It’s not for everybody!

Why Christianity shouldn’t expect too much

I was remarking recently how hymns are the best part of Christian worship (apart from Bible readings), nothing beats a good rousing sing and the sound of the organ. Except the hymns that are best for singing often contain the most difficult words.

I live in a world, my own world some would say, where all religions are valued. I enjoy the pluralistic mixing and sharing that seems so natural. Being in church is another experience though, other religions are hardly ever mentioned and so much of what we encounter, especially in the hymns, has a flavour of supremacism. One of our Easter hymns is — ‘He is Lord, He is Lord, he is risen from the dead, and he is Lord’. It continues with the words, quoting the apostle Paul — ‘every knee shall bow’. But will it, should everyone bow to Jesus, does he even want that? The Gospels themselves suggest that what Jesus really wanted was more than that, and calling or treating him as Lord was less important.

I don’t buy into a worldview which expects my neighbours to bow the knee to Jesus, in this world or the next. Whatever their path to the Divine (or not) is good enough for them, for me and for God, there is no need for them to bow to Jesus.

It’s time we were more pluralist and inclusive in our outlook and our worship, for…