What is Faith?

What is faith?

One of the things I frequently hear from younger adults is that they don't (or maybe rather can't, because it's usually not for lack of trying) believe what they feel are central aspects of the Christian faith. They will often (and usually quite sheepishly, as if treading on holy ground - a sure sign of respect) point to things like the Apostles Creed and describe their difficultly believing in a virgin birth.

Many of them have taken biology 101 and know how it really works, so who can blame them. But they will also point to other, larger doubts in things like the resurrection, Jesus miracles, and other perceived "super-natural" experiences of biblical characters. They have difficulty believing these things really happened because they have no personal or scientific evidence that they could happen.

Some will doubt, because of personal experience and lack of clear evidence, that there is a personal loving God who is aware of him/her/itself, let alone aware of or care about humanity. So, in part because they believe that having faith means cognitively believing in the truth of these creedal "religious" things, or miraculous things, they will, with huge amounts of honesty, integrity and courage, opt out of religious participation.

I say courage because it is not easy to tell your family that you don't believe in the same things that they do... especially your parents! It might surprise you that I actually applaud many who have left the church because they could not with integrity make themselves cognitively believe in these"religious" things. Rather than stand up week after week and lie (by reciting the creed for example) they have decided to not participate. I applaud their doubts, their honesty, their integrity and their trust in living a life that is congruent with what they actually believe. I applaud them for telling themselves and others the truth.

Martin Luther himself once declared, "It is neither good nor right to go against ones conscious, therefore I cannot and I will not recant... so help me God."

I am thankful for many younger adults who have in good faith, listened deeply to their hearts and souls and challenged the beliefs of the church. I believe they are following in Martin Luther's own footsteps. And while I applaud them, I also miss them deeply. I am sad that they have found it necessary to leave. For I personally believe there is a place for them within the church for doubt, challenge, and reflection.

I also believe we need them and their honest critiques. In addition to finding the super-natural experiences of biblical characters difficult if not impossible to believe actually happened, many also point to their own experiences as reasons for their departure. Many people have felt persecuted. They have felt un-welcomed by churches and church members. Many have felt condemned for living with their spouse before marriage. Many have felt the church has been too silent on environmental issues. Many have felt friends, and themselves, persecuted for their positions on same gender relationships. Many have felt persecuted for choices made regarding birth control and even abortions. For many the church has simply been a loud voice declaring all the "religious" things that being a Christian should mean we are against and therefor good Christians don't do.

Unfortunately, even well meaning, more tolerant and loving places like SOTH get branded under the same banner as other churches that have been less generous. Many have felt these condemnations in their very being, and it hurt. For many faith as described above as cognitive mental assent to a set of creedal statements and church dogma of what is right and what is wrong, is what it means to religious, and they are not religious.

It might surprise you to know that in many ways, I agree with these younger adults. If faith simply means cognitive assent (belief) to things of which I have no personal experience or scientific evidence for, then I too would have to consider the possibility of opting out. Or if faith doesn't inspire us to live as good stewards of the earth, then I too might have to opt out. Or if faith only means being against premarital sex or same gender relationships, then I too might have to opt out. Or if faith doesn't inspire it's followers to live lives of love, forgiveness, generosity, humility, openness and self-sacrifice, then I too might have to opt out.

But I do not believe that cognitive assent to creedal or religious practices or ideas is what it means to have faith. Instead, I believe faith falls somewhere within the category of emotional, relational, and intuitive ways of knowing and being. One might even say you could define this category as spiritual.

One of the things I often hear following confessions of disbelief from young people is something along the lines of "I'd like to believe." Which feels like an indication that they still have a sense that there is something else going on underneath it all. A sense that there is more going on in the world than meets the eye. I believe they are right.

Faith, I believe, in a better sense can be defined by things like: trust in, adherence to, have a relationship with, rely on, listen to, listen for, follow or seek. Practically speaking what I mean is, at challenging (or even not challenging) turns in daily life, I will often pause, and ask, "Loving God, which way?" and then silently listen in my heart, mind and soul for some guidance.

While I cannot by any scientific evidence prove that someone or something hears me, I can say experientially, that reflecting back over my life, somehow I have seen and felt the hand of God, and the pushing, pulling, prodding directional guidance of God at work. Sometimes it comes clearly in the voice of a friend a pastor, a parent, or a grandparent. Sometimes it comes in clarity of thought, clarity of purpose, or clarity of resolve in my heart. Faith, at it's simplest, is learning to listen to these voices, and these impulses where love is the cause. Faith is being aware of the living, breathing, active presence that is all around us and interacting with us, calling us to love, hope, care, serve and live out our live's purpose and best possibilities.

In this way, I am deeply spiritual and deeply faithful. Instead of cognitively assenting to a list of dogma, creeds or right and wrong, the beginning of faith is a suspicion that there is a force, a power, a something in the world that is guiding, interacting with, driving and a part of everyday life. A real and tangible part of being human is listening to that spirit, conscious, soul, connection to the whole, as a guide. In this way I wonder if many who identify themselves as spiritual but not religious could find a connection.

