Post-Secular Europe seeking a mystical encounter

I’d like to pick up on a point of reflection made in Martin Robinson’s article “Post Christian and Post Secular Europe” in which he stated, “There is a contrast between being “religious people” and “spiritual people”.  The people of Europe don’t think of themselves as “religious”, by which they mean to identify with a particular religious organization or institution but they can think of themselves as “spiritual” by which they mean interested in God, in prayer, in a sense of wonder and mystery about life.”  Bishop Tom Wright made mention of Europe is becoming more post-secular and the people of Europe are actually looking for the ‘spiritual’ and ‘mystical’ – this represents a great challenge and opportunity to the Church. The obvious opportunity is to satisfy this desire for the ‘spiritual’ but the challenge is, the Church has become quite ‘secular’. Prof. Corne’ Bekker (Regent University, Virginia, USA),say’s, “We are living in a pagan world with a secular Church”.

The Church must rediscover her ‘mystical’ and ‘spiritual’ treasures. In an interview last week with Carmelite Father Luigi Borriello, he said, “Mysticism is not just a secondary aspect of theology, but is something that all people are called to.”

A mystical experience cannot be separated from faith; it can only take place within it. Mystical experience calls for a mystical theology, a rediscovery of the ‘sovereignty and mystery’ of God as Creator. Fr. Luigi said, that today their is a persistence of the mystical event. It is part of the post-modern society. This universal mystical richness is rediscovered in Western and Eastern religiosity. He sadly notes that the Eastern religions are looked upon, by Westerners, as offering a ‘spiritual’ experience that Christianity seems to have lost.

Religion and mysticism are different realities, and it is necessary to make distinctions. In fact, many seek in the East what Christian mysticism already contains.

Here in Europe we are faced with a paradox: a secular Church amidst a post-secular people. Fr. Borriello states: “Mysticism isn't dissolution; it is an encounter. Christian mysticism is characterized by the Incarnation, which is always a gift… and the greatest revelation takes place in Jesus Christ. Hence, mystical experience is always Christ-centered and Trinitarian.”

Europeans may seem to be post-institutional Church, but they are not post-Christian. Bishop Graham Cray, head of Fresh Expressions, recently told me that they have seen over 3,000 Church new plants & Missions in the UK, by doing Church differently. Informal Christian Communities are on the rise all over Europe, in all the Church Denominations. People want to ‘belong’ to a spiritual group / community, whether you or I call it Church or not. Shane Claiborne writes about the ‘Irresistible Revolution’ (Book Title), in which he speaks about the global phenomena of people wanting to live as “ordinary radicals for Jesus”. Some people are even taking the Sermon on the Mount seriously… imagine that?

I repeat, Europe may be post-secular and post-institutional, but we’re not post-spiritual. The People of Europe today need a spiritual and mystical experience, which is inherent to us as Church; this is our treasure to offer. But how can we offer what we seem to be loosing? Our challenge as Christian Leaders (servants), is not how do we live in a world with ‘NO’ Church, but it's rather ‘HOW do we be Church’ –

Eurochurch.net encourages and offers a platform and environment for such open debate and experimentation - We are to “Seek the Kingdom” and “Jesus will build His Church”.

Tony Palmer