Atheist Lent?

Aligning with our long discussion about secular Christians (of which I am one), there's an article on Religion Dispatches by an avowed atheist who practises Lent.  Well, insofar he's giving something up.  I like to think of Lent as more about self-examination, than self-denial, but that's me.  He writes,  that this is not disrespectful, but rather a shared connection. 

In Denmark, fewer than a third of Catholics actually believe in God, but the traditions and practices keep them together. I think this is more or less the future of both religion and atheism in America. I don’t think the future of atheism will look much like a Richard Dawkins book signing, but neither will Christianity look much like a bible study. Like secular Jews practicing Shabbat and atheists practicing Lent, we’ll meet at the crossroads of our cultures

Will we?  Only if we are open to the possible value of different journeys.

As I've quoted many times, this comment from Karen Armstrong really resonates with me.

The myths and laws of religion are not true because they they conform to some metaphysical, scientific or historical reality but because they are life enhancing. They tell you how human nature functions, but you will not discover their truth unless you apply these myths and doctrines to your own life and put them into practice.” The Spiral Staircase: My Climb Out of Darkness

THe Annual Argument over Ashes to Go.

Well, it's Ash Wednesday so right on schedule the blogosphere has broken out discussing Ashes to Go.  Opinions are strong on both sides.  Same arguments every year. 

 I'm very pro.  I really don't have much to add over what I said in 2011 about what I think about it:

First, it's a powerful outreach. To those fallen away, it is a call back to the signs and rhythms of the liturgy. To those who may be questioning, it is a step towards belonging. Basically, for people who are not going to church, and who aren't going to go in "cold", it's an invitation and a welcome. Maybe it will call them to want to learn more. 

Second, it's a statement of faith in the public square. While I have a passionate sense that the state should not sanction religion..., I have no problem with the free expression of religion. You Episcopalians are the nicest group of Christians that no one knows about, and too often hide yourselves in the walls of your churches. Why not make a statement of who you are where people can hear it?

Except for  this:

One of our friends was a member of one of the Ashes to Go teams that our community sent out around downtown San Diego today.  She said of her experience, "one man stood for a while after receiving ashes and then said - "I thought God had abandoned me, but I guess he hasn't.""

Worth the price of admission?

Takin' it to the streets: Ashes to Go

It's time for our yearly debate about the Ashes to Go movement.  This year, my wife BP and friends from St Paul's Episcopal Cathedral are participating.  They have teams in cassock and surplice spread out around San Diego this morning, with sandwich board signs announcing Ashes to Go.  I will be very interested to hear from her tonight how it went.  (Alas, work calls or I would be there with my new camera!)

I really love the evangelism of the A2G -- taking church to the people, and not waiting for the people to come to church.

As I wrote 2 years ago (the ultimate narcissim, quoting myself):

First, it's a powerful outreach. To those fallen away, it is a call back to the signs and rhythms of the liturgy. To those who may be questioning, it is a step towards belonging. Basically, for people who are not going to church, and who aren't going to go in "cold", it's an invitation and a welcome. Maybe it will call them to want to learn more. 

Second, it's a statement of faith in the public square. ... You Episcopalians are the nicest group of Christians that no one knows about, and too often hide yourselves in the walls of your churches. Why not make a statement of who you are where people can hear it?

Are you doing A2G?  Have you seen any A2G stations in your community?  

Holy Smoke

A year ago at this time, my wife was preparing to be received into The Episcopal Church, having spent her whole life up till then as a Roman Catholic.

Part of that process included coursework, and an "instructed Eucharist" where the candidates for confirmation/ reception/ reaffirmation took on all the roles of the Mass (that a lay person can do). They were asked for 3 choices of roles to play. BP chose 1-thurifer, 2-thurifer, and 3-thurifer. The Cathedral uses incense every week for Mass (except during Lent), as well as Sunday Evensong. Along with the high choral service, incense is something both of us enjoy, and BP was pleased by the possibility of swinging the thurible. Following that, she finished the class and was received at Easter.

