Missing the Point

Brian McClaren, co-author of Missing the Point, has some company. The Rev. Ian Gregory, a retired congregational minister from the UK says that he missed the point in his twenty years of ministry. He is now working on a new project that he calls, "Christianity without religion."

What does that mean? Apparently it means chatting about "anything that makes you feel good" and a "laughter room" because "laughter is as important as prayer." I'm simply not surprised that Mr. Gregory tells people who are bored with church not to go!

"People are fed up with religion. The bar-room talk is that it causes too much trouble in the world. But people are intrigued by spirituality and by figures such as Jesus and Buddha."

The traditional Sunday morning service will be replaced by "coffee and laughter" - videos of classic comedy films during which people will be able to come and go or read the Sunday papers over tea and toast.

While the Church of England is going hay-wire trying to keep its pews filled, this is a little extreme. "The Rev Mark Ireland, the Church of England Missioner for the Diocese of Litchfield, wondered whether Mr Gregory's church was proclaiming the "good news of Jesus Christ" in what he was doing."

I'm with him.