Part Six

PART VI: REMEMBERING AND RETURNING

Bottom of the order. Brant bats clean-up.

Chapter 27: Every Spiritual Home. This chapter rang true for me. I thought of a friend who had run wild as a youth, became a jailhouse convert to a strict, legalistic form of Christianity. Never one to do things half way, he became a pastor in a holiness denomination. I think for a time in his life he lacked self-control and needed the external control that church provided. Later he had a deconversion experience, became an atheist, and left the church. He still seemed unsettled to me. I always prayed that he would find balance.

What communities have been your spiritual homes? Have you outgrown or moved beyond a community that was once your home? Are you still grateful for those communities or are you embarrassed by your former participation in them?

Chapter 28: The Secret Passage is about a strange detail of a church’s architecture, weddings, and growing up. I was a member of a church with a secret passage once. Daniel writes about 1 Corinthians 13 (the “love chapter” read at so many weddings) and for a happy change, I agree with her interpretation. It’s not about marital love, but it can be applied.

Have you ever seen anything like the secret passage? Is your congregation a place where people can grow up? Does it accommodate age-appropriate faith? Does it encourage its members to step out into the adventures of life?

Chapter 29: Valentine’s Day gives us the history of a religious holiday that has devolved into a celebration of romance. Not that there’s anything wrong with romance! “We want love and lives filled with love,” Daniel writes. “We don’t want arguing and discord....” Is this universally true? Why do some people seem to thrive on arguing and discord?

Daniel suggests that love “is right here, where we live, at church, at your kitchen table,” etc. No romantic heights there, just love in the everyday and the imperfect. What does this commonplace love look like in your life? (On my 25th wedding anniversary, I repaired the toilet. True story.) When did you last make time for love? More importantly, when will you next make time for love?

In Chapter 30: A Grade of Incomplete Daniel says that “most of our important jobs are never complete.” There is a sense of accomplishment in actually finishing a job. Years ago, I knocked together five sets of metal shelves for our basement. We didn't need five sets, it was just that, when I got done building those shelves, I could look at them and say “Well, that’s done.” Finally my wife told me we had enough shelves. Do you do anything to gain a sense of completion? Does it bother you to be unable to complete things?

People “are not complete until God completes us.” What does it mean to be complete?

Chapter 31: Little Boots. Okay, I’m a sucker for an animal story and I have a couple of cats of my own. This story isn’t about animals so much as it is the strength of community. We make God manifest to one another. “We’re here to look out for one another,” Daniel says. Personally, I believe that the heart of Jesus’ message is: “Trust God and take care of one another.” Do you agree? (You don’t have to. Really.)

Do you have an experience of being cared for by a community? Or of being part of a community that cared for someone else?

In Chapter 32: Trial Separation Lillian Daniel describes her dysfunctional family. I’ll let her pose some of the questions: Could your most caustic relationships be redeemed? Is there a trial separation you might want to end? Is there someone you cannot reconcile with by your own power, but you might be able to by the power of divine grace and mercy? These might be too personal to answer in the public forum of a blog. Human relationships are messy, unpredictable and uncontrollable. We all need a little mercy.

To wrap up this blog, let me ask: Did you have a favorite essay in this book? Did you enjoy reading and discussing it? Was there anything you disagreed with?

Should we have another synod-wide read-along and discussion like this? Who should lead it? What book should we read?

That’s all! As Jamie would say, “Peace out!”

Part Five

Part V.  Wondering.

"Not all who wander are lost." -Gandalf (just going for nerd cred.)

Good, because I feel like this is a wandering book! -Jamie (yes, I know the difference between wondering and wandering, but at least they rhyme.)

Still, I think this section has been my favorite so far. I've experienced these meandering ponderings as the best invitation to deeper thought so far.

Chapter 22 - Borne in Perplexity

"If the mother of God got to be perplexed, you can be, too." About what are you perplexed in your faith, or Christian theology? Me? I wonder why we have permanently enshrined theologies based on the thought systems of the 1st-4th centuries CE (e.g. trinitarian theology, the "omni"s, etc.) Could we, should we, would we, what would happen if we re-examined and/or abandoned some of these understandings of God?

Chapter 23 - Inconsistent on Jesus

Have you ever been asked if you are "saved?" How do you respond? I have been asked many times (I grew up in the South) and I tend to go along with Daniel: "Yes, yes I have." However, growing up in the South I knew lots of folks who took great comfort in various forms of conversion rituals, which are often referred to as "getting saved." In what do you find the most comfort from your own experiences of living the faith?

