The Haxtun-Fleming Herald - What can we reason but from what we know? -Alexander Pope

It is a good thing that we don’t have crystal balls. They would come to define our health, our mental prowess and our schedule in unhealthy ways. We would become calendar watchers consumed with fear, unable to stave off impending calamity while blaming others for our sorry lot in life. How fortunate we are, then, to rest innocently in the tension of knowing and not knowing. We are creatures in search of equilibrium, a challenging quest in a busy complicated world.

That is not to say we should shouldn’t anticipate the future. Hopes and dreams and aspirations are built upon and driven by expectancy. Passion becomes the primary fuel to light that fire and dispel complacency. Churches are especially driven because of their commitments to theological ideals and standards.

This commitment, by its nature, is filled with passion and verve, and “getting it right” is of utmost importance. In that regard, how can one blame any particular denomination or congregation for their shortcomings when in truth they are doing what they feel they have been called to do? A cautionary flip side is sometimes stated as a reminder of an organizational core value; religion by coercion is no religion at all.

What then can we expect from religion? Declining interest and participation by our youngest generations reflects faith that is ripe for evolution. While I am cognizant of the many clergy populating my own heritage over the last three hundred years, I am under no illusions that I would be able to get along with my forebears, theologically or otherwise. I can appreciate, however, their unwavering commitments and acknowledgment of something greater than themselves. I have been the fortunate recipient of their well-placed faith and hope and for that I am grateful.

Brian McLaren in “Do I Stay Christian?” addresses the ancestor angle in saying, “We honor the efforts of our ancestors by building upon them, which often means moving beyond them. They set an example of thinking creatively within their context. We honor and follow their example, not by endlessly repeating their words and formulations but by thinking and speaking as creatively in our context as they did in theirs … We respectively yet critically study the work of our ancestors in their context in hopes that their successes and failures can guide us in our own creative endeavors. That means that we are not only free to adapt and experiment in theology, as we are in other fields; we also have a moral obligation to do so … especially in light of the [past harms of the church].

The historical record informs us what we might expect in the future, but we ought not be too surprised when the unexpected shows up instead. A recent example was the discovery of a small but healthy barrel cactus that somehow had escaped destruction by the horses in the corral. Unforeseen though welcome were its magenta blooms, each one a gift or offering in the moment. The unexpected helped us slow down and ponder a moment or two before continuing on. It was a moment of calm and grace in an otherwise dusty wind-blown day. Unexpected? Not if we are looking for it to begin with.