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As mentioned on Sunday, April 12th during the message from 1 Thess 1:7-10, here is an excerpt from something I wrote a few years ago:     

     In the Jewish temple of the Living God, there was a veil.  This veil has been a meaningful motif on which many writers throughout church history have commented, including the writers of the New Testament.  Although this short paper does not primarily address this veil, my aim is to unveil various forms of worship occurring in the city of Vancouver, to the exclusion of “organized religions” ….  Although the prevalence of spirituality in Vancouver is now openly acknowledged by many believers and non-believers, this is not what I intend to discuss.  Rather, my focus is to address the prevalence of religiosity throughout our Vancouver culture.  That is to say, Vancouver is a religious city engaged in a multiplicity of daily worship.

     Vancouverites are devoted to many things in varying degrees and worship accordingly.  In class, we discussed that worship is fundamental to being human.  Humans worship.  By worship, simply put, I mean the offering of reverence and adoration, and the participation in religious rites.

     An analysis of the specific forms of Vancouver’s worship requires that we first establish the breadth of religiosity from which this worship emerges.  In his book At the Origins of Christian Worship, Larry Hurtado emphasizes that “early Christian worship did not take place in a religious vacuum.  The Roman world was chock-full of religiosity, with a dizzying array of religious groups, movements, customs, activities and related paraphernalia.”  I believe a similar context exists today in our society, and not simply limited to the many explicitly spiritual practices.  Hurtado explores the religious environment of early Christianity on the basis of seven measures: religions’ ubiquitousness, salience, diversity, sacred places, images, rituals, and meals.

     Using these measures, let us first look briefly at some of the primary “gods” present and worshipped in our society and then explore how Vancouverites religiously worship these “gods.”

     The “gods” of Vancouver are ubiquitous and can be described and categorized in many ways.  By gods, I mean created things, whether good or evil, real or false, that humans submit to and orient their lives towards--in other words, gods are anything other than the one true Living God to whom Vancouverites look to for provision, favor, and blessing.  The following is a list of some primary gods I believe Vancouver has become accustomed to worshipping:  pleasure, work, education, entertainment, NHL hockey, health, nature, capitalist commerce, political partisanship, the internet, technology, convenience, faith, tolerance, aesthetics (beauty), human autonomy, romantic love.  This list is by no means comprehensive, but it should begin to reveal the many possible gods Vancouver is devoted to and looks to as their God.  Remember, the emphasis is not upon which gods may be present in our society, but how religiously Vancouver worships them.  

     How have these gods invoked religiosity?  Using Hurtado’s six other measures, we can begin to uncover the religious worship of these gods.  For example, let us examine NHL Hockey in Vancouver. In terms of salience, the Vancouver Canucks are a highly visible, public organization recognized by most citizens of the city.  In terms of diversity, although there is strong pressure to be an exclusive fan of the Canucks, there are many NHL teams and fans of these other teams.  With regard to Sacred Places, Rogers Arena is the current sanctuary and meeting place.  How about images?  The logo with the orca is easily identified and displayed throughout Vancouver on clothing, signs, and televisions.  With a highly structured schedule of pre-game skates, intermission activities, national anthem singing,  well-known chants (Hey, Hey, Hey, Good-bye!), red-lights and horns for goals, Molson’s three stars...the rituals abound!  What kind of meal can you share at a Canuck’s game?  Unlike the song at a major league baseball game that says, “Buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks,” hockey does not have a stereotypical meal.  However, beer is fairly common!  That is to say, it is not difficult to identify how NHL Hockey in Vancouver could be considered a god being worshipped religiously by some Vancouverites.

    If a form of religious system accompanies these gods, what does the worship of these gods involve?  Again I would like to draw from Hurtado.  He uses five characteristics to describe the worship of the early church: intimacy, participation, fervour, significance, potency.  Taking the example of the Canucks again, let us explore the “worship” of the NHL hockey event.  Is being a spectator of hockey intimate?  Whether a game is watched with friends at home, in a local pub, or even live at GM Place, one can easily become caught up in a group dynamic.  How truly intimate this experience is seems questionable, but it at least provides a sense of intimacy.  Consider a fan’s desire for autographs or getting closer to the players’ bench to feel more a part of the action.  Which brings us to participation: how participatory is watching hockey?  Everyone has the choice to participate in the wave and to add their voice to the cheering or jeering!  And during intermission, there are many opportunities through trivia and skills contests to invite spectator participation.  When it comes to the other three characteristics, fervour, significance, and potency, many people express intense emotional energy watching hockey.  “Hockey that matters” was a slogan for a while, aiming to convey the significance of the NHL.  A hockey game, especially a game seven, is of utmost significance to many Vancouverites, worth missing most other things for.  And finally, potency: how potent is watching a Canuck’s game?  Depending on how a game goes, the potency varies.  During a fight, the power of the human emotion in the arena can be very strong.  Furthermore, recall the powerful influence a playoff loss had on Vancouverites when riots broke out after losing in the playoffs.  Thus, Hurtado’s characteristics provide a simple lens to identify worship.

     If we took the time to analyze some of the other “gods” mentioned above, we would discover similar patterns and trends in the experience of Vancouverites.  That is to say, if Vancouverites are human and humans worship, then Vancouver is busily worshipping someone or something, daily!

(Please note: I am not saying that NHL Hockey is intrinsically bad, but that many people have wrongly “enthroned” it within their hearts.) 

   Sandy