This last Sunday my wife and I led a discussion with the 12-year-old’s Sunday school class on 1 Corinthians chapter 12. This chapter has been a favorite of mine since I sat in their seats. If you are unfamiliar, in this chapter Paul sermonizes on the idea of spiritual gifts and gives his Body of Christ metaphor.
Says Paul to the Christians at Corinth-
“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ….
For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you,’ nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’ On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable…” (1 Cor. 12: 14-23 ESV)
As a class, we analyzed Paul’s metaphor. Our students made sense of it pretty quickly- all “members” are needed. Just as a body doesn’t work with just eyes or ears, they told my wife and me, the church can’t function with just one type of person. We need all sorts of people for a ward to be the best it can.
I was proud of them for making that leap. And I became even more proud as my wife and I upped the stakes and asked-
- What about someone who smells like cigarettes?
- What about someone who doesn’t have a testimony? Or who doesn't have a testimony of certain things?
- What about someone who has tattoos?
- What about everyone who, for whatever reason, doesn't fit the "good" Mormon mold? This is a lot of people- People who are divorced. People who voted for a Democrat. People who never married. People who are gay. (And so many more...)
It was here my wife went for the jugular. All of these people, she taught them, should have space made for them in The Body of Christ. But more than that, each of these people that “good” Mormons often write off have offerings and talents and gifts and experiences to offer the Body. These people are not “worth it” despite their weakness (and, we reiterated, few of these are "weaknesses"), they represent the ear that the eye can’t say it “has no need of.” We need all parts of the Body, she said, and it is sin to disregard them. Indeed, what active members often disregard as living below God’s ordained mark can represent a needed gift for the full Body of Christ.
The 12-year-olds agreed.
Unfortunately, Mormonism currently operates under an “in/out” paradigm rather than one of inclusion. For many Mormons, you are either in the Mormon thing or you are out. This paradigm causes fully-in members to wonder things like, “why don’t those members just leave?” as well as members on the edge to think “maybe I should go.”
Much of this is caused by Mormon rhetoric and culture. As our missionaries teach, “Once you know the Book of Mormon is true you also know Joseph Smith was a prophet and this is the only True Church.” This domino effect, meant to shepherd in potential converts, also works in the inverse. Once you know-or start to think- that Joseph Smith wasn’t a prophet, or maybe the Book of Mormon isn’t historical, the other Mormon truth claims begin to concave. The Mormonism that was once 100% true becomes 100% false. Then it’s time to get out. You cannot occupy Middle Space.
This blog seeks to challenge the “in/out” paradigm by exploring what it means to occupy Mormonism’s Middle Space.
Middle Space, a Blog is dedicated to exploring life in Mormonism’s "middle space" between full-belief/practice and leaving the church altogether. Currently, we have six contributors who occupy this "middle space" themselves and will be submitting content, along with myself, on a weekly rotation.
This is not to say that the contributors to this blog do not consider themselves fully active and believing Mormons (though some may not) nor is it to say that every contributor is currently experiencing some episode of faith crisis or doubt (though some may be). It is to say that the contributors to this blog have previously, or currently do, feel distance between themselves and the expectations surrounding “fully-in Mormonism,” (be it due to issues of belief, political differences, life circumstances sexuality, race, or a myriad of other possibilities) and have nevertheless negotiated for themselves a place in Mormonism's Middle Space and in The Body of Christ.
We strongly feel this Blog is both needed in our community and would serve as an intriguing read for all interested in religion.
This blog is not apologetic. Rather than being a defense of the faith, it is an introspection of the faith. It is a place for all Mormons to look inward as well as a space where all Mormon experiences may be honored and understood. It represents an effort to more fully appreciate all offerings to The Body of Christ.
This Blog, therefore, seeks to promote greater understanding among Mormons of all stripes and to serve as a pastoral aid in fostering greater inclusion for all members.
Below you will find a list of questions given to our contributors for consideration as they prepared their content. These will give you an idea of what will be covered in subsequent weeks. To that end, please tell us in the comments what other subjects/experiences/wonderings you would like discussed here!
