hey friends,
i recently bought a new shirt. i really like it. i got a bunch of compliments on it. it’s a patchwork pattern shirt.
i couldn’t help but think that this shirt is about more than fashionability for me – though it is that! it is also a statement about where i am. see my blog post “where i am” to hear more about how i would self identify and what that means to me. in that post i articulate that i have a “generous and eclectic orthodoxy.”
this post and meditation on patchwork is about the second word of that description: eclectic.
here’s the quick google search of that word just in case you were wondering:
so eclectic is similar to patchwork: it takes pieces from all sorts of things and puts them together to make a new thing. “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” they say.
so what are my various patches? what are some of the various “patches” or ideas that i cobble together to create the faith i espouse?
here’s a list of some of the various influences i feel i draw from for my patchwork orthodoxy. this list is by no means exhaustive. it is just me thinking on paper at this particular junction of my life. maybe i would – or will – articulate it differently at a different point in my life. for now, it is a fairly accurate representation. with each influence i list i also list something i feel i am holding on to from that influence in my current theology.
- Church of Christ influences: weekly communion open to all without distinction, radical priesthood of all believers, deep love of scripture, and love of singing (yes even a cappella)
- Pentecostal/Charismatic influences: belief in Spirit-filled life, speaking in tongues, angelic and demonic activity, the power of prayer, ecstatic worship and mystical experiences, modern-day miracles, love for the poor, drug addicted, and outcast.
- Catholic influences: central emphasis on the Eucharist, use of images, symbols, incense, lack of technology in sanctuary, high reverence for Mary, belief in God’s preferential option for the poor, all of the sacraments not just communion and baptism, and the inclusion of the supposedly “extra” books in the canon.
- Jewish influences: rejection of anti-semitism and supercessionism, love of Hebrew language, a desire to enter the sacred debate, and an appreciation for the root of the faith I find myself in now.
- Eastern Orthodox influences: love of iconography, emphasis on tradition and wisdom from the past, belief in Theosis, metaphorical readings of Old Testament, inclusion of supposedly “extra” books in the canon, perseverance, all of the sacraments not just communion and baptism, and resistance to technology in sanctuary.
- Amish/Menneonite/Anabaptist influences: non-violence, separatism from world, hesitance to uncritically accept modern technologies, and deep ties to local community.
- Presbyterian influences: love of learning and academic pursuit for the life of the church
- Nondenominational influences: lack of overarching hierarchy, no need for formal ordination, and an openness to learning from all traditions.
- Quaker influences: nonviolence, priority on silence and spiritual formation, and the practice of civil disobedience.
- United church of Christ influence: the inclusion and love of absolutely everyone and thoughtful engagement with pronouns used for God.
- Progressive/liberal Christianity influences: love of scripture without taking everything perfectly literally, willingness to hold scripture to the same standard of historical research as any other documents of the ancient world, justice oriented, process and open theologies.
some may see these various ideas and say they don’t go together. i think though that good art is all about bringing together things that people had not previously considered putting together. this is also the beauty of my patchwork metaphor – it doesn’t have to all fit in perfect harmony. it’s still beautiful even with the disparate pieces all worked together – in fact, because of those disparate pieces all patched together.
so anyway that’s me.
peace out girl scouts,
a.
