I read a great column in Sojourners today, by Rose Marie Berger, on the experience of God's absence or silence. She writes:
"The early Christians described this experience of God’s absence or silence as the via negativa... one “relates” to God as the Vast Emptiness, the Dark Night, the Endless Expanse, the “Absent One,” as Mother Teresa put it. There is no language to build a bridge of human relationship with this aspect of the Divine. Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, at the time a Presbyterian church elder, came close when he looked from the moon at the Earth suspended in infinite darkness: “Magnificent desolation,” he uttered."
It reminds me a bit of the text I'm working on for Sunday's sermon -- not too surprising; a lot of things seem to connect when I'm mulling something over. Isaiah 55:8-9, describes God's distance from us in this way:
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts."
There is so much about God that we can't grasp. In the context of the passage in Isaiah, this great height, this distance from God, is a promise of God's mercy. Because God is so different from us, God is so much better at showing mercy than we would be. It also seems to me that there is a freedom in realizing that we are not God, and hope in shifting the focus from our thoughts and ways to God's.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Religious Landscape Survey
The Pew Forum released a big report on Monday based on a survey they did of the religious landscape in the U.S. Interesting facts that stood out to me:
About 10% of U.S. adults are ex-Catholics, whether they have moved to other traditions or the "unaffiliated" group. Catholics who leave the church, however, are replaced, in part by converts (2.6%), but even more so by immigrants, who are, as a group, more likely to be Catholic than the overall U.S. population.
The unaffiliated group is 16.1% of the adult population; twice the number (8%) who say they were unaffiliated as children. Still more fascinating is that half of those who were raised as unaffiliated are now affiliated (that's 4% of the population). So 3/4 of those who are unaffiliated have left some religious tradition. AND, not too surprising, 25% of those age 18-29 say that they are not affiliated with any particular religious tradition. This makes a lot of sense to me, given that I always feel like the people I know are, numerically, less religious than the statistics I've seen.
I do wonder, if this study were done longitudinally, if 18-29 year olds would always be less religiously affiliated than other age groups. It seems to me, anecdotally, that a lot of people return to church after a decade or so of absence when they have kids.
I find all kinds of demographic profiles interesting... but the incredible religious diversity in the U.S. is one of my favorite things about this country.
About 10% of U.S. adults are ex-Catholics, whether they have moved to other traditions or the "unaffiliated" group. Catholics who leave the church, however, are replaced, in part by converts (2.6%), but even more so by immigrants, who are, as a group, more likely to be Catholic than the overall U.S. population.
The unaffiliated group is 16.1% of the adult population; twice the number (8%) who say they were unaffiliated as children. Still more fascinating is that half of those who were raised as unaffiliated are now affiliated (that's 4% of the population). So 3/4 of those who are unaffiliated have left some religious tradition. AND, not too surprising, 25% of those age 18-29 say that they are not affiliated with any particular religious tradition. This makes a lot of sense to me, given that I always feel like the people I know are, numerically, less religious than the statistics I've seen.
I do wonder, if this study were done longitudinally, if 18-29 year olds would always be less religiously affiliated than other age groups. It seems to me, anecdotally, that a lot of people return to church after a decade or so of absence when they have kids.
I find all kinds of demographic profiles interesting... but the incredible religious diversity in the U.S. is one of my favorite things about this country.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Fueling Up
Quinn had a difficult evening, so this post might go up a bit past the midnight deadline... such is life with a baby. I still don't feel like we figured out what was making her so sad; it could be that she was just tired.
But, as she was calming down and we were cuddling, and I was thinking "what can I possibly post about tonight? I am so tired..." I had a glimmer of a thought. I feel like clergy types talk a lot about taking care of ourselves, and are notoriously bad at it. It seems to me that inspiration and encouragement, which as a pastor, I want to give people professionally, and as a person, I would like to give people, well, personally, are things that you need input in order to produce output.
I'm preaching this Sunday for the first time since before Quinn's birth... which means that it has been a long time, but also that it's hard to find the right kind of energy to craft a sermon (the time is also an issue). And yet, I feel so fortunate that I have a lot of sources of inspiration and encouragement in my life. Just in the last two days, two different people have shared stories with me that really bore witness to God's working (in ways big and small) in their lives. I have many other pastors I can connect with talk to, and count on to pray for me. And, I really do find inspiration in our baby in brief and magical glimpses.
So, if you have to fuel up on inspiration in order to produce it, I would say I'm well-supplied. And that's good news for everyone who has to hear me preach on Sunday! :)
But, as she was calming down and we were cuddling, and I was thinking "what can I possibly post about tonight? I am so tired..." I had a glimmer of a thought. I feel like clergy types talk a lot about taking care of ourselves, and are notoriously bad at it. It seems to me that inspiration and encouragement, which as a pastor, I want to give people professionally, and as a person, I would like to give people, well, personally, are things that you need input in order to produce output.