Our hope is that this Blog will also serve as a communicative tool between fully-in Mormons and those who currently occupy the Middle Space. Ideally, this blog can become a space-making and community building experience that, we feel, is truly needed now in Mormonism’s Body of Christ.
Questions for Consideration (given to contributors)
- In what ways have you felt caught between your Mormon identity and your personal values?
- Why does the Mormon community remain attractive despite its pitfalls?
- If you don't believe X or Y why don't you leave?
- What experiences have you had with church leaders that have left you disappointed? Why do you retain your Mormonism despite these experiences?
- How does you "Mormonism" differ from other's "Mormonism"?
- How have you "made space" for yourself in the Mormon Community? How have you made Mormonism work for you?
- What do you wish "full-in" members knew about Mormons "like you"?
- For you, what does it mean to be Mormon?
- How has your experience in Mormonism impacted your view of Mormon History?
- How do you theorize prophetic revelation? How do you reconcile this part of Mormon theology with your current mode of thinking?
- Describe your experiences as a participant in Mormon ritual. If these experiences have required a "wrestle," describe that process and your current attitude towards it.
- What do you wish for Mormonism? What do you hope for Mormonism?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI would enjoy reading a discussion of the current US political climate and Mormonism. How does a Church that espouses Christ as its central figure justify certain stances that seem directly in contrast (on both sides of the spectrum)?
ReplyDeleteEven as someone who is "all in," (though "all-in" is an ideal none of us lives up to in full), I see this as an important topic for discussion. So kudos! However, I personally believe that a great deal of caution is appropriate with statements like, "Mormonism operates . . ." because it logically begs the question. It starts with an "accepted" premise that is not necessarily established and is, itself, in need of exploration or support. Does "Mormonism" really operate that way? Always? Anecdotally? Doctrinally? Officially? Subjectively? Who says?
ReplyDeleteWe should also be careful in any kind of discussion whenever we use the terms "Mormonism" or "the Church." Do we mean to refer to the official stance, or to the culture, or to the most common practices? And how common are those most common practices? And what exactly is "the culture?" Do we recognize the wide variance in the church culture from community to community? It is easy to slide into negative stereotypes. It is easy to paint "active Mormons" as one homogenous monolith of same-ness.
It seems clear to me that Mormonism does not operate under an in/out paradigm, as witnessed by the existence of a whole group of "middle" people with its own Blog. Wouldn’t that make you all “out?” I recognize that many feel that I can say in the abstract the Church is not technically in/out, but that many are treated like they don’t count so they might as well be “out” because they have doubts. So some feel one way, and others feel another. That's fertile ground for discussion then, right? But that is also why it does a disservice to just assume that the experience of some represents “the Church.”
I have heard many pronouncements of church leaders accepting those "in the middle." But some may still feel that the high-minded ideal of acceptance is just lip service and can be a lot different in actual practice. Aren't ideals always like that? Isn't that the very nature of an ideal or a virtue? It's hard for many to attain and is against human nature - or "the natural man," in Book of Mormon terms.
So I am just one reader, but starting with the assumption "since the Church doesn’t follow Paul's teachings" and then going on to discuss how folks are coping with that leaves me feeling that this is a discussion that is going to bypass me. Maybe that's OK, and the discussion can still be a valuable outlet just for those in the middle, and the "all-ins" and the "middles" may continue to not understand each other very well.
I do hope for more, though. I would like to understand what people who feel in the middle want from other members. Can we serve and understand better than we are? I assume the answer to be “yes,” but I’m not sure of the whys or what I might be doing to alienate some folks. Do they want us to leave them alone? Do they want us to agree with them? Do they want to teach whatever doctrine they feel in church lessons? Do they just want tolerance and understanding? Do they want time to mull things over and come to their own conclusions in their own time? Do they want their dissent to be heard and duly noted like the “no” shouts we sometimes hear in Conference? Do they want to tell me off?
I expect not all "middles" are the same, and that the answers will be different for each one. I don’t think of them as being “middle-ites.” I feel like we could hang out and drink Diet Coke and it wouldn’t be weird at all.
