A River Between

I’ll admit that I’ve been an avid reader of Adam Walker Cleaveland’s blog, Pomomusings, for some time. Adam is a Presbyterian Youth Minister in California, who is part of the new “emergent church” or “postmodern” church movement – which seeks a broader view of Christianity and religion. Adam and other “pomos” seek to bridge differences, and seek a more inclusive and uniting force through theology.

Now, I really like reading Adam’s blog, and Adam’s a really likable guy, but I wonder what he might think of my ideas. He’s had many guests talk about “Plurality 2.0” in the church. But, in reading what he and others have to say, I’ve been compelled to think of my own ideas concerning plurality in religion and faith. I’ll call my ideas “Plurality 3.0” just to keep the version history theme going.

First, a little more about me from a spiritual standpoint.

I grew up in the Presbyterian Church, went to confirmation classes, sang in the choir, sang solos at every holiday or special service, and even went to a nice small Presbyterian college in Iowa to get my Bachelor of Music degree. After all of that – my spiritual journey started bursting out all over.

I came out as a gay man at 23 while in graduate school, became co-moderator for my campus Gay and Lesbian student organization, and hopped from denomination to denomination – finding lots of variances in “welcoming congregations” for Gays and Lesbians. Now, at 40, I live in Duluth, MN where I’ve found myself happily involved with my local Unitarian Universalist Congregation, and I’m also exploring parts of a newfound English/Irish heritage, Celtic Mysticism, Druidry, and “Radical Christianity” for lack of a better term.

I also live in a house owned by the Loaves and Fishes Catholic Worker Community. We provide hospitality and meals to people who might otherwise be homeless, live simply, and share our lives with marginalized folks, and one another.

So… “plurality”.. hmm..

As a Radcal-Catholic-Worker-Unitarian-Gay-Druid without any theological credentials, I hope that I can speak as a lay-person about this concept of Plurality in religion or postmodern Christianity, at least from my own personal experience.

So, based on my own experience and ideas that have been brewing, I wonder if a “Plurality 3.0” might someday emerge. Here are some of my critical questions and thoughts.

• Is there, or can there be room within this paradigm for others whom the word or concept of Christianity, as a descriptor for individual faith or belief, might be too constraining? Within this plurality, can there be the opportunity to see religious identity as a fluid or ever changing and developing path? Can we be Christian or Buddhist or a Druid all at the same time? Do we have the freedom to hop between? Can this fluidity be embraced as “sacred” or even an embodiment of God?
• Can we come to know God – or “the Divine” even in ways that brush against the boundaries of Christian comfort zones? In trees, nature, the earth, our breath? Could we even begin to see God as the logical outcome and manifestation of our shared creativity and humanity? Could our very consciousness itself be seen as our gateway to, or even the unifier with – all that is holy, divine, or God?
• Can we objectively look to our past to understand religion’s role as a tool for oppression and the serving of “empires”? Can we also look to deep and faithful Christian roots as a heritage to be honored, even if we step away into “the myst” of our own spiritual path outside this faith? (This idea came to me especially after hearing a sermon at my Unitarian Church on Easter Sunday about “Why can’t this Jesus guy just go away?”)
• Can we all be “the leaders we’ve been waiting for” - as David Korten expresses in his book, The Great Turning – from Empire to Earth Community? Can we critically examine even our own deeply specialized credentialing models within “the church” - and embrace the lay person as ultimate leader? Better yet – what about those who step down from the pulpit, reject degrees or Masters of Divinity, who simply choose to follow Jesus? Can the extension of plurality also come in the form of multiple paths of education, training, or experience for church leaders, pastors, or future governance itself? Will we be willing in a “Plurality 3.0 system” to step back and critically examine our structures – those that serve us, and those that do not? How will we deal with those structures which no longer serve us?

I have to say, that many of these questions and ideas have come up for me since attending Unitarian services. It’s my guess that many folks who feel that they are “survivors” or “victims” of oppressive faith traditions tend to gravitate toward the Unitarian Universalist Church. We grapple with this kind of plurality all the time (well, most of it – I think that even UU pastors need to go to Christian seminaries before ordination). At the same time, I think we’re only scratching the surface of what plurality can mean in progressive religion.

But, I do like the way this notion of plurality is manifesting right now, even in some mainline Christian churches it seems. Judging from Adam’s long list of guest pastors and religious leaders (many of whom are in their 20s) who blog about Plurality 2.0 – I’d say things are right on track for a possible “3.0” future.

Or – maybe it’s all very simple. Maybe all we need to do to embrace plurality within religion is to do what our pastor at the UU in Duluth says every Sunday.

Our vision guides us to be a beacon for progressive religion in our community.
To Grow Spiritually.
To Support and Love one another.
To Love and Honor the Earth.
To Work for Peace and Justice.
And to Change the World!

Trackback URI | Comments RSS