Rod Dreher over at Beliefnet wrote an interesting column about the role of and interplay between doctrine and community in his religious life. Dreher's column resonated with me. For context, Dreher took as his starting point this quote from Peter Steinfels at the New York Times (not, ordinarily, a publication which I bother to notice):
Second, religions encompass claims about truth and rules of conduct but cannot be reduced to doctrinal propositions or ethics. Religions involve orientations toward reality handed on in stories, rituals and paradigmatic figures as well as in creeds. Religions are embodied in communities and shape distinct ways of life.
Why does it resonate with me? As I've blogged before, I abandoned my Lutheran roots when the national church organization failed to stand up for and adhere to 2,000 years of Christian history, tradition, teaching, and doctrine on the subject of homosexuality, Christian marriage, and how these are addressed in both Scripture and tradition.
It struck me, though, after reading Dreher's column that I also left Lutheranism because the life and faith taught and demonstrated in the creeds, doctrines, stories, and paradigmatic figures were no longer present in the church teaching them. My own local congregation, Zion Lutheran Church in Brentwood, Pennsylvania, certainly had the deeds to match the creeds, but the larger church of which Zion was part no longer did. As my pastor remarked on more than one occasion, "My church left me behind."
I burnt out as a Lutheran because my church sold me out for cultural relevance. When that happened some of the fire of my faith burnt out, too. Or, to put it another way, my zeal for Lutheranism consumed some part of my faith. I've struggled since then to find the heart to jump back into a religious community. I just realized this while reading Dreher's article.
This is actually a good thing insofar as it also threw me back on faith and faith alone, removing the trappings of religion which might have served as a crutch and to obscure That Which is Really Important ©. I remain convinced that faith grows in community and that a mature faith is one that evolves while retaining a strong connection to its fundamental roots. If I don't live out my faith and beliefs in the presence of and company of others, that "faith" is merely intellectual assent.
At least that particular mystery is solved. Now to do something about it…
Posted by Kurt Wall at 10:23 2009-12-20 | Trackbacks (0) | Comments (0)
Who's The Fascist Here? (Religion)
Suhweet! A student in a public speaking class in a Los Angeles community college got smacked down when his speech opposed same-sex marriage and quoted two Bible verses supporting his position. Quoth the article, “professor John Matteson cut him off, called him a 'fascist bastard' and would not allow him to finish.”
Evidently, two students were offended by the speech. Tough. That you don't like the opinions expressed doesn't make it hate speech, whatever that is anyway. Apparently, though, calling someone a “fascist bastard” for expressing their opinion doesn't qualify as hate speech so long as their opinion isn't politically correct.
So, tell me, who's the fascist here?
Posted by Kurt Wall at 12:00 2009-02-16 | Trackbacks (0) | Comments (0)
The Utility of Tradition (Religion)
On Sacred Tradition:
Since therefore we have such proofs, it is not necessary to seek the truth among others which it is easy to obtain from the Church; since the apostles, like a rich man [depositing his money] in a bank, lodged in her hands most copiously all things pertaining to the truth: so that every man, whosoever will, can draw from her the water of life1. For she is the entrance to life; all others are thieves and robbers. On this account are we bound to avoid them, but to make choice of the thing pertaining to the Church with the utmost diligence, and to lay hold of the tradition of the truth. For how stands the case? Suppose there arise a dispute relative to some important question2 among us, should we not have recourse to the most ancient Churches with which the apostles held constant intercourse, and learn from them what is certain and clear in regard to the present question? For how should it be if the apostles themselves had not left us writings? Would it not be necessary, [in that case,] to follow the course of the tradition which they handed down to those to whom they did commit the Churches? (Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book III, Chapter IV, 1)
1Rev. 22:17
2Latin, modica quaestione
For those who opine that if it isn't in the Bible, it isn't right, I have only one question? What of the early Church, before, say, the middle of the 4th century anno domini, whose only "Bible" was the Hebrew Scriptures? What could they use but the oral traditions and stories and the epistles? There was no widely accepted "New Testament" canon until the 12th century, and Protestants tossed out of that the books that didn't comport with their notions of what constitutes a New Testament Church.
