All Saints Day

When considering the saints in my life, those who have helped shape my faith; I am forced to reflect on how my faith has evolved. But before I begin to dive into that story, I want to first consider what the term “saint” actually means to me. Although John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, was known for not placing as great an emphasis on saints as other denominations, he still believed that all of us could live lives that could be considered “saintly.” In his writing entitled “Serious Thoughts upon the Perseverance of the Saints,” Wesley defines saints as those who are “partakers of the holy ghost.” By keeping this Methodist definition of “saints” in mind and looking over examples of the Holy Ghost interacting with humans in scripture, I have gained more insight on who the saints are in my own life.

In scripture, I see the Holy Ghost in the moment of creation in Genesis as the Holy Spirit moves “over the face of the waters” of a dark and unformed world. In this sense, the original partakers of the Holy Ghost in my own life would undoubtedly be my parents. As a child who grew up attending church, no matter how late I wanted to sleep in on Sundays, it is easy for me to view my parents as those who got the ball rolling on my journey of faith. It was the early imprint my parents had on me concerning the importance of love, community, and my father’s ardent rationalism, that laid down the foundations of my faith that would develop to where it is today. In this sense, my mom and dad formed my faith during my own Genesis in much the same way that the Holy Ghost helped form the face of the world.

A second example of the Holy Ghost I notice in scripture is in the book of Acts as the Holy Spirit descends upon the twelve disciples and turns them into polyglots which enables them to venture out into the world and spread their message. In this sense, the Holy Ghost acts as a force imparting wisdom and discernment on those so they may take action in the greater world. The person who has embodied this quality of the Holy Ghost in my life was a youth pastor named Matt Smith. Matt, now an ordained Methodist minister and still a good friend of mine, was a saint who performed the miracle of getting my 16 year old mind to view a topic without myself in the center of it. During my high school years, Matt shifted the focus of our youth group onto topics such as Liberation Theology, Oscar Romero’s struggle for peace in El Salvador, and the moral duty of Christians to help those with HIV/AIDS. The latter topic even brought us to the UN Church Center in New York to attend a seminar on how the church can respond to the devastating disease. Through Matt’s guidance, my faith transformed as I then felt passionate about the important role religion could play in the world by fighting injustices and giving voice to the oppressed. Just as the Holy Ghost gave discernment to those twelve disciples and prepared them to venture out into the world, Matt likewise allowed my faith to become awakened as I then understood the impact faith could have on creating a more just world.

A favorite scripture passage of mine involving the Holy Ghost is during Jesus’ baptism, as the Holy Spirit is said to have descended upon him in the form of a dove as God then speaks from heaven “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” The Holy Spirit acts as a loving and nurturing presence that allows Jesus to be present in a holy space with his father. Personally, I have always been a little scared of any language that emphasizes a direct relationship with God. For me, religion had more to do with my outward actions rather than anything happening inward in me. During my first year out of college, as I was trying to live out my beliefs in the Lutheran Volunteer Corps, a friend suggested a book written by a Jesuit priest, who I would later briefly meet, named James Martin. To those who are Steven Colbert fans, you may recognize this name as he is known as the Colbert Report chaplain on the Comedy Central show. During a chaotic and busy year in the Lutheran Volunteer Corps, this book, entitled the “Jesuit Guide to Almost Everything,” allowed me to experience how a personal quality of faith can be nurturing and bring me to a calm space of holiness. A key message of Martin’s is slowing down and finding God in all things of your daily life; in this sense, as Martin puts it, “see the world as your monastery.” The method I learned from Martin for finding this more personal form of God is through a prayer technique called the Examen, which calls for me to show gratitude by savoring or relishing in the moments of God’s presence in my everyday life. This may be in savoring the moment when I drive back across the cause-way at sunset, when I eat a simple dinner with my family, or when I laugh at a friend’s joke. As James Martin would put it, each of these moments “offers a window into where God has been in [my] day.” After viewing God’s presence in my personal life in this way, I felt more comfortable experiencing my faith as a force that influences my inward feelings and not just my outward actions. By showing me how to slow down and savor each moment of God’s graceful presence in my life, James Martin has mirrored the nurturing actions of the Holy Ghost that day Jesus laid in the Jordan River.