If someone asked you to tell them about Jesus or your faith, what would you say?

Chapter 24 - Quibbling and Quoting

Daniel likes parodies, this time "open-minded" churches and people are the victims. But she raises a valid question. If somebody asked you what your church believes or to describe your church how would you respond? As a Lutheran? As a member of your local congregation? Would what you want to tell them about your church match up with how it actually functions? For example, I would want to tell a visitor that my church is open and welcoming to anybody, even if they're "not from around here," but that probably wouldn't be completely true. A more accurate assessment would be that we would tolerate someone as long as they fit in and didn't rock the boat. 

Chapter 25 - I Don't Have to Prove It

We can't prove God. Science can't disprove God. But, if an archaeologist or researcher could produce compelling evidence that the Garden of Eden never existed, or that Moses never crossed the Red (Reed?) Sea, or that at no point in history did a single flood encompass the entire globe, would your faith be affected? Would such "proof"/disproof make it more difficult to believe in God?

As a minister who also has an undergraduate degree in Physics I take both theology and science seriously. In what ways do you see faith and science complementing one another? Conversely, how do they hold each other in tension?

Chapter 26 - The Limits of Taste

Daniel discusses the way we communicate who we are and what we believe to others and seems a little suspect about the effects of technology and social media on such communication. Do you agree with her that these have had a negative impact? How do you personally communicate your identity to others? How does your church communicate its identity?

Have you ever been judged by something you posted on the Internet? In all honesty, I would probably be a little more frank in my posting on this blog if I didn't have to worry that the Bishop might see it. I wonder if he would've like the hog story from last week?

This is my last post. Brant will take us home next week. Thanks to everybody who took the time to consider the book and our musings. I hope you got something out of the experience!

Peace out!

Jamie

Part Four

Part IV: Wandering

And the figurative ball is back in Brant's metaphorical court. Happily, this section provides matters of biblical interpretation to criticize.

Chapter 16 Hog Time starts with a "folksy story." It's punchline is "Time ain't nothing to a hog!"  Jamie and I agree that there isn't much point to this story. Daniel suggests that God is like the farmer, but it occurs to me that "Time ain't nothing to" the eternal God. What sense do you make of this chapter? Did it speak to you?

Chapter 17 Speaking in Tongues contains the sentence: "On Pentecost the followers of Jesus suddenly understood one another's languages." (Emphasis mine). What actually occurred on Pentecost is that Jews from all over the known world heard the followers of Jesus speaking  the Gospel in their own languages. Some of them then became followers of Jesus.

Other than that, this chapter suggests that we should learn each other's languages, at least in a metaphorical sense, and hear one another's stories. Authenticity is more important than (lip-syncing) glitz, I hear Daniel say. Do you have a story of learning another language?

Have you found shared humanity with someone with whom you thought you had nothing in common? (Jamie, please note how carefully I avoided ending that sentence with a preposition).

How does your faith community empower you to witness to your faith?

Chapter 18 The Poor Are Not Lucky describes Daniel's encounter with a self-serving woman who thinks the "poor are the lucky ones." Oy! What well-meaning theological statements set your teeth on edge? (Personally I cringe when I hear someone say "God never gives us more than we can handle.") Can we ever do good from pure motives? According to Daniel  "'Generosity begets generosity,' Jesus assures us." She would have to quote me chapter and verse on that.  She ends the chapter with a pointed Benedictine prayer. Do you have a prayer to share for those who are in need, and for those who work to alleviate need?

Chapter 19 Please Stop Boring Me is basically a reprise of chapter 1. Daniel writes, "What is interesting is doing this work in community, where other people might call you on stuff or, heaven forbid, disagree with you." Jamie and I regularly attend a Tuesday morning pastors' text study where the participants often disagree and correct one another. I couldn't help but think that, if Lillian Daniel were a part of that group, we would take her to task for saying things like "Paul was a tax collector." Do you have a community that "calls you on stuff?" Is it your church?

Has the "spiritual but not religious" mindset made its way into your congregation?

Chapter 20 Animals in the Airport is about our human relations with animals. I was reminded of  an African exchange student who thought Americans were more in touch with nature than the people of his country because we have animals--pets--in our homes. The Scriptures tell us that all of creation is being redeemed by God. Do you have any experience with animal blessing services? How does Daniel's seeing God at work in dogs, cats, birds and giraffes differ from teh "spiritual but not religious" mindset she criticizes? (Thanks, Jamie, for that question). Does your vision of the Kingdom of God include animals?