Posted by Kurt Wall at 20:42 2008-10-31 | Trackbacks (0) | Comments (0)
Holy Cross Parish (Religion)
Although I'm attending RCIA at Our Lady of Peace, I've been visiting other parishes, hoping to find one that feels comfortable enough to make my church home. Sunday I went to Holy Cross Parish.
There's nothing wrong with Our Lady of Peace, but their strong emphasis and focus on strengthening the family leaves singles, nominally single people like me, and childless couples (D.I.N.K.S. — Double Income, No Kids) feeling left out. No one is marginalized at Our Lady, but the personality of the place appeals to families more than others. There are lots of parishes here, so I have lots of options from which to choose.
After the service, I took a few pictures of the place. The stained glass windows are especially pretty and I really like the cross above and behind the altar.
Posted by Kurt Wall at 19:25 2008-10-07 | Trackbacks (0) | Comments (0)
Mother of Steel (Religion)
I've been taking RCIA classes at Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church, as I've commented before. Our Lady has a lot to recommend it, not the least of which is its vitality.
As you might imagine, given its name, the Virgin Mary is a big deal at Our Lady. In fact, it's 32 feet worth of stainless steel big deal. This Mother of Steel sits in a shrine between the church grounds proper and Highway 101 in Santa Clara. They liked the 32-foot tall version so much, they got a smaller one (about 8 feet, I'd say) to put in a courtyard immediately outside the sanctuary.
What I find remarkable, as one in the process of becoming Roman Catholic, is the strength and depth of people's devotion to Mary. I'm not entirely Protestant in my view of Mary, but I'm also far from being Marian. That is, 90% of the Protestant Christian world trots the Virgin Mary out at Christmas to participate in Jesus' nativity, and then puts her away again. I think she deserves more than a mere two weeks' attention. That said, I'm not yet persuaded or comfortable with the level of attention lavished on her by Catholics.
To be sure, without Mary, there would be no Jesus. My friend Tim says, "Sure, but if it hadn't been Mary, it would have been someone else." Two problems with that argument are 0) It was Mary, and 1) If it had been another woman, she'd still be unique in the world and deserve to occupy an equally unique and special place of honor.
But that's enough fuel on sectarian fires for one post.
Posted by Kurt Wall at 00:36 2008-10-05 | Trackbacks (0) | Comments (0)
RCIA Inquiry Session (Religion)
I went to the first RCIA session last night. I liked what I heard, but the "official" lessons start next week so I'm going to withhold judgement until that time. I have a 20-minute interview with the priest, Father Anthony Hernandez, next week before the class. The purpose is to find out in a private setting about my background, religious and otherwise, and to start the process of getting to know me.
There are about a dozen people, at the moment, in the class. Some are single, but most are either married or engaged couples. In the latter case, one person is already Roman Catholic and attending to support the other non-Catholic who is becoming Catholic. As usual, I don't fit into either category — I'm not single, I'm not attending to support my non-Catholic spouse, and my spouse isn't attending to support me.
The priest teaching the class, Father Anthony, is actually a Byzantine Catholic priest, that is, he's Roman Catholic but follows the Eastern rite rather than the Western or Roman rite. That's a happy bit of serendipity for me because I'm attracted to the beauty and antiquity of the Eastern liturgy.
So, after one lesson or class, I'm still interested enough to continue.
Posted by Kurt Wall at 20:57 2008-08-28 | Trackbacks (0) | Comments (0)
Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church (Religion)
After this morning's meeting, I went to Our Lady of Peace, a Roman Catholic parish just over the border into Santa Clara. It's notable feature is a 32-foot tall stainless steel statue of the Virgin Mary situated between the church and the north side of Highway 101.
The music was better than average. The priest was warm, if hard to understand at times because of his accent. The Spirit was in this place. I liked it well enough that I signed up for RCIA classes. I started to attend RCIA at the Cathedral last Fall, but held off because I wanted to go through it with my wife. If you've been following along the last couple of weeks, that's probably not going to happen, so I'll do it myself.
