Waiting for God: an afternoon with Andrew Root
Once, the world had not yet been disenchanted, and the role of the Church was clear: to provide access to the transcendent through the sacraments. After the Enlightenment, the world became a material universe in which faith retained a place only within the Church. In our postmodern era, however, all forms of belief are fundamentally questioned. Therefore, as a Church and as a community, we must focus on actively waiting for God, according to American theologian Andrew Root. He spoke on 5 November to around 120 ministers and other church workers. His talk was given at the invitation of the research project "Future-Oriented Church."
The Future Belongs to God
Due to the pillarisation in the Netherlands (the segregation of religious groups in the mid-twentieth century), secularisation in the Netherlands began relatively late. There is little shared history among different groups, which makes it challenging to bridge the gap between the Church and the world. The ideas of Dr Andrew Root (Luther Seminary) provide an important source of hope and courage for our time, rooted in the belief that the future of the Church belongs to God. In his lecture, Root indicated that in a postmodern world, believing in the transcendent is practically impossible. People feel this even within the Church. Yet we all yearn for meaning, so individuals create their own forms of spirituality. According to Root, this opens opportunities for the Church to transcend the here and now.
Engaging with Expectation
But what does it mean that the future of the Church belongs to God? How can we think from this perspective in the Dutch context? The ensuing discussion connected this idea to church practice in the Netherlands. Regional minister Trinette Verhoeven began by noting that Andrew Root is, in a sense, a mystic, with his emphasis on waiting and the theologia crucis. For her, "waiting" means developing “a different view of reality.” However, she acknowledged a tension with the fact that there is so much to be done in the Church. “Let’s learn to live with what is,” she concluded. According to Andrew Root, waiting is more like a conversation. In a good conversation, you also take time to listen. Listening is not passive but highly active. In this way, ‘waiting’ can be seen as engaging with expectation.
The Need for Deeper Connection
Bosco Bangura, senior researcher (Protestant Theological University), noted that Root’s argument is also relevant in an African context. While there are cultural differences from North America, the emphasis on connection transcends these differences. “We all need a deeper connection with God and with each other.”
Waiting in Prayer
Ilonka Terlouw, postdoctoral researcher in practical theology (Protestant Theological University), drew attention to prayer as a practice that calls for action. “What does it look like to wait in prayer?” Praying is also challenging within the Church. On the one hand, we ourselves are secular, while on the other hand, prayer is no easy solution for difficulties. From the audience came the question, “How can we pray to a God who does not exist?” Andrew Root’s response was simply to try it and see what happens. Prayer is an exercise in looking beyond oneself. “When you turn outward, you open yourself to what may come.”
Hans Schaeffer, professor of practical theology (Theological University Utrecht), closed the discussion with the observation that we should not exaggerate the paradox between doing and waiting. The Book of Acts portrays a Church that regularly, quite literally, waits for a word from God. We can learn from them to “inhabit time through actions, such as praying, reading, and storytelling.”
