Fans of the Doonesbury comic...
Illustration
Fans of the Doonesbury comic strip know that the Little Church of Walden is
pastored by the Reverend Scott Sloane. Back when Scott Sloane first appeared in
Doonesbury, he was a college campus minister, "the fighting young priest who
can talk to the young." The Little Church of Walden used to be a 1960s-style commune,
but, by the 1990s, it had morphed into a church, offering its yuppie parishioners a range
of self-improvement programs.
In one particular strip, Scott is talking with a couple who are first-time visitors. He asks them what they're looking for in a church. The husband replies with a question of his own:
"Well, what's your basic approach here, reverend? Is it traditional gospel?"
"In a way. I like to describe it as twelve-step Christianity. Basically, I believe that we're all recovering sinners. My ministry is about overcoming denial. It's about recommitment, about redemption. It's all in the brochure there."
"Wait a minute!" says the husband, sounding suspicious. "Sinners, redemption -- doesn't that imply ... guilt?"
"Well, yes, I do rely on the occasional disincentive to keep the flock from going astray. Guilt's part of that."
"I dunno," says the husband, turning to his wife. "There's so much negativity in the world as it is."
"That's right," she replies. "We're looking for a church that's supportive, a place where we can feel good about ourselves. I'm not sure the guilt thing works for us."
"On the other hand," muses the husband, paging through the glossy brochure, "you do offer racquetball."
"So do the Unitarians, honey," the wife shoots back. "Let's shop around some more."
How different this is from the perspective of Revelation 5, in which the heavenly host directs praise to God for one reason only: because God is worthy!
In one particular strip, Scott is talking with a couple who are first-time visitors. He asks them what they're looking for in a church. The husband replies with a question of his own:
"Well, what's your basic approach here, reverend? Is it traditional gospel?"
"In a way. I like to describe it as twelve-step Christianity. Basically, I believe that we're all recovering sinners. My ministry is about overcoming denial. It's about recommitment, about redemption. It's all in the brochure there."
"Wait a minute!" says the husband, sounding suspicious. "Sinners, redemption -- doesn't that imply ... guilt?"
"Well, yes, I do rely on the occasional disincentive to keep the flock from going astray. Guilt's part of that."
"I dunno," says the husband, turning to his wife. "There's so much negativity in the world as it is."
"That's right," she replies. "We're looking for a church that's supportive, a place where we can feel good about ourselves. I'm not sure the guilt thing works for us."
"On the other hand," muses the husband, paging through the glossy brochure, "you do offer racquetball."
"So do the Unitarians, honey," the wife shoots back. "Let's shop around some more."
How different this is from the perspective of Revelation 5, in which the heavenly host directs praise to God for one reason only: because God is worthy!