Meanwhile, yesterday, I had a follow-up visit from one of the members of Gloria Dei, the church I visited last week. I was surprised. I won't be returning to that church for the reasons I explained earlier, but I was touched that someone would follow up like that. I told him that I came from a rather more conservative and traditional ELCA church back east and, while I appreciated their fidelity to the liturgy, the rest of it wasn't for me. I'd like to know how he got into the complex, though, because the gates are locked.
Posted by Kurt Wall at 12:37 2008-08-24 | Trackbacks (0) | Comments (0)
Gloria Dei Lutheran Church (Religion)
I went to Gloria Dei Lutheran Church this morning. I was in need of forgiveness and Holy Communion. I certainly got the latter and I have to take it on faith that I got the former, for I certainly don't feel it.
Like lots of ELCA churches these days, this parish offers a traditional Lutheran liturgy and a so-called contemporary service. I don't need or want drums and electric guitars when I worship, so I chose the traditional liturgical service. The traditional liturgy has been relegated to 8:30. It was sparsely attended (perhaps 30 people). They followed all the proper forms for one of the umpteen Sundays in Pentecost (a/k/a Ordinary Time), so I was pleased with that.
It typically occurs that when I show up to a new church, the pastor is on vacation or otherwise out, a trend that continued this morning. The associate pastor presided and preached. Not a stirring sermon, but I am spoiled by Pastor Riesen at Zion Lutheran Church back in Pittsburgh. I'd like to say I came away moved, but I didn't. Regardless, I worshipped to the best of my ability, heard the Word, made an offering, said the prayers with belief, confessed my sins, and received the Body and Blood. These are the things and the reasons for which I go to church, not be moved (although it helps when that happens).
Don't know if I'll go back. It wasn't too far from the apartment but nothing stirred me about the place. There was no Spirit to it that struck me the way I've been struck elsewhere. If anything, I need to feel a church's spirit and need to feel the Spirit is present in a church if I'm to continue attending it. That didn't happen this morning. Indeed, I've felt the Spirit's presence more strongly attending AA meetings in the basement of a church than I felt this morning.
Posted by Kurt Wall at 17:51 2008-08-17 | Trackbacks (0) | Comments (0)
Starting RCIA (Religion)
...a/k/a "Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults" or, more prosaically, how to become a bona fide, card-carrying Roman Catholic.
I've been mulling this over, literally, for years. Recent events in the ELCA have made continued membership in that church impossible, so I'm finally taking the step. God willing, I'll be going through RCIA at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph here in San Jose. RCIA is the same process at all parishes, but each parish runs it a little differently. St. Joseph is committed enough to the process to have given it its own Web site, complete with calendar, agenda, and a pretty detailed explanation of what to expect at each step in the process.
In some ways, I feel like I'm coming home. I was first curious about RCIA when I still lived in Huntsville, which would put my first call to conversion before 1983. If my enfeebled memory doesn't betray me, my first interest in becoming Roman Catholic began when I was 19. So, no one can say I've rushed into this.
Posted by Kurt Wall at 10:46 2007-11-09 | Trackbacks (0) | Comments (0)
Other Outstanding Questions (Religion)
Two outstanding questions for which I finally have answers:
- Why is it called "The Mass"?
- The term "mass" is derived from the Latin word missa, which means to send forth. In the early church, after the Eucharist was celebrated, the consecrated elements were delivered given to deacons, who were "sent forth" to deliver these means of grace to those members of the congregation who were absent. Justin Martyr described this in his First Apology.
- Whence the rosary?
- Briefly, from the earliest days of the Church, ordained or set apart leaders incorporated the Psalms, all 150 of them, into a daily routine of prayer and worship: morning prayer, or Lauds; midday prayer; evening prayer, or Vespers, and nighttime prayer, or Compline. Because the laity were largely illiterate and did not have access to printed Scripture, so instead of reciting the Psalms, they would pray the Our Father or the Ave Maria, using pebbles or a cord with counters on it to keep an accurate count. Over time, this practice evolved into the form of praying the rosary that we know today.
