On previous pages I’ve discussed possible venues for having religious experiences — homes, canyons, historical sites, mountains, virtual reality, etc. But I’ve yet to satisfactorally come to grips with how meetings should be held, if, in fact, church meetings are needed. The Mormon Church’s extremely heirarchical approach seems very unsatisfactory. In fact, LDS meetings are boring to say the least.
An alternative to this approach was apparently tried by early Christian Gnostics. To quote Elaine Pagels:
” . . . when they met, all the members first participated in drawing lots. Whoever received a certain lot apparently was designaed to take the role of priest; another was to offer the sacrament, as bishop; another would read the Scriptures for worship, and others would address the group as a prophet, offering extemporaneous spiritual instruction. The next time the group met, they would throw lots again so that the persons taking each role changed continually.”
While this model is not perfect, it could certainly add some zest to meetings. Additionally, there is substantial evidence that Gnostics may have had a liberal policy as far as participation of women.
This whole scenario seems to fit well with the possibilities opened up by the Open Source software movement, wikis, blogs, and similar technologies, and the rapid expansion of the Internet. Drawing lots and Internet confabs open up a whole new world of possibilities for ecclesiastical group sessions.
The Gnostic Acts of John tells how Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane ” . . . assembled us all, and said, ‘Before I am delivered to them, let us sing a hymn to the Father, and so go to meet what lies before (us).’ So he told us to form a circle, holding one another’s hands, and himself stood in the middle . . .” John continues: “After the Lord had danced with us, my beloved, he went out [to suffer).”
Somehow drawing lots, holding hands, and dancing in a garden or in the wilderness (virtual or real) seems very Biblical.
It should be noted that in the case of the Gnostics, orthodoxy (Catholic or Orthodox) prevailed and Gnosticism is now a very minor religion. Hierarchical churches have historically survived in the real world better than less structured ones. Maybe there is hope for less formal organizations in the virtual world.
