When people say, “I’m spiritual, but not religious,” what are they talking about?

Communities needed to sustain faith

The Rev. Peter Luckey, senior pastor, Plymouth Congregational Church, 925 Vt.:

Here is how one woman, Sheila Larson, a young nurse, describes her faith in sociologist and educator Robert Bellah’s book, “Habits of the Heart: Individualism and Commitment in American Life.”

“I believe in God. I’m not a religious fanatic. I can’t remember the last time I went to church. My faith has carried me a long way. It’s Sheila’s. Just my own little voice,” she says.

Once upon a time, people who used “my own little voice” as the authority for their faith were branded as heretics. The religious leaders ran Anne Hutchinson out of the Massachusetts Colony because she held to the primacy of her own personal experience with God. Today Anne Hutchinson is close to the norm.

Individualistic spirituality — the severing of faith from institutional moorings — has always been, and increasingly is, an important segment of American religious life. Many of today’s young adults see themselves as spiritual, yet see no need to be tied to organized religion.

Not just young adults are saying to their ministers, “Pastor, please don’t take this personally. Some Sundays I want to be out (on the golf course, fishing at the lake, in my garden, fill in the blank). I feel closer to God there.”

Are people having mystical experiences at the ninth hole? Or is it true when Kathleen Norris observes, “When people complain about organized religion, what they are really saying is that they can’t stand other people.” I suspect it is some of both.

The heart of the difference between “spiritual” and “religious” is whether you see your faith being practiced in and through a faith community.

My response to Sheila Larson? Faith communities inevitably disappoint. Our fellow humans always do. The ideal is as William Coffin suggests, “Church is God’s love organized.” The real falls far short of that lofty vision.

And yet, imperfect as human communities are, there is something about them that we need in order to sustain our faith. Where else are you encouraged to sing, whether you can or not. And you receive a blessing just for showing up.

Send e-mail to the Rev. Peter Luckey at peterluckey@sunflower.com.

Spirituality expands our awareness

The Rev. Darlene Strickland, pastor, Unity Church of Lawrence, 900 Madeline Lane:

To consider one “spiritual” usually implies an awareness and appreciation of the innate, mystical dimensions and connectedness of life. To describe oneself as “spiritual but not religious” emphasizes the disassociation with any particular theological system, doctrine or organized set of beliefs and practices.

Religion can be a tool for developing and nurturing spirituality. But religions are uniquely defined by what is considered essential verses negotiable in regards to one’s relationship with “God.” Unfortunately, many organized religions tend to view their accepted “How-to-Guide to God” as essential and/or superior. As a result, the term “religious” can carry negative connotations.

Various religions offer encouragement and insight for spiritual development. Nonetheless, religious teaching can only attempt to point us toward that which we are ultimately seeking. The road map can never own the territory nor serve as a substitute for the actual destination.

Spirituality is an innate aspect of our being. A path of the soul, which cannot be walked for us by anyone else. It is the expansion of our own awareness — a search for experiential knowledge of the truth: enlightenment.

Spiritual knowledge is a living experience. The spiritual seeker understands that devotion is not for God’s benefit, but for ours. It is a way of remembering the sacredness of life and affirming our connection to God/spirit, to one another and to the very essence of life.

Spiritual knowledge can never be reduced to a fixed set of religious beliefs. Ironically, it seems to be most easily found through a humble acknowledgment of our ambiguity and a wholesome trust in our ability to make the necessary connections.

Indeed, God is spirit, and so are we.

Send e-mail to the Rev. Darlene Strickland at revdarlene@unityoflawrence.org.