This last year, BP began serving as an acolyte and as a thurifer-in-training, generally boating for the regular thurifer as she shadowed him or her. (For those who don't know smoke-speak, the boat is the little container of extra incense for refueling the thurible, and if it isn't carried by the thurifer, the one who carries it is called Boat.)

BP and I both grew up RC in an era when girls had no formal role in church, and it has been wonderful watching her grow into this new role of service. As she approaches the first anniversary of her reception, appropriately enough she is almost fully fledged with the Smoke.

At Sunday Evensong, BP had her first real thurifer solo. Evensong is shorter than Sunday Eucharist and is where the thurifers do their final polishing. She's on the list to do the procession at Palm Sunday. I think it is marvelous that her first full service as thurifer is likely to be Easter.

Welcome home, honey.

Ashes on the streets

Last year at this time, we had a passionate discussion around the blogs about the practice of taking ashes to the streets. Elizabeth Kaeton today has a meditation on Ash Wednesday and mentions that the Diocese of Chicago is "taking it to the streets." As the Episcopal News Service describes it,

The diocesan-wide initiative, known as Ashes to Go, was conceived by the Rev. Emily Mellot, rector of Calvary Episcopal Church in Lombard in response to church members regrets about not being able to attend Ash Wednesday services at the church. Few had shown up at her daybreak Ash Wednesday service or the others at noon and early evening, citing work or other commitments. It struck her that the church ought to be taking the Ash Wednesday rite to where the people were at 7 a.m., the commuter rail stations. So last year she floated the idea before her parish's vestry, thinking it would be a project for another year. But the vestry was so taken with the notion "that we were at the Metra station with ashes, poster, handouts and volunteers nine days later."

Over on Episcopal Cafe, Sara Miles has an essay about the same effort in San Francisco.

So, is this contributing to "ashes as fashion accessory", or creative evangelical outreach?

I still think that on the whole, this is not a bad thing to do, as long as it's not an "or" but an "and". For practicing churchgoers, it's a no-brainer -- the discipline of practice means that you should go to church goday, so ashes-on-the-corner isn't really directed at you. (As Margaret says, "g'wan. Go to Church.") So my wife tonight will serve at the deeply reflective Ash Wednesday service (a necessary counter to the hilarity of last night's Zydeco Mass), and the only reason I'm not going is that I have to teach late and won't be home in time. (And since I only go for the music and to support BP, and don't get smudged, it's no big deal for me. If I were a practitioner, there would be options on campus or nearby for the thumbprint.)

The question then is, who is the Ashes-Al-Fresco really for? And I see two things accomplished by it.

First, it's a powerful outreach. To those fallen away, it is a call back to the signs and rhythms of the liturgy. To those who may be questioning, it is a step towards belonging. Basically, for people who are not going to church, and who aren't going to go in "cold", it's an invitation and a welcome. Maybe it will call them to want to learn more.

Second, it's a statement of faith in the public square. While I have a passionate sense that the state should not sanction religion (which is why that Easter Cross on Mt Soledad still bugs me), I have no problem with the free expression of religion. You Episcopalians are the nicest group of Christians that no one knows about, and too often hide yourselves in the walls of your churches. Why not make a statement of who you are where people can hear it?

Now, will there be people who accept ashes for the novelty or without the proper reverence? Will there be people who SHOULD be in church and use it as a shortcut? Yes, of course there will. That's unavoidable. But that's also the price you pay for reaching those who are ready to hear you-- and who wouldn't otherwise know who you are.

It comes down to gatekeeping. Do you throw the gates wide open, accepting the collateral of those who "don't get it" for the sake of those who do? Or, conversely, do you monitor the gates, keeping out the less serious but also losing some of the quiet ones who shy away? This is all tangled up with the same kinds of arguments that are made about open Communion, or the inclusion of LGBT people, or whether you can go to heaven if you don't do Jesus.

As you can tell, my choice is radical inclusiveness on all fronts. But it's your church.

Discuss.