Posted by Kurt Wall at 10:44 2007-11-09 | Trackbacks (0) | Comments (0)
Why Aren't I Catholic (Religion)
As a life-long (and now former) Lutheran, I was taught a number of reasons that Catholicism was "wrong" and why Lutheranism was the proper solution to this error. In no particular order, the most common objections are (or were):
- Indulgences
- The Pope
- The definition of True Presence (transubstantiation versus consubstantiation)
- The role, position, and propriety of prayers to Mary, the mother of Christ
- The role, position, and propriety of prayer to saints
- The proposition that one cannot be saved outside of the Roman Catholic Church or that the Roman Catholic Church is the one true church
- The celibacy of priests
- Only a priest can properly celebrate the Mass
- Using tradition as source for faith and practice, instead of Scripture alone (that is, sola scriptura)
- Faith and works being efficacious for salvation, versus justification by faith along (that is, sola fide)
- Purgatory
- Prayers for the dead
- Papal infallibility
- Papal primacy
- Apostolic succession
This list is neither exhaustive nor authoritative. It is not exhaustive in that historical and modern anti-Catholic sources enumerate many more objections than I have listed here. Indeed, Luther hammered 95 theses to the door of the Wittenberg church, and these 95 theses specifically addressed indulgences (although, of course, they necessarily touched on other issues as well). My list is not authoritative in that I have listed only those issues which I can remember.
I'm embarrassed to admit that I never questioned these things. I redress this defect now. I've decided to revisit these apparent problems and understand for myself the nature of the original problem and, more importantly, if they are valid today. I will update the above list with links to entries that describe the results of my study and research. My goal is honest inquiry, to examine the basis of what I can only describe as prejudices derived from 45 years of being Lutheran and 45 years of not examining my beliefs.
Posted by Kurt Wall at 10:43 2007-11-09 | Trackbacks (0) | Comments (0)
On Tradition (Religion)
Lutherans have a fine tradition, if you will, of hammering the Roman Catholic Church for its reliance on tradition as well as Scripture. The typical argument is that Holy Scripture is the only authentic source and norm for Christian faith.
After two hours of research, I've determined to my own satisfaction that what Catholics refer to as Sacred or Holy Tradition is or can be a valid source for Christian faith and practice.
In the first place, the early church lacked an established, universally accepted canon. To be sure, various episcopal letters (such as Athanasius' 367 Easter letter) and conciliar decrees (such as the Synod of Hippo in 393 and the Councils of Carthage in 397 and 419) listed precisely those documents that would become the New Testament canon, but the formal, dogmatic definition(s) emerged in the middle of the second millennium. The point being that, in the absence of an established canon, the "Scriptural" sources were two: the Hebrew Scriptures and the various epistles of the Apostles and other luminaries of the early Church, that is, the Church Fathers.
It seems clear, moreover, that much of the early church's actual faith and practice was not codified in writing but was transmitted orally from leader to leader. As such, sources for faith and practice were, by definition, transmitted from generation to generation and from church to church as tradition. Insofar as the Apostles and many of at least the first generation of leaders that succeeded them had first-hand experience not only of Christ and His ministry but also of what the primitive church believed and how it worshipped, it seems reasonable to conclude that these beliefs and practices are legitimate sources of faith and practice for us today.
