Whether the Sabbath is Friday night to Saturday evening or Sunday, hundreds of thousands of people make the dutiful trek to their place of worship. Some go on a regular basis while others wait for High Holidays or “holy” days. But is Church, Synagogue or Temple necessary? Yes, and no. For the sake of space (and to be ecumenically correct) , a place of gathering for the purpose of worship to the God of one’s being, will be referred to as “spiritual center.”
For many, having a place to worship is vitally important. In fact, some religions almost demand that their followers attend some sort denominational spiritual center. Preferably one finds such a place close to their home, with a leader they trust, like and feel drawn to and then not only attends services on a regular basis, but in many cases gives as hefty an amount as possible to the facility for it’s continued operation. An example might be the premise of many different type of Christian faiths that encourage tithing, or giving ten percent of our gross (yes gross, not net) income, while some Jewish Temples have an annual fee for membership.
Though tax-exempt and non-profit, spiritual centers are in fact a business. The Church leadership, usually including priest, minister and board members create a budget to cover costs of operation and through mostly congregant contributions hope to meet that budget.
For those who have at any point and time been behind the scenes, so to speak, there is often a clear political network that sometimes seems almost the opposite of the “true” function of the facility.
Spiritual Centers are to be, first and foremost, a place of Communion with each other and with God. In this respect, for the individuals who seek our such fellowship with like minded souls, the spiritual center is a very handy gathering place. It is a place where one can join with others to perform rituals and prayers symbolic of their belief system. The can utilize the facility, hear inspiring messages from their spiritual leaders and get to know others who think and believe as they do. For many, this aspect of their religion is essential. The Church serves a purpose as the place for public expression of their faith. There they can be “spiritually fed” and nourished. They leave feeling refreshed and renewed to face the week ahead.
If the Spiritual Center of choice provides for the spiritual needs of its congregants than most of the behind the scenes issues are of little to no concern. It becomes a concern only when the Spiritual Center moves further away from the idea of community of and more into become corporate, if you will.
Rev. Gary Simmons of the Unity Association of Churches talks about the different levels of churches and growth of these communities. There are the smaller intimate settings that with growing membership and income can fast become a much larger more complex system, in which individual attention to the needs of congregants comes into question. While growth is not always a bad thing, one must wonder about those facilities that seat thousands every Sunday, and more over, the desire of smaller churches to become like the cathedrals. As Spirituals Centers grow from family and individual focused, small but intimate; the message and mission may be the same, but lost within the massive numbers is the spirit of those attending. In my humble opinion, when it comes to Spiritual Centers, bigger is not always better. When the Spiritual Center becomes more complex, so does the politics and so does the funding needed to operate the facility.
But are Spiritual Centers necessary? There are many who would say they are not. As Spiritual Beings having a human experience we carry within us the Essence and Wisdom of the Universe. God’s DNA runs through us because we are It’s children. Taking time each day to pray, meditate and spend time with the God of your being brings one closer and opens the door to Divine intervention, ideas and awakening. As we go within, we are able to find the peace that is the Creator of all. There we allow for the Love of God to fill us, surround us and pour forth from us. We become radiant lights of God.
Certainly, seeking spiritual communion with others of like mind is important, as well as seeking ways to be spiritually fed. Spiritual Centers can provide this but so can a walk in a nature, reaching out a hand to help another in need, or holding a child in our arms. In those moments we can involve all our human senses in the recognition of God everywhere at once. There is no spot where God is not; therefore, God is in the forest, and the falling leaves, in the homeless hungry man on the corner and laughing eyes of small child. The light of God lives within everyone: what a wonderful place the world could be if we all recognized the person we were talking to or taking action against was an aspect of God. In fact, these practices can be done everyday of the week, ensuring that whether one attends a Spiritual Center God remains a part of one’s daily life, rather than a once a week duty.
If spiritual centers are needed to remind ourselves that we are asked to be expressions of God’s love on this planet, then may they do their job and not feel the need to be too demanding of their congregants, too big, too business-like or too political. And may each soul who finds a spiritual “home”, be fed and nourished with the Love of God while there.
