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| Finding the right words |
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May 2009 One of the joys of working at a church is that I have lots of opportunities to have conversations with folks about what they believe and where they are on their spiritual journeys. I find that these conversations not only help me get to know other people, but they also help me to think about my own beliefs. Within our own community, there is a range of viewpoints about what it means to be a Christian. People who participated in the small group discussions last fall about Marcus Borg’s book, The Heart of Christianity, got some insights into how their companions here at Memorial think in different ways about issues that are at the core of our religion. A hallmark of the United Church of Christ and of Memorial is that we recognize and honor that people of good faith can come to different conclusions when they wrestle with the stories in our scriptures and with the traditions of Christianity. What unites us is a commitment to struggle together with what it means to be a follower of Jesus. I have many opportunities to also have these kinds of conversations with people from other faith traditions, especially people who are Jewish or Muslim. I am part of a small, interfaith group that gets together every month or so to share perspectives on our three Abrahamic traditions and have been part of larger community interfaith conversations. All of this has been on my mind the last few weeks as I ponder some of the new data about religious affiliation in the U.S. The 2008 American Religious Identification Survey found an acceleration of the trend for fewer people in America to describe themselves as Christians – 76 percent in 2008, down from 86 percent in 1990. On the flip side, more people say they are unaffiliated with any faith – 15 percent in 2008, up from 8 percent in 1990. This is not a plea for everyone to rush out to try to convert people who don’t think like us. Rather, it’s a plea for all of us to recognize that in an increasingly diverse nation – and in an even more diverse world – we can enrich our own beliefs by learning about the beliefs of others, by not being afraid of these kinds of conversations. But there’s another piece to that. If we are going talk with others about their beliefs, it is helpful to be able to articulate what we believe. I’m not talking about being able to give a long, philosophical answer. I’m talking about being able to explain your beliefs and your church home in just a few sentences. So here are three questions you might think about in the month ahead. Maybe even try jotting down some key words that would help if someone actually asks you these questions. Share them with me or with others, if you like. And recognize, of course, that our answers will change over time based on our experiences in life. If someone asked you why you are a Christian, what would you say? If they asked how it affected your life, what would you say? And if they asked you to describe the church you attend, what would you say? |