Spiritual But Not Religious? Please Stop Boring Me.
On airplanes, I dread the conversation with the person who finds out I am a minister and wants to use the flight time to explain to me that he is "spiritual but not religious." Such a person will always share this as if it is some kind of daring insight, unique to him, bold in its rebellion against the religious status quo.
Next thing you know, he's telling me that he finds God in the sunsets. These people always find God in the sunsets. And in walks on the beach. Sometimes I think these people never leave the beach or the mountains, what with all the communing with God they do on hilltops, hiking trails and ... did I mention the beach at sunset yet?
Like people who go to church don't see God in the sunset! Like we are these monastic little hermits who never leave the church building. How lucky we are to have these geniuses inform us that God is in nature. As if we don't hear that in the psalms, the creation stories and throughout our deep tradition.
Being privately spiritual but not religious just doesn't interest me. There is nothing challenging about having deep thoughts all by oneself. What is interesting is doing this work in community, where other people might call you on stuff, or heaven forbid, disagree with you. Where life with God gets rich and provocative is when you dig deeply into a tradition that you did not invent all for yourself.
Thank you for sharing, spiritual-but-not-religious sunset person. You are now comfortably in the norm for self-centered American culture, right smack in the bland majority of people who find ancient religions dull but find themselves uniquely fascinating. Can I switch seats now and sit next to someone who has been shaped by a mighty cloud of witnesses instead? Can I spend my time talking to someone brave enough to encounter God in a real human community? Because when this flight gets choppy, that's who I want by my side, holding my hand, saying a prayer and simply putting up with me, just like we try to do in church.
You can't make this stuff up. There are limits to self-made religion.
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Follow Lillian Daniel on Twitter: www.twitter.com/lillianfdaniel
Here's another conversation starter your group could use. "Have you ever had a conversation like this?" "How do you handle these conversations?" "What can you do to improve their understanding of God?"
That's one of the reasons I think the article makes a great discussion starter. The author of the article obviously hears this a lot. What should her response be? How could one of us in a similar circumstance best handle a situation like that? Take this lady's article to your group and have some fun with it! -- Lance
It was common for them - when they found out I was
a believer - to throw out a "hook" to see if I would get
offended and say something "religious." Usually in
a couple of minutes they would 1) let out a string of
curse words or 2) say something like, "Man, I really
got ripped last night." I didn't take the bait.Two valuable tools I picked up:
1) I don't make people's problems my problems.
2) God doesn't hold me responsible for people and
things I can't control. George Hoherd: Life Coach
From: "Brad Herman" <brad@arsenalbooks.com>
To: hoherds@comcast.net
Sent: Tuesday, September 13, 2011 4:59:45 PM
Subject: [springschurch.net] Re: Spiritual But Not Religious? Please Stop Boring Me.
Sent: Tuesday, September 13, 2011 4:55 PM
To: brad@arsenalbooks.com
Subject: [Norton AntiSpam] [springschurch.net] Spiritual But Not Religious? Please Stop Boring Me.
On airplanes, I dread the conversation with the person who finds out I am a minister and wants to use the flight time to explain to me that he is "spiritual but not religious." Such a person will always share this as if it is some kind of daring insight, unique to him, bold in its rebellion against the religious status quo.
Next thing you know, he's telling me that he finds God in the sunsets. These people always find God in the sunsets. And in walks on the beach. Sometimes I think these people never leave the beach or the mountains, what with all the communing with God they do on hilltops, hiking trails and ... did I mention the beach at sunset yet?
Like people who go to church don't see God in the sunset! Like we are these monastic little hermits who never leave the church building. How lucky we are to have these geniuses inform us that God is in nature. As if we don't hear that in the psalms, the creation stories and throughout our deep tradition.
Being privately spiritual but not religious just doesn't interest me. There is nothing challenging about having deep thoughts all by oneself. What is interesting is doing this work in community, where other people might call you on stuff, or heaven forbid, disagree with you. Where life with God gets rich and provocative is when you dig deeply into a tradition that you did not invent all for yourself.
Thank you for sharing, spiritual-but-not-religious sunset person. You are now comfortably in the norm for self-centered American culture, right smack in the bland majority of people who find ancient religions dull but find themselves uniquely fascinating. Can I switch seats now and sit next to someone who has been shaped by a mighty cloud of witnesses instead? Can I spend my time talking to someone brave enough to encounter God in a real human community? Because when this flight gets choppy, that's who I want by my side, holding my hand, saying a prayer and simply putting up with me, just like we try to do in church.
You can't make this stuff up. There are limits to self-made religion.
-->Follow Lillian Daniel on Twitter: www.twitter.com/lillianfdaniel
Here's another conversation starter your group could use. "Have you ever had a conversation like this?" "How do you handle these conversations?" "What can you do to improve their understanding of God?"
 Like |
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is in a great battle." Philo of Alexandria
John K>
I saw that quote in a nursing home I often visited when I was a chaplain.
If every Christian could adopt that attitude, maybe we would be more
attractive to the world.
So that in every way, they make the teachings about God our Savior attractive.” Titus 2:10 NIV
George Hoherd: Life Coach
From: "Johnk21email" <johnk21email@gmail.com>
To: hoherds@comcast.net
Sent: Wednesday, September 14, 2011 1:06:08 PM
Subject: [springschurch.net] Re: Spiritual But Not Religious? Please Stop Boring Me.
If we find him it is because of him... if we see the light we really feel nothing but sorrow and great love for those not in the light... If something else is exuding from us like it will from time to time .. we know it is not the heart of the father watching as they are being swept along a raging river to there eternal death....
If I am not loving I am not in him... moment by moment.. correction..
Peace To you Brother... I'll ad a quote from my home church pastor..
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is in a great battle." Philo of Alexandria
John K>
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