by
Penny Stewart
While attending the Re-Imagining Revival held April 16 – 19, 1998 in St. Paul, MN, I remembered a toddler computer game in which a mother duck appears and screams to her ducklings, “Run away! Run away!” There were times when I truly wanted to “Run away!”
Less than a week home from the event, my mind is free of the drum beating, the chants are being replaced with old and dear hymns, and I am back with home and church family. Not every woman or man attending the revival is as fortunate.
I found the organization and presentation of Re-Imagining to be slick. The Concise American Heritage Dictionary defines the term `slick as “deftly executed; adroit. Shrewd; crafty. Superficially attractive but without depth.” Admittedly, some men and women who attended will think they have reached a higher plane, seen the light, or experienced “community.” Most, I suspect, will soon feel emptiness, loss, and confusion – a sinking feeling.
Christianity is assumed and sometimes mentioned at Re-Imagining, but defining the term `Christianity is left up to each participant according to her or his own experience. When individuals experience define their truth, there is no central truth. When there is no central truth, there is no common understanding. With this lack of common understanding there is much confusion, but no one wants to admit it. I felt like I missed the first part of the sentence and was too embarrassed to ask for clarification. After all, participants, for the most part, are radical feminists who are confident, educated, and extremely angry. Many are clergy who think they shouldnt have to clarify. We should know all the answers. I think the ReImagining planners count on this – its part of being `slick.
As an example, we started off the first evening at the “talking tables” by passing a loaf of bread. I didnt realize what was happening at first (no explanation was given), so I took a piece of bread, buttered it, and ate. I didnt know that passing the bread was part of the ritual. I also had no idea that the ritual of milk and honey was to follow. Having read about this controversial ritual, I finally put two and two together and refused the milk and honey.
The correlation between the milk and honey ritual. and communion has been in debate since the 1993 Re-Imagining. Past and present planners are very defensive about this and insist that the ritual is not communion. Despite the explanation in the back of our program book, it looked like communion to me.
I had prepared myself for the conference by reading books and articles on radical feminism and Re-Imagining, but I only thought that I had prepared myself. With the mix of a few familiar hymns (with changed words), a short time of table prayer, blessing of Sophia, an unknown ritual here, and a little scripture there, by Saturday evening I was confused. The speakers spoke from 45 minutes to an hour each. I had to listen carefully because heresy was mixed in with some more traditional theology. This wore me down. I didnt intend to be confused, but I was. It was slick.
After experiencing the Re-Imagining Revival, I feel a deep sense of grief. Grief for my Lord and Savior who was denied and crucified a second tine there in St. Paul. Grief for the hurting people who have been disappointed by the Church, came to Re-Imagining expecting solutions, and received no real truth. There was no hope, no joy, no prescription for sin-sick souls – only confusion and a sinking feeling.
The Re-Imaginingg community is not built on Christ the solid rock. It is built on untruths, anger, and sinking sand. We must make sure that the Church. is built on the solid rock. Grain by grain, the Re-Imagining community and the church without Christ will eventually wash away.