I do think the "in/out" distinction is a little broadly stated here. But it does represent a real phenomenon. A lot of Church members don't know how to deal with complicated feelings about the Church, and especially don't know how to deal with people whose relationship with the Church is complicated. There's often a sort of social pressure not to talk about the complications and difficulties that makes the in/out dichotomy seem starker than it is in reality. I hope one of the things this blog can do is to allow those bits of reality to be seen more clearly and more charitably. I think a lot of the things that people in a "middle space" feel and experience will be recognizable to other members of the Church, and bringing these things out into the open will begin a dialogue that will lead to a closer community. At least, that would be my ideal for the impact of this blog.
ReplyDeleteI can appreciate that my assessment speaks too generally. I can own that. My intention is less about diagnosing the current state of Mormonism and more about suggesting that for many it does feel that way. This opening post isn't meant to be scholarly, it's meant to be pastoral.
ReplyDeleteIn practice Mormonism certainly doesn't operate in a pure and strict "in/out." In fact, one of the central purposes of this blog is to challenge and complicate the "in/out" narrative. I've been thinking for instance about my own place in The Church. In many ways I feel like I'm cheating with this blog because I do consider myself "fully-in." I have a temple recommend, I'm ordained to and maintain my priesthood, and keep the commandments. But at the same time, I can think of so many times I've sat in church and thought, "Well, I certainly don't believe THAT." And, Left-Wing Marxist that I am, I've had numerous experiences at the intersection of politics and people in The Church that left me feeling out of the club. Put together, it's probably safe to say every member in some way has inhabited Middle Space, which, is kind of the point of this whole thing.
People who are "all in" in The Church are certainly not a monolith of culture and ideas. That's true. And, I can appreciate your concern for nuance. However, I think it's safe to say that while we Mormons aren't all the same...we kind of like to think we are...
Let me give an example- Rarely, if ever, have I seen anyone disagree in Sunday School. I remember actually when I was in High School and I attended a synagogue for the first time. (I didn't attend a real service, it was more of a Torah study.) In the middle of the discussion on Jacob some guy followed up another's comments with "Yeah, I'm gunna have to disagree..." and I was shocked. I think I can only recall seeing that happen in our Sunday School once. Furthermore, I can't ever recall anyone discussing a doctrine they didn't believe or a practice they didn't adhere to. To be clear, I've heard many people talk about issues in their past (followed almost always by their journey back into the fold) but I can't recall anyone discussing issues in their present. In other words, I can't recall an experience of someone discussing their current journey in Middle Space. While it's true that we Mormons are more complicated that we often assume, I think it's fair to say our sameness shines brighter.
Additionally, I have had more experiences than I can count of members suggesting that others who are feeling in the middle should "just go." It's a sad and terrible reality. I've seen it most in response to things like the Ordain Women Movement or the related Wear Pants to Church protest. And, on the other end, I've spoken with a lot of members who think they simply "fit-in" better on the outside. My argument that "Mormonism" (however we want to define that term) operates on an in/out was primarily based on these one on one pastoral experiences with individuals in whose Mormon experience it certainly seemed to.
ReplyDeleteTo be very candid, I imagine this blog will be of greater service to people in the Middle. I do hope share the hope that it can serve as a communicative tool between Mormons of all stripes- and I can do better as a write to ensure I am not alienating any group. The reaching of this blog's full potential will require its writers to communicate with greater eloquence that I have thus far done and will require its readers to read through a lens of empathy, and dare I say, maybe even the Holy Spirit. The experiences discussed in this blog may "bypass" some but I don't think that makes them irreverent. In our Church we are all the clergy, and that requires us to seek out how to best minister which requires, I think, a greater level of understanding than we Mormons have here to for offered.
What do the "Middle-ites" want? To be perfectly honest I don't really know. That's perhaps the prime reason why I'm not doing this operation solo. However, I can imagine that really what they want is to feel like they belong. And this blogs central purpose is to argue-passionately- that not only do they belong but they are needed in The Body of Christ.
All thoughtful insights, and well said! But what gives you the right to disagree in Sunday School? On a serious note, though, I personally get kind of sensitive on the "monolith" issue, because many of us really feel like we try not to be, even if we are not Marxists, and yet there is a lot of negative - sometimes very bitter - rhetoric out there that does characterize us in that way. Many hearts of all kinds are in need of healing in these turbulent social media times.
ReplyDelete