The unique perspective on the world that the church provides is often overlooked even by those who experience it. The church needs to be conscious of the importance of making space for people to honestly struggle with their own issues. Even when these saving possibilities are experienced, people have often lost the language by which they can be named. Because we live in a secular society, it is important that we provide for the congregation the language by which people might understand what is in fact taking place in their midst. It is equally important that such experiences be lifted up and celebrated so that they become part of our common story. It is only out of such a conscious awareness and celebration that people become aware of what they have to share.
People outside the church often seem to encounter one of two types of people in the church. They either meet people who overspeak the faith and rob it of all mystery or those who are too embarrassed to make the faith connection with what is happening within their lives. Those who overspeak often seem to hide behind religious language in a way that often makes it difficult for the listener to make connection with what is happening in their own lives. Yet those who underspeak do not allow the listener to understand what is indeed taking place in their lives. And the key to effective sharing of Good News is that it comes out of the felt experience of the believer and that it takes place in a community which can be pointed to.