Finally, Chapter 21 Immigrants Like Us offers some pointed criticisms of the plight of immigrants and "our" attitudes toward "them." What language do you hear in the immigration debates? What difference does that language make? Is there a way to move forward? Does your faith inform your position on immigration reform?

Are there flags in your church? Why are they there? Should they be there? What do you think would happen if they were re/moved?

I hope that these observations and questions will stimulate conversation. What other issues or questions did this section of the book raise for you? What observations or stories do you have to offer?

Part Three

Part 3. Jamie's turn again. Let's do this.

Chapter 11: Things I'm Tired Of

Shouldn't it be, "Things of Which I'm Tired?" Brant picks on the exegesis. I pick on the grammar. More to the point of the story: Of what are you tired in your own church? The ELCA? The whole Church?  Yourself?

Chapter 12: No Sin, No Service

Daniel shares stories of entering new school communities. How do her experiences of exclusion, awkwardness, and boundary crossing relate to your experiences of entering a new church community. Tell your own story. How do we make it more obvious that ALL sinners are welcome in our churches and how do we break down the barriers that make some (probably many) feel like they may not fit in? Is this even possible?

Chapter 13: The After Tax Blessing

I occasionally hear someone saying, "You gotta give if you want to get." In my opinion this is a selfish motive for giving and not what the practice of tithing is all about. What are the true blessings of giving or tithing? Have you been blessed by giving?

Chapter 14: Road Trip

Personally, I am convinced that people are becoming more and more paranoid that anyone they meet could be an axe murderer or some other such criminal. Do you agree that paranoia is growing? If it is, should we try to combat it? If we should, how could/should we go about it? Do you have a story like Daniel's, in which you trusted a complete stranger?

Daniel tells an anecdotal story about someone who invited Facebook "friends" to a party and none showed up, which she cites as an example of friends in real life versus friends on the Internet. Do you think there really is a difference? How so? This book discussion is taking place on a blog instead of face-to-face. Would it be better/deeper/more engaging if we were all together and could actually have conversation with each other? What if we Skyped or used some other method of video conferencing?

Chapter 15: The Special Occasion

Ah yes, the prodigal son and the fatted calf. What fatted calves (read, "special funds") are our congregations holding onto for a special occasion (usually an anticipated disaster)? How can we instead use these gifts to celebrate the radical grace of God and to share that grace "just because?"

As always, further comments and questions are welcome, encouraged, and appreciated. 

Part Two

Brant's turn.

It is not too late to join the conversation. Lilian Daniel's book When "Spiritual But Not Religious" is Not Enough is a collection of essays. They don't have to be read in order. So you can drop into our discussion of this book at any time.

The section title for Part II of this book is "Confessing." I'll confess that I don't always see the connections between the individual essays and the overall theme of a section.

Chapter 6, "We and They" tells a funny story about an eccentric woman with a metaphoric "log in her eye" and her "garbage chasing" dog. This is the jumping-off point for a description of clergy peer relationships and the role of the pastor in the congregation. Here are some questions this chapter raises in me:

Jesus tells us to remove the log from our own eye before we pick at the speck in our neighbor's eye.  Is it even possible for us to take the log out of our eye?

What is the role of the pastor in the congregation? Are Pastors resident aliens? Full members of the congregation? Hired guns? Something else?

What did you think of Daniel's description of a clergy meeting?
     Laypeople: Is this what you think happens at gatherings of church professionals?
     Pastors: Does this describe your experience?

In chapter 7, "Magic Tricks" Daniel describes her jealousy of "Rachmaninoff-playing Anglicans" and "Bible-based Methodist magicians."

Do you get jealous of the gifts that other members of the Body of Christ possess?

Chapter 8, "Sing Sing" was marred for me by two apparent errors. First, Daniel says  Mary the mother of Jesus went to his tomb on Easter morning. (This is at best unclear from  the Gospel of Matthew). Later she says that the Apostle Paul "collected taxes for the empire." (He did not). Does this sort of thing bother anyone else or am I just too picky? (You don't have to answer that).

More to the point of the chapter: Have you seen the face of Jesus in an unexpected place? Can you witness to the power of the resurrection in a place of death?

In chapter 9,"Knitting Prayer Shawls and Baby Booties" Daniel describes her church's knitting ministry. She compares the knitters' work to the work of God, the Divine Knitter.

Have you ever received a prayer shawl?

The ELCA's motto is "God's Work. Our Hands." In what ways are hands in your congregation doing God's Work?

Chapter 10 "Confessions of a Picky Eater"rounds out this section of the book.

