without God – Gretta Vosper. why the way we live is more important than what we believe - Part 2 Analysis of Chapter 7 Crucial Change - Fulfilling a Responsibility

Crucial Change Classically, three characteristics described “the church”: Leiturgia – Worship Koinonia – Community Diaconia – Service Christians were a community gathered to worship and dispersed to serve others. Vosper envisages a church centred on “community” with no need for “worship” and “service” becomes by-product.

Crucial Change What makes Vosper’s community unique? Advocacy for social justice Focus on sacred-values & humanitarian/spiritual Centre for human/institutional transformation Place of civil conversation about important issues

Crucial Change Negative “church” words: Hell, sacrifice, confession, sin, commitment, offerings, holy, Jesus Positive “church” words: Caring, sharing, friendship, giving, support, teaching children good values. (source) United Church of Canada “Emerging Spirit” market research.

Crucial Change “Re-packaging the church” Adapting to post-modernism and moving from “as it was” to “riding the cultural wave” Learn from others: User-friendly accomodation & technology. Optional ways to enter, belong and participate Committees become ministries (and) Volunteer opportunities matched with spiritual gifts

Crucial Change Integrity for Liberals Clean up the hymns! – “If it can’t be said in the pulpit, it shouldn’t be sung in the pew”. Learn “integrity” from evangelicals! – “Use words we can believe in.” Don’t leave the church to moderates. – “To mediate is to compromise.”

Crucial Change The Liberal Inheritance open to critical scholarship Don’t separate worship and education Create post-Christian communities Discussion, not worship groups

Crucial Change “Church, or whatever it comes to be called, could be a place where we reflect and process our life experiences with others in ways that encourage us to become compassionate, just and loving human beings” (p 311)

Break Discussion Questions 1. Discuss Vosper’s comment (p 313) “We who move beyond the traditional boundaries of Christianity are often thought of as not believing in anything.” 2. Name and discuss “beliefs that divide” and “beliefs that unite”.