One of the problems the Methodist church has is lack of passion. I think that maybe because we try so hard to get along with each other that we avoid any display of passion in case it upsets someone else. A passionate preacher usually irritates at least one person in a congregation; a passionate person who speaks up in a meeting can cause others to squirm. Without passion, though, we are stuck where we are.
The Bible is full of passion. The old testament prophets seem to ‘lose it’ on a regular basis but we don’t like it when there is passion – being British we find it too emotional or too upsetting.
Yet, I get upset that 94% of the population doesn’t want to engage with the church. If the church is the body of Christ why would anyone not want to be involved? Maybe the 94% are actually the church and its the 6% of us who go on a Sunday that are deluded?
Of course the greatest passion found in the Bible is that of Jesus, we even call the week leading up to Easter Passion week. Yet, instead of displaying any passion in our churches we are likely to gather in quiet, discreet groups and whisper theological words to each other and tutt at the way those with passion os often twist the gospel. I wonder if the religious leaders who condemned Jesus did the same thing leading up to passover.
Where is the passion in our church? Should it only be for the weird and the wrong headed to express their passion?