I'm preaching this Sunday for the first time since before Quinn's birth... which means that it has been a long time, but also that it's hard to find the right kind of energy to craft a sermon (the time is also an issue). And yet, I feel so fortunate that I have a lot of sources of inspiration and encouragement in my life. Just in the last two days, two different people have shared stories with me that really bore witness to God's working (in ways big and small) in their lives. I have many other pastors I can connect with talk to, and count on to pray for me. And, I really do find inspiration in our baby in brief and magical glimpses.
So, if you have to fuel up on inspiration in order to produce it, I would say I'm well-supplied. And that's good news for everyone who has to hear me preach on Sunday! :)
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Religiosity
I participated in an online study today that measures how religious Christians are in six different dimensions, described as follows:
"The authors of the Inclusive Christian Scale have found over the course of previous research studies that religiosity could be thought of in terms of the following six dimensions: evangelical, Christian conservative, activist, golden rule, community involvment, and mystic.
The Evangelical dimension refers to a particular focus on prayer, evangelism or outreach, and faith as a source of strength.
The Christian Conservative dimension reflects a particular focus on avoiding acts seen as sinful, on a literal interpretation of the Bible, and on a transforming spiritual experience.
The Activist dimension refers to a focus on changing unjust structures in the world as a part of one’s practice of faith.
The Golden Rule dimension refers to a particular focus on attempting to live so that one treats others as one would wish to be treated. This dimension highlights a concern about many of the same issues found on the Activist dimension, but the focus is more on individuals and less on social structures.
The Community Involvement dimension underlines a particular focus on active participation in the church as a fellowship of faith.
The Mystic dimension reflects a particular focus on an intimate, pervasive relationship/connection to God."
My scores were:
EVANGELICAL: 72 %
CHRISTIAN CONSERVATIVE: 13 %
ACTIVIST: 69 %
GOLDEN RULE: 89 %
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: 95 %
MYSTIC: 75 %
I was unsurprised at the low marks for "Christian conservative," but a bit taken aback to see that I scored higher for evangelical than for activist. I do know that, both as a pastor and as a person of faith, I set a lot of store in the faith communities I am and have been a part of, so that super-high mark for community seems accurate. I aspire to be somewhat of a mystic, so I'm sort of proud of that score.
What kind of Christian (or not) are you? I'd be really interested for other folks to take the instrument and post your percentages as a comment; I also wonder if it applies to people of other faiths, or those who are "spiritual but not religious" (you know who you are ;) ).
"The authors of the Inclusive Christian Scale have found over the course of previous research studies that religiosity could be thought of in terms of the following six dimensions: evangelical, Christian conservative, activist, golden rule, community involvment, and mystic.
The Evangelical dimension refers to a particular focus on prayer, evangelism or outreach, and faith as a source of strength.
The Christian Conservative dimension reflects a particular focus on avoiding acts seen as sinful, on a literal interpretation of the Bible, and on a transforming spiritual experience.
The Activist dimension refers to a focus on changing unjust structures in the world as a part of one’s practice of faith.
The Golden Rule dimension refers to a particular focus on attempting to live so that one treats others as one would wish to be treated. This dimension highlights a concern about many of the same issues found on the Activist dimension, but the focus is more on individuals and less on social structures.
The Community Involvement dimension underlines a particular focus on active participation in the church as a fellowship of faith.
The Mystic dimension reflects a particular focus on an intimate, pervasive relationship/connection to God."
My scores were:
EVANGELICAL: 72 %
CHRISTIAN CONSERVATIVE: 13 %
ACTIVIST: 69 %
GOLDEN RULE: 89 %
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: 95 %
MYSTIC: 75 %
I was unsurprised at the low marks for "Christian conservative," but a bit taken aback to see that I scored higher for evangelical than for activist. I do know that, both as a pastor and as a person of faith, I set a lot of store in the faith communities I am and have been a part of, so that super-high mark for community seems accurate. I aspire to be somewhat of a mystic, so I'm sort of proud of that score.
What kind of Christian (or not) are you? I'd be really interested for other folks to take the instrument and post your percentages as a comment; I also wonder if it applies to people of other faiths, or those who are "spiritual but not religious" (you know who you are ;) ).
Monday, February 25, 2008
Theology of Facebook?
So, this article raises some issues that everyone who uses Facebook (which seems to be pretty much everyone) should at least be aware of. It's scary how much information you give them, and to what uses it might be put.
