'n Prakties-teologiese perspektief op erediensbelewing, spiritualiteit en die afname in lidmaattalle

Abstract

Afrikaans: Hierdie studie gaan vanuit die standpunt dat elke mens sekere spirituele voorkeure het. Die mate waarin die inrigting van eredienste voldoen aan „n individu se spirituele voorkeure speel „n rol in die persoon se ervaring van die erediens, hetsy positief of negatief. Die studie is „n ondersoek na lidmate van die NG Kerk se spirituele voorkeure en die wyse waarop individue met verskillende spirituele voorkeure eredienste van die NG Kerk ervaar. Die doel is om vas te stel of erediensgangers eredienste van gemeentes van die NG Kerk ervaar as eksklusief ten opsigte van spirituele voorkeure. Die vraag is dan of dit ‟n bydraende faktor is tot die drastiese afname in lidmaatgetalle van die NG Kerk. Mense se leefwêrelde verander voortdurend en daarmee saam hulle behoeftes. In die moderne era was die klem op rasionele kennis. Die invloed van die postmoderne era is sigbaar in die klem wat geplaas word op mense se behoefte aan ervaring. Hierdie paradigmaskuif het ‟n wesenlike invloed op die wyse waarop mense godsdiens wil beoefen. Vandag het mense ‟n soeke daarna dat hulle behoefte aan ervaring bevredig word en mense verkies eredienste waarin hulle op emosionele vlak ‟n ervaring van God het. Mense woon eredienste by met die verwagting dat daar aan hulle spirituele behoeftes voldoen sal word. Baie mense wat dit nie in die NG Kerk beleef nie, verlaat die NG Kerk se eredienste op soek na ander gemeentes wat beter aan hulle spirituele behoeftes voldoen. Die NG Kerk kan getrou bly aan die Gereformeerde tradisie en steeds „n Gereformeerde identiteit behou terwyl eredienste meer inklusief ingerig word deur middel van „n meer holistiese benadering tot spiritualiteit.

The point of departure of this study is that every person has certain spiritual preferences. The extent to which a worship service accommodates people‟s spiritual preferences, has an influence on their experience of the service, positive or negative. The study investigates people‟s experience of the worship services of congregations of the Dutch Reformed Church. The aim is to ascertain whether they are seen as exclusive with regarding to spiritual preferences and, if so, whether this could be a contributing factor when it comes to the decline in membership of the Church. This study explores the spiritual preferences of members of the Dutch Reformed Church as well as the way individuals with different spiritual preferences experience the worship services of the Church. People‟s spiritual and emotional needs tend to evolve as their life world changes. In the modern era the emphasis was on rational knowledge. The influence of the postmodern era is visible in the emphasis on subjective experience. This paradigm-shift influences how people experience and practise religion. They tend to search for congregations that address their need for a fulfilling spiritual experience. Many prefer worship services where they have a personal emotional experience of God. People attend worship services with the expectation of having their spiritual needs met. However, many members of the Dutch Reformed Church do not experience this and decide to leave the Church in search of a worship experience that meets their spiritual needs. The study concludes that it is possible for the Dutch Reformed Church to remain true to its Reformed tradition while taking a more holistic and inclusive approach to spirituality.