While reading a Christian magazine recently I noted an interesting statistic: Apparently, in the wake of the dreadful 9/11 attacks in America, Christian retailers and publishers reported that Bible sales skyrocketed by up to 30%. We may perhaps assume that this was referring to purchases within America.
It is a poignant fact of human nature, that throughout history, and at times of great disaster, people have inevitably looked for spiritual solace. When life has been ticking over uneventfully, suddenly, in the face of great tragedy, with seemingly inexplicable loss of countless lives, people desperately search for some shred of meaning and comfort. They yearn for convincing spiritual answers.

They want some reassurance that for these lives have not died in vain; they may start to question the whole meaning of life; and subliminally they may begin questioning the meaning and mortality of their own lives. Yes, they might also coast along with a faith tradition, but the cruel affront of tragedies like 9/11, suddenly hones up their spiritual quest for urgent answers to a senseless loss of life. It is also a fact that many people come to faith after the death and funeral of a loved one, especially where the death has been unexpected or traumatic.
Well, it is almost a given that our time is characterised by a spiritual hunger, which is not always (thankfully) stimulated by human catastrophe. This spiritual yearning has been widely reported and written about. We hear a lot about people who have turned their back on religion, but are still seeking depth and meaning in their lives. They are looking for a way, a pattern of life perhaps, that will bring them fulfilment.
So, the church needs to know what it is that these people are looking for and how the church can best respond to their needs. St Mary’s like many churches wants to know what peoples spiritual needs are in order that we can best respond to the community.  “As Christians we can assent to Jesus when he says in that most beloved passage from St Johns Gospel: We can say with conviction that Christ is our corner-stone. But for those outside the church, this of course, may be light years away from where they are, or ever will be, in their own spiritual development. So we ask: what is it that people are looking for? What kind of way might they be looking to follow, to give depth of meaning to their lives? What do people expect from a modern conception of spirituality?  We have to take an open and honest look at the spiritual state of the modern world and the role of the Church. Perhaps we first need to try and discover what features of spirituality are held in common by everyone, and start from there.
Secondly, we need to look at the nature of this spiritual hunger. Certainly, it is in the main, a disillusionment with materialism. About twelve years ago, the Revd Angela Tilby wrote on this very topic and she pertinently reminded her readers: Contemporary souls have to negotiate contemporary issues". She continues (and I quote her exact words): "The issue is not as it has been for former generations, how we keep ourselves pure and clean and unspotted from the world but more how we cope with individuality without excess, community without loss of identity and where we find God the source of transcendence. In our present cultural setting, we must first reckon with the fact that practice is more important than metaphysics. In a very real sense, many people believe they are on this quest for a balanced life, but the pursuit of peace of mind and personal fulfilment can often be very misguided. Our culture is too preoccupied with 'the politics of happiness' where much of what we call happiness is falsely equated with filling ourselves with data, concepts and general know-how, driven by the material desire to accumulate. So life becomes all about trying to become our own 'doctor' or 'psychologist'; getting the right job; the right car; the right mate; the right investment packages, and so on. Have all these and you will do OK. So in our have-it-all culture, happiness is viewed as yet another marketable product that can be bought pre-packaged, off the shelf. Consumerism is certainly here to stay, but it only takes us so far, and then it can push us into a lonely and isolated existence. Underpinning all of these materialist yearnings is a need to belong. So many people have a gnawing sense of emptiness, a sense that something is missing, but they cannot name it. But there is a deep-seated need to be part of a bigger picture that makes sense.
So what do contemporary people want or need from a spiritual life? What is the modern conception of a mature spirituality? It is clear that there has been a recent shift in the goals of the spiritual life. Peoples’ life priorities have changed. We live in a scientific world; our cosmology is different; we know more about ourselves and the physical processes of the world. People are preparing themselves for different kinds of lives and life expectations. When Thomas asked his question of Jesus, “How can we know the way?” he did so in a cultural situation, where the mindset and the world-view was completely different. Their expectations and worldly understandings where quite different from our own. Of course, some things don't change - the sick are always with us - and our responsibility to them does not change - but the people then, were an audience who were ready to listen in a different way to the people of our world. And we need to be constantly reminded of that.
A pertinent example of changing trend is the changing attitude to death and the prospect of an afterlife. Most people, outside the circles of organised religion no longer relate to this. Death is a dirty word anyway and for many, immortality has lost much of its significance. It is not something people plan for anymore. Life after death has not necessarily lost its importance, but it is no longer a primary focus or a goal. Loss of personal identity and meaning is now of much greater concern.
And, if people want spirituality at all, it is to help them manage their lives now. They want a 'this-worldly' spirituality.  Religion is for many, is conceived of as a kind of cosmic protection racket and a flight from life. What they want is a better and fairer world; a more amiable and less threatening world.  They want hope, but for their lives now; a meaningful spiritual framework to underpin the totality of their existence. This is where the Church can facilitate that pursuit for those outside. It is not about selling out on our traditions or selling off the church family silver in a spirit of compromise. But first, we must swallow a bitter pill and accept that the practice of life is more important to most people than other-worldly metaphysics.
So what can the Church offer to contemporary lives? It can of course offer love and fellowship, but firstly, it can help others recognise their need for transcendence, for clearly there is more to life than shopping, TV and hi-tech entertainment. And then there is a commitment to inner reflection - to help people live not as animals or machines (which, in this computer oriented age, is sometimes how we are made to feel) but as beings with a spiritual capacity. This is about helping people to first know themselves. The Church can simply be there to help those outside to develop their humanity to the fullest possible degree. It can help them in their creativity and help them to live poetically. The Church can give them the spiritual tools to get them through this life.
I think this is an exciting and liberating opportunity for the church. But it begins by first honestly acknowledging that in the spiritual quest, we have to both be aware and respond to where people are now, while recognising that many folks will not necessarily sign themselves up to a full set of faith propositions. We go out into our world to love the world into becoming receptive to Jesus Christ through what we are and first recognising that immediate human spiritual needs are rooted in coping with the everyday.  Many sensitive and thinking people want a meaningful way, they want to discover truth and they certainly want a life.  They want fulfilment as their goal, not comfort. Our prayer must be that as a fellowship we can help them in that search.