Spirituality Or/And Religion

Here in Telluride, as in many other communities across our country, we often hear the refrain, “I’m not very religious, but I am spiritual.”  Some Christians bristle at the statement, assuming it to be an accusation against Faith and Church, which it sometimes is.   However, the refrain can be heard more and more from within the church as well, not as accusation but as self-examination and a desire for more depth to our spiritual lives as we continue to sojourn with the Church.

As my friend Nancy Wiens writes:

So, those who self-identify as burned out liberal Protestants and Catholics vigorously enacting a social gospel, find centering in spiritual practices a sustainable and effective way to ground their actions in the guidance of the Spirit.  Similarly, those for whom literal readings of scripture have been their sole guide, find the Spirit’s movement within the desires of their hearts a strikingly different source of knowing God’s will.  (Ph.D dissertation, 2007)

As a pastor of a congregation that emphasizes spirituality, I have found that reclaiming Christianity as a richly spiritual tradition and path can be transformative of Faith and Church in life-giving ways.

So, please tell me about your own experiences: Spiritual but not religious? Religious and spiritual?  Spiritual but not church?  Christian and spiritual?  Church but unsure about spiritual? 

Some resources for the discussion:

David Tacey, The Spirituality Revolution: The Emergence of Contemporary Spirituality.

Robert Wuthnow, After Heaven: Spirituality in America Since the 1950s.

Peace,

Pat