Secondly, the great ecumenical councils acknowledged the role that tradition had played in determining the church's faith and practice. Consider this statement from The Council of Trent, session IV (8 April, 1546):
Decree Concerning the Canonical Scriptures
The sacred and holy, ecumenical, and general Synod of Trent,—lawfully assembled in the Holy Ghost, the Same three legates of the Apostolic See presiding therein,—keeping this always in view, that, errors being removed, the purity itself of the Gospel be preserved in the Church; which (Gospel), before promised through the prophets in the holy Scriptures, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, first promulgated with His own mouth, and then commanded to be preached by His Apostles to every creature, as the fountain of all, both saving truth, and moral discipline; and seeing clearly that this truth and discipline are contained in the written books, and the unwritten traditions which, received by the Apostles from the mouth of Christ himself, or from the Apostles themselves, the Holy Ghost dictating, have come down even unto us, transmitted as it were from hand to hand; (the Synod) following the examples of the orthodox Fathers, receives and venerates with an equal affection of piety, and reverence, all the books both of the Old and of the New Testament—seeing that one God is the author of both—as also the said traditions, as well those appertaining to faith as to morals, as having been dictated, either by Christ's own word of mouth, or by the Holy Ghost, and preserved in the Catholic Church by a continuous succession (Decrees of the Council of Trent, emphasis added).
Claims for and appeals to the validity, legitimacy, and existence of Sacred or Apostolic Tradition certainly precede the 1546 Council of Trent. Some might discount Trent insofar as it was a distinctly Roman council that, among other accomplishments, fixed the canon for the Catholic church. Accordingly, consider these comments from Irenaeus in Against Heresies, which was written between 182 and 188 A.D. Irenaeus himself lived between 120 and 202 A.D., dying a martyr's death at 82.
It is within the power of all, therefore, in every Church, who may wish to see the truth, to contemplate clearly the tradition of the apostles manifested throughout the whole world; and we are in a position to reckon up those who were by the apostles instituted bishops in the Churches, and [to demonstrate] the succession of these men to our own times; those who neither taught nor knew of anything like what these [heretics] rave about. … [we do this, I say,] by indicating that tradition derived from the apostles, of the very great, the very ancient, and universally known Church founded and organized at Rome by the two most glorious apostles, Peter and Paul; as also [by pointing out] the faith preached to men, which comes down to our time by means of the successions of the bishops. For it is a matter of necessity that every Church should agree with this Church, on account of its preeminent authority, that is, the faithful everywhere, inasmuch as the apostolical tradition has been preserved continuously by those [faithful men] who exist everywhere (Against Heresies, 3,3,1, emphasis added).
Irenaeus is far from the only ante-Nicene father of the church to give place to tradition. Nor is he the earliest to do so. My point here is neither polemics nor didactics. I'm not trying to change your mind. Rather, I hope to show how I've changed my mind. If the fathers of the church accepted and acknowledged the role that tradition played in forming and sustaining the church, it behooves me to do the same.
Posted by Kurt Wall at 10:42 2007-11-09 | Trackbacks (0) | Comments (0)
Who I Didn't See in Orlando (Religion)
Kelly and I returned yesterday afternoon from a week-long vacation in Orlando. We had a blast—more about that in a different post. We visited five theme parks: Disney World on Monday; Sea World on Tuesday; Epcot on Wednesday; Universal Studios on Thursday; and the Kennedy Space Center of Friday.
Over dinner one night we were remarking on the variety of languages and accents we'd heard. There were visitors from Germany; France; several Spanish-speaking countries; Brazil and/or Portugal; England; Scotland; Ireland; India or Pakistan; Israel; China; Taiwan; Japan; Korea; and at least one Scandinavian country.
In the middle of the conversation, I realized that during the five days we spent in Orlando, we hadn't seen any overtly Muslim people. Save for the Israelis, we didn't see anyone from the Middle East. Not at the parks, restaurants, the hotel, or the airport. Neither of us saw any women wearing burqas or hijabs, something we can see in Pittsburgh on a daily basis. We didn't even encounter so-called Black Muslims, members of the Nation of Islam.
Initially, this surprised me. In retrospect, though, it makes sense. People from Islamic countries likely don't regard America a vacation destination. Muslims who already live here, similarly, seem to be keeping a low profile, probably to avoid trouble. Anti-Islamic sentiment is running high in the United States just now (and for good reason), so if I were Muslim, I'd stay out of sight, too. Actually, I'd convert to a different religion entirely, but that's a rant for another day. As a Christian, I wouldn't want to visit a predominantly Islamic country, you know, one populated by people hostile, often violently so, to Christianity. I value my life and health.
