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Dear Church Family,
One of my favorite passages is coming around this month, and it’s Acts 17:22-31. In it we find the apostle Paul speaking to the public about an altar ‘to an unknown God’ which he discovers while visiting the city. He proceeds to explore (in a speech… but probably more conversations followed) that perhaps this altar actually has something to do with the God he knows through Jesus Christ. I’ve read this quite a few times in the past, but whenever I return to it I am always astounded at how kind, how connectional and approachable, and how intelligent Paul is with the people willing to give him some airtime. He doesn’t name the altar as a threat, embarrassment, or cultural failing, but instead sees the moment as a ripe opportunity to connect some dots about spirituality and who Jesus is, and he’s not going to miss it.
I wish the prevailing impression of Christianity in America would have this level of attentiveness to society's hunger for spiritual flourishing. Paul has a curiosity and excitement regarding the spiritual threads people exposed on the streets of Athens, because he trusted God was at work tilling the soil of their hearts.. Today we have studies by the Pew Research Center that tell us more of our American society is ‘spiritual but not religious’, which has many factors as to why. I know in the communities I have participated in, many who grew up in the church didn’t care for the authoritarian (and sometimes traumatic) practices they experienced, though they are still deeply intrigued by the person of Jesus and the exploration of what is Sacred. Many are turned off by the loud marriage of Christianity and politics, which can easily confuse God’s will with our own. In reality, I end up having very interesting spiritual conversations far beyond the walls of the church. People are wrestling with meaning and purpose, good and evil, life and death, but are less trusting of the institution of the church. Perhaps you too have noticed the spiritual threads exposed all around us, but don’t feel quite as brave as Paul to speak on it in the public square.
To be fair there is a lot of shouting going on, but I pray you and I would be open to the movement of God’s Spirit - to notice, to listen, to engage with the questions and ponderings of our neighbors. These kinds of conversations, though often challenging, enrich my own exploration of who God is, and open doors to explore what Christ is like and what it means for our world today. I wonder what we might draw from Paul’s approach in his short visit to Athens. He was someone who personally reckoned with his own life journey, and knew in his bones the generosity and life-giving reality of God through Christ. He also knew his audience - he didn’t condescend their altar so much as connect with the spiritual expression being exhibited, enchanted by God’s ability to stir up mystery and sacred exploration in the marketplace - a zone it was likely least expected.
May you dwell richly in the love of our God, and may you be emboldened by the work of God’s Spirit to see the invitations before you of how we are all woven together in God’s image,
Blessings for the journey,
Pastor Becca