Somewhat surprisingly many who have difficulty with creedal and religious things, find the Lord Prayer very helpful. One possible reason for finding the Lord's Prayer helpful is it is all relational, all practical, all real life, everyday stuff... here's how we could translate some lines...

• "Our Father in heaven" = I have a sense that there is something bigger than me, bigger than all life itself which is responsible for all that I see, feel, know, and experience. It even could be that the fact that I have consciousness could mean that consciousness came from and is even a part of that thing that is bigger than me. It may even know and care about me, like a loving parent, a father or mother who surrounds me, loves me and helps me discern choices in daily life.
• "Hallowed be thy name" = I am small, finite and humble. I am in awe of the mystery of life, and there is something holy, sacred and beautiful about it, so I remember to honor the mystery, the holy and the sacred in everyday life.
• "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done" = God if you are indeed there, and the author of all life, the source of love, hope, kindness, gentleness, forgiveness and peace, then let these things rule all of life, and even my life.
• "Give us this day..." = As I live, let me live in ways that help others live. As I live, let me live in ways that honor the earth. You already give me what I need, help me live in such a way so that others may have what they need too.
• "Forgive us, as we forgive" = We are not perfect, nor is anyone else. Help us be kind and gentle with others faults, as you loving God, promise to be gentle with ours.

I think you get the idea here. Faith in this sense is a relationship with that which cannot be seen, but is often deeply felt, is often found in quiet moments, is mysterious yet deeply practical, and influences daily living so that heaven is found on earth, not just in the sweet by and by. Faith in this sense is a reliance on God, a trusting in God, a relationship with God, and in it's most beautiful sense, loving God. Faith is listening for and trusting in that "still small voice" of love that is present all around us calling us toward the best possible outcome in any situation. Faith is not cognitive mental assent to a list of dogma or creeds, but an active relational connection between God, the world and other people.

Let me make two final points here. One for the "spiritual but not religious" folks and one for the more "traditionally religious" folks. For those who consider themselves spiritual but not religious, I'd like to offer that while churches and people who are religious have done and said terrible things in the name of faith, they have also done wonderful and amazing things as a result of their faith. They have built hospitals, built the social services infrastructure that cares for so many in need. Church people have built schools, and built libraries. Churches have helped thousands of refugees around the world find new and safe places to live. And church people have fed millions of hungry people around the world.

I'd also like to offer that all of the things I've called religious (creeds, theologies, biblical interpretations, dogma, liturgies, hymns, lists of right and wrong), were all created by deeply faithful people trying their very very best to listen to and follow God. Like all of us they got a good many things right, and like all of us they got many things wrong. I would argue that these faithful religious folks and their creeds and dogmas are not unlike scientists searching for truth... what I mean is that it often turns out that much of what we thought was right scientifically is really quite wrong. That doesn't mean we give up on scientific truth, we simply re-evaluate, reform, revise and grow. To toss out the religious things all together or ignore them would be a huge loss of wisdom, truth and human insight.

And it isn't wrong to use our cognitive skills in the area of faith. Instead we should, in the public arena, review, learn, present, critique, and reform the wisdom of the past based on new discoveries, new ways of being human and new ways of being spiritually healthy. The religious things, when read and practiced again, often contain great wisdom and insight. To discard them and not participate in them is to loose a rich history of human thought, wisdom, love and hope.

For those who consider themselves religious and have difficultly with people who have left the church claiming to be spiritual but not religious, I'd like to offer that many of them have left with courage, integrity and honesty. All faithful values we religious people hold dear. So, I'd invite you to join me in giving thanks for their honesty, courage and challenges. I'd like to invite you to listen carefully to their critiques, and let them challenge our religion and our faith. It will be good for us in the long run.

I'd also like to remind religious people that creeds, bibles, liturgies, organs, hymns, guitars, biblical lists of rights and wrongs, are not what we worship, and not what we follow. These things are tools, sign-posts, stories and vessels that reveal to us a limited picture of the truth about God, love, faith, humanity and hope. It is well within the bounds of good faithful religious practice of thousands of years of followers of God to redefine, change, break tradition, reform, argue, disagree and even completely reverse course from all of these religious vessels because of the discernment of God's Holy Spirit and the growth of humanity. I promise, while God seems to enjoy humanity, God is not threatened by us or our limited attempts to describe and discern. It's not only okay, it's good to change, grow and redefine our religious points of view.

My hope is that Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church is a place where we are deeply spiritual and religious in the sense that we use the vessels of religion for what they are: signs, pointers, markers, histories of others who have traveled the road, buffers, learning opportunities, guide posts, borders and maps for living a good and faith filled life. While our primary goal is to have faith: to listen for, trust in, adhere to, and have a relationship with a loving, forgiving, faithful God who was fully present in a person named Jesus... which will likely need another long article to describe... until then, I hope Shepherd is a place where all, religious, spiritual and even neither, are invited to listen for, wrestle with and have faith. Peace - Pastor Scott