Recently, I had the occasion to pull down a book from my shelf and quickly read through it again. The book was by Frederick Buechner and was entitled, The Sacred Journey. I like Buecher as a writer. He has written a great deal. He is quite old now; in fact, I thought he might be deceased. He is a Presbyterian pastor, who taught in a college setting for a few years and then made a living by writing. I never met him, but wished that I had.
His book looks at his early years. The title for this little inspirational piece comes from a phrase in the book, to which I will get in a moment. First, I would like to cite the opening words of his book. He begins by telling us he had given some talks at Harvard. In the process he said, “all theology, like all fiction, is at its heart autobiography, and that what a theologian is doing essentially is examining as honestly as he can the rough-and-tumble of his own experience with all its ups and downs, its mysteries and loose ends, and expressing in logical, abstract terms the truths about human life, and about God that he believes he has found implicit there.” (1)
This makes sense to me. I am not a professional theologian in the sense that I know some of my colleagues from graduate school are professional. Of course, the typical person on the street would assume that I am. To this I say, fair enough. I have read much theology, even if some of it comes through historical figures, like Augustine or Luther or others. I have often defined theology as a secondary human reflection on the primary experience of God. That means exactly what Buechner is affirming. First comes our experience; then we reflect on it.
Buechner is further correct in showing us that much of our experience of God in our lives is opaque, indirect, veiled, and so forth. For most of us, God does not use a booming voice and speak directly into our ear. We can’t be sure it was God. God gives us hints, rather than hitting us over the head. But God also is not the rabbit in the hat, which only magicians can find and pull out. I believe God does appear, speak and lure all of us. Some of us care; others couldn’t care less. When those of us who care begin to think about this experience, we become theologians.
Buechner describes life the way most of us experience it. Usually experience is messy. Even good things, like love, are not straightforward and without incident. At least in my case, when it comes to love or God, I spend more time not being sure than I do being absolutely sure. That’s why it is called faith (or trust). I don’t think it is because I am weak or particularly needy. I believe that is just the way it is for most of us.
I like another sentence from Buechner, which appears just a little later on the same initial page. He acknowledges, “if God speaks to us at all in this world, if God speaks anywhere, it is into our personal lives that he speaks.” Obviously, Buechner is writing at a time before inclusive language was being used, but I am sure he wants to make sure that women, along with men, are having this experience of God.
I think about my own life. I actually think the times I felt vulnerable, unsure and maybe confused were the times God came to be most clear to me. Think about the times someone you love dies. I think about the times during the Vietnam era I was so confused and did not know where to turn. Consider the times where a job was lost or, maybe, one of your own kids seemed “lost.” Those are the life situations into which God is more likely to step.
When Buechner talks about God speaking to us, I know there is something in me that flinches a bit. It can sound so matter of fact. And as a matter of fact, I don’t know that I can cite one example of where I thought God literally spoke to me. Again, God seems to deal indirectly with me. That leaves me pretty confident I know what God is “telling” me, but it is finally and always a matter of faith/trust. This is the reason, then, that theology is difficult to articulate. And it is why theology can be so helpful and, yet, we have to be careful and not forget that theology is a human creation.
Again, I quote Buechner who says, “To try to express in even the most insightful and theologically sophisticated terms the meaning of what God speaks through the events of our lives is as precarious a business as to try to express the meaning of the sound of rain on the roof or the spectacle of the setting sun.” (4) I smile at the thought of theology as a precarious business. But it is a business so many of us are called to do. We cannot possibly leave it to the professional theologians. Even if they are well-read and well-trained, they never can have our experiences.
Even though God may well show up in the experience of a professional theologian, their experience is different than my experience. I can read their theology. I have to write my own. And I want to hear your own. We can compare notes. Together we can piece together a better picture of God and how God acts than I can do on my own.
The key is pay attention to the events of our lives.
His book looks at his early years. The title for this little inspirational piece comes from a phrase in the book, to which I will get in a moment. First, I would like to cite the opening words of his book. He begins by telling us he had given some talks at Harvard. In the process he said, “all theology, like all fiction, is at its heart autobiography, and that what a theologian is doing essentially is examining as honestly as he can the rough-and-tumble of his own experience with all its ups and downs, its mysteries and loose ends, and expressing in logical, abstract terms the truths about human life, and about God that he believes he has found implicit there.” (1)
This makes sense to me. I am not a professional theologian in the sense that I know some of my colleagues from graduate school are professional. Of course, the typical person on the street would assume that I am. To this I say, fair enough. I have read much theology, even if some of it comes through historical figures, like Augustine or Luther or others. I have often defined theology as a secondary human reflection on the primary experience of God. That means exactly what Buechner is affirming. First comes our experience; then we reflect on it.
Buechner is further correct in showing us that much of our experience of God in our lives is opaque, indirect, veiled, and so forth. For most of us, God does not use a booming voice and speak directly into our ear. We can’t be sure it was God. God gives us hints, rather than hitting us over the head. But God also is not the rabbit in the hat, which only magicians can find and pull out. I believe God does appear, speak and lure all of us. Some of us care; others couldn’t care less. When those of us who care begin to think about this experience, we become theologians.
Buechner describes life the way most of us experience it. Usually experience is messy. Even good things, like love, are not straightforward and without incident. At least in my case, when it comes to love or God, I spend more time not being sure than I do being absolutely sure. That’s why it is called faith (or trust). I don’t think it is because I am weak or particularly needy. I believe that is just the way it is for most of us.
I like another sentence from Buechner, which appears just a little later on the same initial page. He acknowledges, “if God speaks to us at all in this world, if God speaks anywhere, it is into our personal lives that he speaks.” Obviously, Buechner is writing at a time before inclusive language was being used, but I am sure he wants to make sure that women, along with men, are having this experience of God.
I think about my own life. I actually think the times I felt vulnerable, unsure and maybe confused were the times God came to be most clear to me. Think about the times someone you love dies. I think about the times during the Vietnam era I was so confused and did not know where to turn. Consider the times where a job was lost or, maybe, one of your own kids seemed “lost.” Those are the life situations into which God is more likely to step.
When Buechner talks about God speaking to us, I know there is something in me that flinches a bit. It can sound so matter of fact. And as a matter of fact, I don’t know that I can cite one example of where I thought God literally spoke to me. Again, God seems to deal indirectly with me. That leaves me pretty confident I know what God is “telling” me, but it is finally and always a matter of faith/trust. This is the reason, then, that theology is difficult to articulate. And it is why theology can be so helpful and, yet, we have to be careful and not forget that theology is a human creation.
Again, I quote Buechner who says, “To try to express in even the most insightful and theologically sophisticated terms the meaning of what God speaks through the events of our lives is as precarious a business as to try to express the meaning of the sound of rain on the roof or the spectacle of the setting sun.” (4) I smile at the thought of theology as a precarious business. But it is a business so many of us are called to do. We cannot possibly leave it to the professional theologians. Even if they are well-read and well-trained, they never can have our experiences.
Even though God may well show up in the experience of a professional theologian, their experience is different than my experience. I can read their theology. I have to write my own. And I want to hear your own. We can compare notes. Together we can piece together a better picture of God and how God acts than I can do on my own.
The key is pay attention to the events of our lives.
I try to listen to that divine silent voice which comes from the ground of being itself. Some have called it the "God beyond God," i.e. beyond any conception of God.
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