The possibility of rain made this Sunday's decision to ride ten minutes to the Mill Creek Church of the Brethren a no-brainer. Not only was it geographically close, but my parents, grandparents, and their grandparents before them were all raised in the Church of the Brethren so the spiritual roots run deep, and this visit was close to my heart. Both of my Dad's parents spent time in Puerto Rico serving as church volunteers in their early twenties, and their service inspired my brother and me to serve a year as part of the Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) here in Mill Spring, NC. My grandfather also went to divinity school in Elgin, Illinois, to become a Brethren minister, and when I go to any Brethren service I always envision Pastor Donald Sollenberger delivering the sermon in the humble, thoughtful, methodical way that is so unique to his interactions in the time that I've been around. I would have liked to have seen him in his prime, when I imagine those qualities were accompanied by a focused energy and a wealth of knowledge unencumbered by the fuzziness of old age. Pastor Abe's delivery on Sunday was
thoughtful and energetic, and his sermon was a call to arms, to keep working to bring Faith to those who do not believe in the divine ministry of Jesus. A vivid picture was painted of the empty churches and dark hearts in the present day United States, and we were told that not believing in Hell is like not believing in gravity; "Go ahead, jump off the roof and see what happens!" Here is where my understanding of religion takes a left turn. If I jump off the roof, I will surely die. If I do not believe in Hell, Satan, and pure Evil as the combatants of Divine Love I will still die, and not believing won't make me any worse off during my time on Earth. I am deeply touched by stories of Jesus' sacrifice and perfect Love, and these stories move me to make sacrifices of my own and to try to love in as pure a way as I know how. Why do I need the other stuff? The fire and brimstone? The fear of God? Those elements of religion pull me away from the potential for Goodness that I believe exists in all humankind. Call it empathy, call it Love, or call it the Holy Spirit, but that humble Goodness is the spiritual gift passed down to me from my Grandfather and the only call to arms I need to live a fulfilling, meaningful life. You, Sir, can jump. I'll stay here on the ground.
The possibility of rain made this Sunday's decision to ride ten minutes to the Mill Creek Church of the Brethren a no-brainer. Not only was it geographically close, but my parents, grandparents, and their grandparents before them were all raised in the Church of the Brethren so the spiritual roots run deep, and this visit was close to my heart. Both of my Dad's parents spent time in Puerto Rico serving as church volunteers in their early twenties, and their service inspired my brother and me to serve a year as part of the Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) here in Mill Spring, NC. My grandfather also went to divinity school in Elgin, Illinois, to become a Brethren minister, and when I go to any Brethren service I always envision Pastor Donald Sollenberger delivering the sermon in the humble, thoughtful, methodical way that is so unique to his interactions in the time that I've been around. I would have liked to have seen him in his prime, when I imagine those qualities were accompanied by a focused energy and a wealth of knowledge unencumbered by the fuzziness of old age. Pastor Abe's delivery on Sunday was 
thoughtful and energetic, and his sermon was a call to arms, to keep working to bring Faith to those who do not believe in the divine ministry of Jesus. A vivid picture was painted of the empty churches and dark hearts in the present day United States, and we were told that not believing in Hell is like not believing in gravity; "Go ahead, jump off the roof and see what happens!" Here is where my understanding of religion takes a left turn. If I jump off the roof, I will surely die. If I do not believe in Hell, Satan, and pure Evil as the combatants of Divine Love I will still die, and not believing won't make me any worse off during my time on Earth. I am deeply touched by stories of Jesus' sacrifice and perfect Love, and these stories move me to make sacrifices of my own and to try to love in as pure a way as I know how. Why do I need the other stuff? The fire and brimstone? The fear of God? Those elements of religion pull me away from the potential for Goodness that I believe exists in all humankind. Call it empathy, call it Love, or call it the Holy Spirit, but that humble Goodness is the spiritual gift passed down to me from my Grandfather and the only call to arms I need to live a fulfilling, meaningful life. You, Sir, can jump. I'll stay here on the ground.
No comments:
Post a Comment