When trying to locate the saints in your own lives, those who have influenced your own faith, I invite you to reflect on those words of Wesley’s: Who partakes in the Holy Ghost? Who was there when you began your journey? Who was there for your discernment? And who was there to help nurture you and guide you toward a more holy space?

Foundry

When I tell others that I was raised Methodist, I probably emit some form of misunderstood cultural pride that no one really cares for. "What’s Methodist?" is a question that usually follows my self-identifying statement but in reality I don't think the questioner really wants to hear an answer. Well, there was a guy named John Wesley, and he was Anglican, but had some disagreements, and so a new church was sort of built around his beliefs and theology. That’s the usual answer and people often accept it. But I wouldn't mind trying to elaborate on it in a future post, especially when speaking of Foundry United Methodist Church. Foundry is a great church lead by an amazing pastor, Dean Snyder. If you want to listen to some of the best sermons in DC, see Pastor Snyder speak on Sunday mornings. His ability to always hit the holy trinity in his sermons (theology, scripture, and current events) means that his sermons are never bland or dumbed down. They are also emotionally charged on most occasions and he is not afraid to explore the connection between religion and politics. Being in the Dupont area of DC, Foundry has taken the charge in marriage equality and doesn't mind upsetting the greater UMC by doing it. The congregation is also quite large with their 11am services packed demonstrating the strength and popularity the church has in DC. If there is a downside to the church, it may be the rather large cutout of Jesus at the front of the altar that reminds me too much of "buddy Jesus" from Dogma. I bet he was a friendly guy, I just don’t always need to be smacked in the face with that image while praying, though.

Want a crab cake? You can go to Cafe Luna just around the corner. Want a good crab cake? Don't go to Cafe Luna around the corner.

New York Avenue Presbyterian Church

 

As the final stop in my series of DC based churches, New York Avenue Presbyterian Church was by far my favorite. The church is the perfect example of a mainline protestant church that strikes all the right notes. The church itself is a popular attraction as it sits right down the block from the white house and is also known as the church Abraham Lincoln attended with his family. Inside the red-bricked sanctuary are a number of beautiful stained glass windows which blend a mix of biblical images with events from America's history. The congregation is a mix of old and young Washingtonians, most of whom are associated with the "in the belt-way" government crowd. But what makes this church particulary engaging is the pastor, Roger Gench. Not only does Pastor Roger hit the big four in his sermons (scripture, theology, global issues, and the personal connection), but he does it in a way that makes you want to bring a tape recorder to church just to save his words of wisdom for yourself. One sermon that I was especially impressed with was his Ash Wednesday homily which beautifully tied in Flannery O'Connor's short story "A Good Man is Hard to Find," a personal favorite of mine. I have heard pastors in the past mention how they would love to work Flannery O'Connor into a sermon, but have had trouble figuring out how to do it. This was not the case at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church. Pastor Roger also commonly works in theologians such as Paul Tillich and Karl Barth into his sermons, doing his congregation a great service by not dumbing-down the great moral or metaphysical questions we are commonly faced with. Without a doubt, Pastor Roger gives the best sermon I have ever heard. Roger's wife is also a remarkable theologian as she has authored one of the best feminist theology books I have read entitle "Back to the Well." The church also provides a number of courses covering a wide variety of topics concerning christianity and the greater world. If you want to experience how churches can still get it right in the twenty-first century, I highly recommend that you visit New York Avenue Presbyterian Church next time when you're in DC. While a pretty good crab cake can be found around the corner at Old Ebbitt Grill, I would personally recommend checking out the brunch menu at Teaism found at 400 8th Street NW.

California Mission Trail

Stations of the Cross at Santa Ynez Mission