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Faith Today • Page 3
the future
shape
to be college students. Perhaps
Clause they spend most of their
time looking ahead, I find it
necessary to spend some of my
time looking into the next 15 or
20 years. There are some fairly
clear signs around us of what we
might expect for the church of the
future.
I participated in a recent session
in which people were asked to
v-ite down their positive and
negative experiences of “church.”
Later, as the individual answers
were shared with the larger group,
something became surprisingly ap
parent: All participants wrote
about some aspect of the
Mass.
Certainly the group could have
shared other concerns of church
life. They were not Sunday-only
churchgoers.
But the fact that everyone focus
ed on the Eucharist reminded me
how much worship has come to
be the center of most people’s ex
perience of faith, and how great a
commitment those who hunger for
good liturgical prayer will make to
having it provided.
More and more Catholics want
congregations to put creative
energy into planning and cele
brating the Mass. This is a trend
that likely will continue.
The role of the laity also will
continue to change in the years
ahead. A smaller number of priests
and Religious will force some
changes. But developments will
occur for other reasons as well.
In the move that Catholics have
made from being an immigrant
church in the United States, many
accepted the need for higher
education. Many of the laity are
becoming more and more educated
and bringing that education to bear
on their Christian life.
The skills and training of the lai
ty for life in the secular world will
not necessarily be matched by a
sophisticated understanding of
faith, but the potential is there. If
these two forms of education can
be put together, then a dynamic
lay leadership is possible.
Of course, the role of the laity
will continue to grow in the
marketplace as well as in the con
fines of the church. Lay men and
women, who realize their skills
and gifts, can bring new values
and purpose to business, science
and politics.
Third, the church will continue
to be an articulate advocate for
social justice. The U.S. bishops
already have provided leadership
by writing such pastoral letters as
the ones on nuclear arms and the
U.S. economy. But the commit
ment to social justice will not end
with the bishops’ statements.
Others will learn how to speak
to social concerns. On a recent
visit to a seminary bookstore, I
noted a number of books on
justice and social morality. It
reminded me how few books there
were on those topics 15 years ago
when I was in the same seminary.
Likewise it can be seen that most
religious education texts include an
emphasis on social concerns.
A whole generation is learning
to look at world justice issues
through a faith lens and this will
influence parish communities.
Certainly, these predictions for
the future church are written
without the advantage of a crystal
ball. Nevertheless, the present is
parent to the future. What we
observe happening in the church
today helps us understand what
may take place tomorrow.
(Father Weber is pastor of St.
Thomas More University Parish in
Bowling Green, Ohio.)
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Children who are 10 years old today will celebrate their 33rd birth
day in the year 2010. They will be pursuing careers, raising children,
fulfilling responsible roles in towns and cities, and in a variety of ways
shaping the society of the third millennium after Christ. What will
parish life be like for them?
What are some ways society is likely to develop and change in the
next 25 years? Do you think this will influence parish life in any ways
— people’s spirituality, for example?
If the seeds of the future are hidden in the present moment, what are
some current points of emphasis in church life that are likely to in
fluence the shape of parish life in the future — the services parishes of
fer to families, for example?
What is the center, or focal point, of parish life? What does this sug
gest about what the parish is intended to be today and in the future?
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
Second Helpings. Among the brief essays in Practical Spirituality for
Lay People, by Dolores Leckey, is one essay devoted to small groups in parish
and home situations. It is frequently said that numerous small groups for
the sake of prayer, discussion and service to others will be a characteristic
of parishes in the future. “In this century,” Mrs. Leckey writes, “churches
have been discovering the power of small groups of Christians in transfor
ming the lives of individuals and the life of entire parishes as well.” Essays
in this book, largely drawn from the pages of past Faith Today editions,
discuss spirituality, family, community, work, change, the church and the
life of the laity in the world. (Sheed and Ward, 115 E, Armour Blvd., Kan
sas City, Mo. 64141. 1987. Paperback, $6.95 )
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Birthdate / / Phone! )
This information will be kept strictly confidential.
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