Practical Theology

Well, maybe the title should be, Theological Questions? Or Puzzles?

In all my years of churchgoing (70+) I am left with questions on theology I have never heard anyone in authority discuss or even hazard a conclusion. Here are some.

1.      I am a person of faith. Nailing down a definition of that term is difficult for me. Faith and full acceptance of any catechism is not what I mean. What do I believe? What do you believe? With regard to God and the nature of being. On those topics I could spend a lot of time and have fun with it. But in church? This is very unlikely to be the topic of discussion.

2.      Divinity of Christ? I personally have trouble believing Christ was a divine creation of God. A creation of God, yes. A real live human person who walked this earth? Yes, I believe that, but I don’t think he was the product of a virgin birth. I believe Christ was a profound thinker and prophet of the age. I don’t believe he walked on water, either. Just saying. Am I alone in these thoughts?  My faith says Christ's teachings are likely the product of a group of people who wrote the Bible, but those words are fabulous and truth. Not truth of historical fact, but truth of philosophical logic.

3.      Am I a Christian anyway? I think so. I have the values down pat, just not the catechism, or the slavish attention to them. I attended seminary for a year and knew I wanted to work with people in practical ways but felt uncomfortable being an actual minister preaching divine messages I felt were not divine. Or adoration of a non-divine namesake of the church. So, I went into human resources, education, writing, thinking and consulting to help others achieve better success. Was I wrong? Was my life a waste and hollow of truth? My faith says no. But formal religion would likely say yes. Interesting dichotomy, no?

4.      Who Am I? Why does it matter to know this? To me. Not to you. Yes to you knowing who you are, but not knowing who I am. You see what I mean? Am I religious, spiritual, faithful, or what? Or total laity and an unknowing sluggard? A pretender to Christian principles?

5.      What Role Does Music Play in the Church?  For me music transports my mind to meditative spaces. While there I can think deeply and wrestle with life’s problems productively. My musical preference is classical. I was raised in Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms, and their era’s friends. I love organ music; deeply love it. Chorales are also a favorite, sung as well as played on the organ. A solo grand piano playing sonatas of Beethoven’s or the airs of Bach, are enticingly alluring to my mind. They help me think logically and fruitfully. Is there a place for guitar, violin, drums, trumpets, and saxophones? Sure. Not sure if they are ensemble or solo, or with vocal accompaniment either. But if the music is thoughtful and meditative I like it. It works.

6.      Bible Readings; do they matter? Yes, they do. In my mind they root us in the narrative of our collective religion, the stories that teach and coach us how to live meaningfully. The history is mythological in character, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t contain truth and some facts. Piecing together a history of mankind from pre-history to post Christian times is not easy. Just try doing it! The Bible readings help me find human context to the truths of our theology.

OK, that’s enough sacrilege for one posting. I wonder how many readers I lost with this message?

March 2, 2021