Whatever the reason, it struck me as unusual. It didn't especially trouble me, it was just something I noticed.
Posted by Kurt Wall at 10:38 2007-11-09 | Trackbacks (0) | Comments (0)
ELCA Update (Religion)
One day, I'll learn to stop second-guessing myself.
After penning my resignation letter to the ELCA (by the way, does one actually "resign" from a church or just leave?), I began to have second thoughts. My church of which I was a member was not likely to go down the path of calling a homosexual who is "in a mutual, chaste, and faithful committed same-gender relationship." Nor was the the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod (a synod is a regional organizational unit comparable to a diocese) of which my former church was a member likely to to so.
I misapprehended the direction of the synod. In the midst of my hand-wringing, I read this article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette heart-breaking as it is. The newly elected bishop of my former synod, Kurt Kusserow, intends to honor the request made in the ill-advised, spiritually cowardly memorial. "I think [the memorial] already reflects the hearts of most of our bishops," he told the Post-Gazette.
It's disturbing enough that the incoming bishop will disregard the ELCA's official policy forbidding ordaining non-celibate homosexual clergy. But if his statement that most bishops feel the same way is true, the ELCA's problems are more numerous and profound than just the blatant disregard for 2000 years of Christian doctrine, 5000 years of Jewish teaching and practice, and several millennia of general moral belief.
Posted by Kurt Wall at 10:32 2007-11-09 | Trackbacks (0) | Comments (0)
ELCA Winks at Homosexuality (Religion)
It was only a matter of time. Luther would be apoplectic.
Although I'm not surprised, I am deeply disappointed to learn that the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has counseled its leadership not to discipline congregations who call homosexual clergy. I therefore resign my membership in the ELCA effective immediately.
The text of my resignation letter:
To whom it concerns:
With profound sadness and deepest regrets, my conscience demands I part company with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. I no longer consider myself a member of the ELCA. Three days of Lutherans talking and voting have done what 450 years of anti-Lutheran rhetoric couldn't do: destroy and discredit Luther's gospel- and Christ-centered message and legacy.
I will not participate in or support any church body that adopts the following statement in a 538-431 vote:
RESOLVED, that in an effort to continue as a church in moral deliberation without further strife and pain to its members, the Churchwide Assembly prays, urges, and encourages synods, synodical bishops, and the presiding bishop to refrain from or demonstrate restraint in disciplining those congregations and persons who call into the rostered ministry otherwise-qualified candidates who are in a mutual, chaste, and faithful committed same-gender relationship; and be it further
RESOLVED, that the Churchwide Assembly prays, urges, and encourages synods, synodical bishops, and the presiding bishop to refrain from or demonstrate restraint in disciplining those rostered leaders in a mutual, chaste, and faithful committed same-gender relationship who have been called and rostered in this church (http://www.elca.org/assembly/pdf/E3_Landahl_substitution.pdf).
It says, "Yes, we have a policy, but we don't want you to follow it." I appreciate that this resolution is "merely" a memorial, but it represents the wishes of a majority of voting members at the assembly. I cannot and will not be part of a church that ordains homosexual clergy. I don't believe I need a crystal ball to know where this move leads and how it will end up.
The ELCA is no longer Christ's church; at best, it certainly isn't behaving like it. The ELCA is no longer guided by what is approved by God and what glorifies Jesus Christ; the ELCA is not a light on a stand. Rather, the ELCA is guided by what soothes itching ears and seeks to cloak the light lest it reveal our sinfulness.
The ELCA has abandoned its God-given responsibility to set an example of Christian living and to set the agenda for discussion of morality in public and private life. Instead, the ELCA winks at sin and allows the world to set its agenda.
Accordingly, I resign my membership in the ELCA effective immediately.
Kurt Wall
Formerly of
Zion Lutheran Church (Brentwood)
Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod
Jefferson Hills, Pennsylvania
Posted by Kurt Wall at 10:31 2007-11-09 | Trackbacks (0) | Comments (0)