Aging Capriciously

I am not a very religious person.  Some would say the same but say that they are spiritual.  Frankly, I don’t think I qualify for that epithet either.  Particularly since I don’t know what being spiritual means.  I don’t believe in ghosts, angels, gods, demons, fairies, gremlins, goblins, devils or any kind of enlightened or unenlightened presence in the universe.  I am not sure I even believe in the universe.  I see stars and a sun out there but perhaps it is a conspiracy by right-wing nut cases to make us think there is a universe out there.  Maybe they are projections from some giant movie camera maintained to keep us working and striving and fighting so that we can get to that great nirvana in the sky called Heaven.   I think many may go to the other place which we might call an anti-nirvana or Hell.

Anyway, enough of the two-bit philosophy.  I was going to comment on going to church with my spouse yesterday.  Despite all my negativity, pessimism, cynicism and disbelief she still believes in Jesus, God and to a lesser degree Lutheranism.  I refrain from bringing up some dirt on Luther less in the interest of marital harmony and more in respect for Karen’s beliefs.  She does not tell me that I am full of shit and that my beliefs are idiotic, and I do the same for her beliefs.  Yesterday was one of those days when I accompanied her to church.  Perhaps every few months, I will go to church with her.  Sermons can be very uplifting, and I think one can always learn from hearing someone talk about morality and ethics and whatever else a particular church pastor might have to say.

Karen goes to Pilgrim Lutheran Church and was actually baptized there.  When we moved to Frederic in 2010 (A city founded by Karen’s ancestors among several other families), Karen was excited about being able to attend this church.  We found an older congregation which was very welcoming.  At the time, there was a woman pastor.  She left a few years later and was replaced by a Pastor who supported Bernie Sanders.  He was there several years and left for greener pastures.  They are again being ministered by an older retired pastor who will be a stand-in until they get a new “energized” younger pastor.  Sadly, knowing how long it takes for a church to do a “calling” and knowing the average age of this church population, I might be the only one left to greet the new pastor. 😊

That is my main point.  Statistics all over the US show that church participation and membership in traditional religions is declining.  Young people are either going to hip mega-churches or not going to church at all.  Lutherans, Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists, Catholics, and Episcopalians are all seeing declines in their memberships.  The number of vacant churches in the USA is staggering.

But statistics are one thing.  It is another thing when you grew up going to church and suddenly you notice that at 72 you might be the youngest member of the congregation.  It does not take a genius to realize that in twenty or so years, the church will be empty (baring some divine intervention or miracle) which to me seems highly unlikely.

Even to my heathen soul, I feel a sadness at the evident change happening.  Just like the decline in family farms, a way of life is becoming obsolete.  I don’t know what will replace the community that is often so evident in these churches.  I have been warmly greeted in Baptist churches, African Episcopal Methodist churches, Baha’i temples and many other places of worship.  While I may not belong to a particular denomination or go to any one church regularly, I still shed a tear in watching a way of life that I grew up with pass into memory.

“I love you when you bow in your mosque, kneel in your temple, pray in your church. For you and I are sons of one religion, and it is the spirit.” —  Khalil Gibran