Thoughts from the Pastor - "Speaking of God in Public" June 2016

Before their Confirmation, I asked our eighth-graders: “What makes living as a Christian difficult?”  One of the challenges they listed was the competing of religious beliefs and practices among their peers.  Among our Wilmette-area neighbors, there is a wide variety of religious belief and non-belief.  Sixty-seven percent (67%) are Christian, five percent (5%) are Jewish, and twenty-seven percent (27%) have no religious affiliation, sometimes called the “Nones.”¹

The top reasons such people give for not participating in a faith community are its overemphasis on money, judgmental views, and strict beliefs.  However, many people who identify as “spiritual but not religious” are open to outreach.²  This openness is an invitation to share our faith story, but it is just as important to hear theirs. 

One way of doing theological reflection is called “speaking of God in public.”³  It involves a conversation between Christian revelation and the surrounding culture.  With an assumption that God is active in the creative endeavors of the world, nature, scientific discovery, social trends, and the arts become points of connection.  Where is God?  What do you see God doing in the world? 

Engaging the surrounding culture is not new to Christians.  The early church was born in an extremely diverse religious landscape and engaged persons with competing worldviews.  Paul’s discussions with Stoics and Epicureans and his public speech in Athens are good examples.⁴ 

During the Medieval period, St. Thomas Aquinas benefited from an intercultural dialogue among Christians, Muslims, and Jews.  Continuing interfaith conversations is critical today, particularly in light of the voices of xenophobia in public discourse. 

James and Evelyn Whitehead outline a three-step process for “speaking of God in public.”  It involves (1) seeking out information from personal experience, Christian tradition, and cultural references, (2) looking for clarification and expanded insights among the points, (3) moving from insight to decision to concrete action.⁵  I believe our decision to become a Reconciling congregation followed a similar process of theological reflection. 

We have good news for our cultural context.  However, our setting is significant.  The gospel can become a welcome gift when it engages the lived experience of the broader community. 

Yours in Christ,

Rev. Brian C. Smith

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¹ “Quadrennium Project 2012: A Survey of US Religious Preferences, Practices and Beliefs.” Report Prepared for Trinity UMC 1024 Lake Ave., Wilmette, IL 3-Mile Radius.”  MissionInsight.com, 18 May. 2016.

² Linda A. Mercadante.  Belief without Borders: Inside the Minds of the Spiritual but Not Religious. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014. 255.

³ Elaine Graham, Heather Walton, and Frances Ward. Theological Reflection: Methods. London: SCM, 2005. 138-169.

⁴ Acts 17.

⁵ Ibid., Theological Reflection: Methods. 161-163.