Can we welcome at our table those with whom we disagree? What about at the Lord's table?

Okay, that's my questions for Part II of When "Spiritual But Not Religious" Is Not Enough.  Feel free to discuss them, to raise questions of your own, or to comment in any way you see fit.

Part One

Greetings! And welcome to the Northern Illinois Synod's discussion of When "Spiritual but Not Religious” Is Not Enough: Seeing God in surprising places, even the church by Lillian Daniel. For your information, here is the bio on Daniel from the book's page on amazon.com:

Lillian Daniel has served as the Senior Minister of the First Congregational Church of Glen Ellyn, United Church of Christ, in the Chicago area since 2004. An editor at large for Christian Century Magazine, and a contributing editor at Leadership Journal, her work has also appeared in The Huffington Post, Christianity Today, Leadership Journal, Books and Culture, and in The Journal for Preachers. She has also hosted the Chicago-based television show 30 Good Minutes. Her Huffington Post article "Spiritual but Not Religious? Please Stop Boring Me" gained widespread interfaith attention after going viral on the Web. Daniel has taught preaching at Yale Divinity School, Chicago Theological Seminary and the University of Chicago Divinity School. In October 2010 she received the distinguished alumni award from Yale Divinity School for "Distinction in Congregational Ministry." She is the author of two previous books: Tell It Like It Is: Reclaiming the Practice of Testimony, and This Odd and Wondrous Calling: The Public and Private Lives of Two Ministers, and she contributed to Gifts My Mother Gave Me: Thirty-One Women on the Gifts that Mattered Most.

Our discussion will be facilitated by me, Pastor Jamie Wallace of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Compton, and Pastor Brant Clements of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Nachusa. I will facilitate the odd numbered sections (Me? Odd? No!) and Brant will handle the evens. I'll let Brant introduce his own thoughts next week, but for my sections the thoughts and questions I share are meant only to provoke thought and get the conversation started. Please feel free to share further thoughts and/or pose new questions for discussion. Also, don't feel like your response needs to address every single question or thought I have raised. That being said... Here we go!...

The title of this book is, When "Spiritual but Not Religious" is Not Enough, yet in this section of the book the concept of Spiritual but Not Religious (SBNR) is only addressed directly in the first chapter, which is a retelling of Daniel's now familiar caricature of people who identify themselves as SBNR. (Perhaps we could also substitute the now infamous "nones" for SBNR.) The rest of the section (and the rest of the book) goes on to give us some other places to look for God besides the sunsets and trees of the SBNR. I'm curious about what's going on in our own congregations. In the places where we worship and serve is there any room for dialogue between those who find God (a god?) in sunsets and those who find God in the more ancient and traditional practices of the truth? If not, should it? If so, how can we get that conversation started and toward what end should the conversation lead? Toward the conversion of the SBNR to real faith? Toward the opening of our own hearts and minds to see God working in ways that the church has missed for a few thousand years? Both? Neither? Somewhere else? Discuss.

And while we're discussing, let's not forget that many people, perhaps even most of the people, in our pews are a lot more likely to find God in sunsets than in hospital rooms. There are SBNR tendencies in folks who claim to be both Spiritual and Religious. How do these folks fit into the conversation? How can we help spiritual folks, whether they claim to be religious or not, deepen their faith?

This first section of the book focuses on the quirky ways Daniel has seen God working through opportunities for prayer. To which of her stories did you most easily relate? How have you seen God working or felt God's presence in either your own individual prayer life or in opportunities for communal prayer? Share your own story and perhaps also share how your story could fit into the conversation described above.

Ready...Set...Go!

Book Blog is Back!

For our second Synod-wide book discussion, we’ve chosen When “Spiritual But Not Religious” Is Not Enough by Lillian Daniel. The book is a collection of short essays, mostly about our need for community. We think you will find it readable, enjoyable, and thought-provoking.

Pastors Brant Clements (St. Paul’s, Nachusa) and Jamie Wallace (Immanuel, Compton) will lead the discussion.

 So, read along and join in the conversation. We’d love to hear what you think!  Readers from the Northern Illinois Synod are asked to include their name and congregation with their comments.  Other readers are asked to include a name and city.

Schedule

May 6: Section I (Chapters 1-5) Searching and Praying

May 13: Section II (Chapters 6-10) Confessing

May 20: Section III (Chapters 11-15) Communing

May 27: Section IV (Chapters 16-21) Wandering

June 3: Section V (Chapters 22-26) Wondering

June 10: Section VI (Chapters 27-32) Remembering and Returning