Wonderings--March 3

What a blessed evening we just celebrated together. Ash Wednesday was a powerful evening at Bethesda. We felt God's presence and movement in the church as we gathered for our regular Wednesday supper followed by worship. With 50 friends and families in worship, we: 

"Remembered we are dust

And to the dust we shall return."

It was a powerful night of prayer and silence and reflection. As I gingerly stood to administer the ashes in silence, my heart was warmed by the love of God that I could see in so many faces and eyes. Returning home I settled into my chair and began to read my newest book, Holy Envy, while I iced my knee.

The story of the book follows a group of college students who together signed up for Religion 101 from a famous author who teaches at a small college in Georgia. As part of the class the students visit a number of religious houses of worship. A Buddhist temple, a mosque, a Jewish synagogue, a Hindu temple, and of course a Christian church. 

By the end of visits the professor, herself an Evangelical Christian, is surprised to see how some of the students are responding to site visits. One student chooses to get a tattoo on his foreman of the ying-yang symbol and he asked where the nearest Taoist worship space was. 

Another young lady begins the long and challenging process of converting to Judaism. 

Another young man started wearing jewelry that indicates Buddhist leanings in his heart. 

Each of these students reactions, while not totally unanticipated based on a pre-class survey that was taken, surprises the professor for a reason you may not expect. 

It seems that for the searching college-age person a physical declaration is necessary when professing their new-found faith--or at the very least acknowledging that they are starting a faith journey. This was surprising because as our author notes, this type of choice or behavior does not often occur in the Christians that she sees falling in love with Jesus Christ. 

And I wondered why is that? 

Why do we see many other people outwardly display evidence of a faith that is not based on Christ Jesus but we in the church do not share that outward-facing posture? Why are we quick to proclaim our faith in worship, but outside of the worship space that passion dies?

As we are not fully into the Lenten season, I wonder what this account says to you? What choices does it ask you to make and how does it challenge you faith practices out in public? 

Blessings

Rev. Derek