Is Christianity a Communal or Personal Religion? Yes.

nce upon a time there was a wonderful God sitting on his throne amidst a great light whose expression was of magnificent beauty, glory and power. 

Around the throne were countless people enjoying his presence and worshipping him with songs and praise. But one of that number noticed that every now and again God gave him a wink. 

At first he thought it must be an illusion but it happened again and again. 

Finally, one day the crowd moved and drifted about in such a way that he came very close to God. Then again he saw the wink and the look straight at him, justhim amongst all those others, and he heard a whisper: Hey, come round the back after that last show, if you can spare the time.  

Well of course he did go. So after the last performance that night, round the back there was this God waiting. 

Hallo, God said, come up here to my little hill overlooking the sea, I would like you to come and sit with me on my lawn and Daisy patch. We can have a cup of tea together and a pipe and look at the view. 

I love to take my costume off at the end of the day and relax. Although I have all that worship and praise, there are times when I like to get away from it all and be quiet. I like to come here and look at the sea on a lovely day, with the mountains beyond and the feeling of this little garden up here on the hill. 

For although I have so many beautiful children to look after and enjoy, and although they say such nice things about me and serve me in every sort of way... I get so lonely. 

You see, I don't have many friends. 

No one recognises me after the show when my make-up is off. I have to be like you saw me, for they all expect it of me; but I am more delighted than you can imagine that you have come here with me so that we can sit together and I can show you this small garden and the view from my heart. 

From the Conclusion to A Geography of Consciousness by William Arkle (1974)

What I feel Arkle fails to realize is the nature of God as Community (He is Trinity), and so the throngs worshipping Him take up his nature in the act of communal worship. Still, I think there is something here. Alongside our pursuit of God through communal worship, the personal nature of Catholic religion is just as integral, independent of any other human being--like the faithfulness of Elijah when he thought all the rest of Israel had succumbed to Baal worship, still he chose to follow God's commands. Our love for God must be independent, with its own inner life.