"Dead Dogma, Dead Sacraments" by John Chuchman

Moving from content

 to process and relational reality

makes all the difference in the world. 

Dogma based on content

ends up dead rather than inspiring grace and awe.  

Sacraments

 become narrow specific forms of defined relationships 

like man and woman make a sacramental marriage 

and the almost silly theology 

of man and woman as natural law family. 

A relational definition of marriage

 is based on the dynamics of

commitment, loyalty, affirmation, 

deep sense of respect for the other’s humanity and equality,

 a deep abiding unconditional love, 

ongoing forgiveness,

 shared values 

and sense of humility and mysticism, 

connections to larger realities and communities,

all relational dynamics that can take many content forms. 

Sacraments  that see sacred connections and realities 

in many different realities 

become new and easy ways to see all kinds of grace.   

As long as traditional catholic theology is stuck in content 

rather than relational theologies, 

it will be static 

and not be able to see love in many places.  

Sacraments grow out of daily relations, 

sharing a cup and bread,

celebrating in community, 

the most basic human encounters, 

forgiveness and mercy between people, 

healing touches during suffering and illness, 

inspiring servant leadership in community, 

sacred work in words and actions 

realizing one’s embedded in creation and continuing creation, 

welcoming and transformation and initiation rituals,

  all relational 

forming the actual substance of  sacraments.

Roman Catholicism has turned them into magic, 

as all priesthood based religions eventually do,

 transforming human and communal relational grace 

into individual and concentrated power to control 

rather than empowering mysticism and awe.   

The Roman Catholics are stuck, 

missing the great grace of their own insights, 

human relational grace, 

the sacred mystical nature of ordinary human life.  

They miss the grace of wonder about life and love 

pretending they can make it magically appear

through the defined content of doctrine, dogma, rites, and rituals,

rather than listening silently and deeply to the lives around them 

and being a mirror to grace of everyday life in creation, 

being recreated over and over and over.