Nonetheless, I really like Facebook. Part of it is the faces -- I get to see people I care about (or at least am curious about and have generally positive feelings towards) who I may not have seen in person in 10 years, or who live in far-flung areas of the country. Part of it is the nice interface. It's easy to use, and feels pleasingly uncluttered. And, I'll admit, part of it is Oregon Trail.
But I wonder what a spiritual or theological critique might be... because even as I add friends and applications, I find part of myself hungry for the anti-Facebook. And I suspect it's a spiritual hunger. Sure, it's easy to check out people's photos, exchange brief notes encapsulating the last decade, and, for those friends who update their status frequently, get a real sense of what's going on in people's lives. But the more difficult connections -- actually finding time to be together, to break bread, talk, laugh, and have real conversation, is ultimately more satisfying.
I do think that, like any technology, Facebook can be used in service of spiritual life, to promote and strengthen real connections in interesting and creative ways (there's an application for intercessory prayer). But I need real friends, too.
Nonetheless, I really like Facebook. Part of it is the faces -- I get to see people I care about (or at least am curious about and have generally positive feelings towards) who I may not have seen in person in 10 years, or who live in far-flung areas of the country. Part of it is the nice interface. It's easy to use, and feels pleasingly uncluttered. And, I'll admit, part of it is Oregon Trail.
But I wonder what a spiritual or theological critique might be... because even as I add friends and applications, I find part of myself hungry for the anti-Facebook. And I suspect it's a spiritual hunger. Sure, it's easy to check out people's photos, exchange brief notes encapsulating the last decade, and, for those friends who update their status frequently, get a real sense of what's going on in people's lives. But the more difficult connections -- actually finding time to be together, to break bread, talk, laugh, and have real conversation, is ultimately more satisfying.
I do think that, like any technology, Facebook can be used in service of spiritual life, to promote and strengthen real connections in interesting and creative ways (there's an application for intercessory prayer). But I need real friends, too.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Sad and Sobering
I was sad to read this story about a young boy who was shot, presumably because he was gay. The hints as to what his short life might have been like add to the sadness; he was living at "a center for abused and neglected children in the foster care system."
The pastor mentioned comes off well; he seems to be referencing Psalm 139. It's essential, I think for a clergyperson in that situation to assert how God created and loved this boy whose life was cut short.
I wonder about the shooter. Apparently he was part of a group who bullied the young man. He's being tried as an adult, and the hate crime adds to the length of a potential sentence... what will his life be like?
The pastor mentioned comes off well; he seems to be referencing Psalm 139. It's essential, I think for a clergyperson in that situation to assert how God created and loved this boy whose life was cut short.
I wonder about the shooter. Apparently he was part of a group who bullied the young man. He's being tried as an adult, and the hate crime adds to the length of a potential sentence... what will his life be like?
Friday, February 22, 2008
Singleness of Purpose
Another Quinn-inspired (Quinspired?) musing today... at 3 months old, she has made noticeable gains in her manual dexterity. Her main use of said dexterity is grabbing things and putting them in her mouth (sometimes just getting her hands in is good enough). She seemingly never gets tired of the task of grabbing onto things and bringing them to her mouth -- she has an amazing amount of focus and determination when she is doing this, and it is very clearly the sole focus of all the energies of her little brain and body.
I was reflecting today that I almost envy this singleness of purpose she has. Perhaps it's the nature of life, or my life, but I think becoming a parent has made it worse... there are so many small things to be done, that I very rarely feel a) that I am able to devote full attention to one thing for any length of time, or b) that I have a sense of Purpose in the things that I am doing.
I think that it is in part this desire for a sense of Purpose that has me re-evaluating my life as I go back to work, thinking more about how I am using my time (even though there now seems to be a lot less of it!). I've been feeling for a while like I should be doing more things that get me involved in the needs of my community (and that I want to encourage my church in that direction as well).
My purpose, vocationally and personally, if I think about it, is simple: to experience God's love and share it with other people. Perhaps that means grabbing hold of it where I see it and learning again to "taste and see that the LORD is good."
I was reflecting today that I almost envy this singleness of purpose she has. Perhaps it's the nature of life, or my life, but I think becoming a parent has made it worse... there are so many small things to be done, that I very rarely feel a) that I am able to devote full attention to one thing for any length of time, or b) that I have a sense of Purpose in the things that I am doing.
I think that it is in part this desire for a sense of Purpose that has me re-evaluating my life as I go back to work, thinking more about how I am using my time (even though there now seems to be a lot less of it!). I've been feeling for a while like I should be doing more things that get me involved in the needs of my community (and that I want to encourage my church in that direction as well).
My purpose, vocationally and personally, if I think about it, is simple: to experience God's love and share it with other people. Perhaps that means grabbing hold of it where I see it and learning again to "taste and see that the LORD is good."
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