As spring rain drizzles outside, I’m thinking about Easter worship and the increasing numbers of Christians (and pastors) who are leaving church.
The statistics have become a modern fact of life and aren’t as shocking as they once were. For varied reasons, more folks decide to embark on a search to find the sacred in their lives, away from traditional worship — a pilgrimage of truth and spiritual meaning.
Phawnda Moore
It’s one that brings all of us closer to God: looking inward, asking questions, finding truth, allowing for the beauty, mystery and purpose of life.
When Barbara Brown Taylor, the acclaimed Episcopal priest, theologian and author, wrote Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith, a book about her own journey in 2006, she said, “Sometimes leaving what is familiar is the only way to discover what truly matters. … We must find the courage to let go of our attachments and embrace the adventure of living fully and authentically.”
The three words in the Contents page of her book: “Finding, Losing and Keeping” remind me of Jesus’ words from the Gospel of Matthew: “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
Taylor offers that “maybe the great shift of our times is away from organization to spirit, from structure to relationship, from dogma to love.”
A professor of world religions, she continued to preach her messages to reach vast numbers of believers, the unchurched and spiritual seekers alike in universities near and far.
In 2020, she published Always a Guest: Speaking of Faith Far from Home. You can read 31 of her messages, beginning with “How to Live with High Anxiety” and including “The Wake-Up Call,” “Practicing Resurrection,” “Learning to Fall,” along with others about parables, miracles and wonder.
She’s learned to pack her bags lightly, with four essentials: “a sacred text, a trust in the Spirit, an experience of being human, and the desire to bear good news.”
In my own real-life spiritual journey, I remember an Easter season in 2017, when my husband and I climbed a red rock mountain in Sedona, Ariz., to visit the Chapel of the Holy Cross.
Standing 250 feet above the earth, travelers learn about its history, purpose and welcome at the entrance. Early plans to build it in Hungary and the outbreak of World War II interrupted their dream but were realized “when sculptor and architects met on common ground.”
Finally completed in 1956, the Chapel of the Holy Cross exists to proclaim that “just as the soul inhabits a human frame, it is the mission of the church to shelter and inspire both soul and body.” As a spiritual fortress for the world, it spreads truth and its doors will be open to one and all, regardless of creed.
That the church may “come to life in the souls of men and be a living reality … herein lies the whole message of this chapel.”
I remember its art, light and grandeur: flickering red candles, the window to the outside world, a sacred sculpture of the crucified Jesus. One truly feels connected to earth and heaven, but it is the simple message to us travelers to leave our baggage at the door and follow Jesus that we felt and took home.
Once again, my husband and I are planning to climb a mountain and observe Easter sunrise this year. Will you join us in spirit? It’s a great time to find a mountain, be still and ponder Jesus’ words:
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Easter says to us that despite everything to the contrary, his will for us will prevail, love will prevail over hate, justice over injustice and oppression, peace over exploitation and bitterness. — Desmond Tutu
Protect your peace. It is a sacred gift, a blessing in this crazy world.
Phawnda Moore is a Northern California artist and award-winning author of Lettering from A to Z: 12 Styles & Awesome Projects for a Creative Life. In living a creative life, she shares spiritual insights from traveling, gardening and cooking. Find her at Facebook: Calligraphy & Design by Phawnda and Instagram: phawnda.moore