Exploring Faith

Jefferson City Magazine recently asked four spiritual leaders, Monsignor Robert Kurwicki, pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church; Dr. Doyle Sager, pastor of First Baptist Church; Pastor Cornell Sudduth of Second Baptist Church; and Rev. William B. Edwards (Rev. Dhammaruchi), leader of Vipassana Buddhist Church/Center for Buddhist Development, to share their views on the current state of spirituality in their churches and in the community.

Q: How has spirituality changed in our community in recent years? How does religion fit into that definition?

Dr. Sager: I think there has been a change in the understanding of spirituality. More people are open to spirituality…they are more willing to explore and more willing to grant that there is a spiritual side to nurture. The downside is the marketplace approach … A lot of things, a lot of concepts, pass for spirituality today…. The fact is a lot of people are interested in spirituality but they don’t want to be connected to or be accountable to a body of believers.

Pastor Sudduth: I would say that it has necessarily changed. I’ve been impressed with how openly spiritual Jefferson City is …. You hear on the news individuals reporting about religious events and information. There is an openness in allowing spiritual things to take place, such as Christian events at the Capitol. I’ve always thought Jefferson City has been pretty open since I’ve been here.

Religion might be more academically based. Spirituality is more inward … You can’t legislate love. You can’t legislate equality …. Until spirituality is part of it, we could have whatever religion we profess and still not have those qualities. Spirituality is that inward sense that God is moving us in ways we could not move in if it was just based on religion.

Rev. Edwards: It seems that Jefferson City and the greater capital region has become more accepting of minority faiths since I first came here … It may be because Jefferson City is the capital city … and that those who live here are exposed to more … diversity than is usually the case … In my own personal experience, I do find most Jefferson Citians have a good sense of religious tolerance.

Monsignor Kurwicki: I believe there is much more exploration of spirituality …. The value of it is becoming more recognized. For example, in the medical community, the value of prayer, meditation and sacrifice is much more acceptable than in the past…

I believe the more people pursue spirituality, they are brought into religion …. The more people learn, they have an opportunity to deepen their spirituality. Religion provides the background, provides the tradition and provides the community. Spiritual community is important. I’ve noticed that here there is a great spirit among the churches to work together. You don’t encounter much religious tension or intolerance.

Q: Describe your parishioners’ faith today compared to 10 years ago. Has your church size changed?

Monsignor Kurwicki: I’ve been here for five years, but, generally, I would say the faith of the average Catholic is strong because they are learning more. Especially with the development of the Internet, information is more accessible and the desire to learn more about spiritual things is greater. Learning, and certainly prayer, make faith stronger. Every year, the church continues to grow.

Dr. Sager: I don’t know that there is a lot of difference. But there is more openness to talk about faith. I believe that faith is still personal and vital. Unfortunately, there are more distractions now than there were 10 years ago. I think part of the problem is that faith is more privatized … People do more “marketplace shopping” for faith … There is more of a “cafeteria approach” —picking and choosing from among several faith traditions than loyalty to a particular one.

Pastor Sudduth: I consider the faith of members to be the same. They are solid members of faith and good members of the community. There hasn’t been much change in size. We consider ours as a mid-sized congregation.

Rev. Edwards: My family and I moved here from Los Angeles seven years ago, but I would say that, from what I have seen, people’s faith … in the Buddha’s teachings has increased … Over the last seven years or longer that people in this area have practiced Buddhism, I would venture to say that their faith is stronger than ever. In relation to size or growth … I remain a little amazed at how much it has grown. When we first moved back to Missouri, I thought I would probably be the only person involved in the VBC/CBD, but to my surprise, people began attending. There were a lot of practicing Buddhists around Jefferson City, but they didn’t have a center close enough to attend.

Q: What do you see as the primary obstacle that prevents people from embracing faith and joining a church/ faith tradition?

Rev. Edwards: Despair. There are a lot of things to despair about in the world today …. And it all seems to be increasing in magnitude. Suffering exists and has always existed. But when it increases to the level at which it exists today, it is often difficult for people to realize that coming back to something as simple as their religious faith can be a source of refuge and can revitalize their spirit.

Monsignor Kurwicki: Over-scheduling their lives. They find a hard time making time for church, perhaps because of all the activities their children, and sometimes their grandchildren, are involved with. People are so busy and have a hard time making room for church because it does take time.

Dr. Sager: Two things come to mind. First, some people have a negative impression of organized religion because of the bad apples who get press coverage. Churches don’t always adapt to the times, so people see the church as out of step with the times. Second, the craziness of people’s lives …. It’s the number one thing we battle in [church] programming. People’s lives are so scattered…church gets squeezed out.

Pastor Sudduth: It seems that God has been so good to us and that technology has advanced so much … we have begun to praise the created rather than the Creator. Because God is so good to us, it seems we have gotten away from what we need to do—to worship God and go to church …. Our lifestyles are so busy; we seemingly have no time to worship anymore.

Q: What role does religion play in our community’s morality?

Pastor Sudduth: I think it plays an important part…. I think in any religion you will find precepts, commandments and doctrines that encourage us to be loving to God and faithful and loving to one another…. It is essential to understanding as a community of people in Jefferson City.

Rev. Edwards: In Buddhism, morality is defined as right speech, right action and right livelihood. Morality is a core principle that knits a community together with compassion and understanding. I’m convinced that a person’s religion or moral code of ethics is an imperative for the well-being of any community.

Monsignor Kurwicki: In Jefferson City, religion plays a high roll in morality. Jefferson City basically is still a very religious town…. The 10 Commandments, prayer and Jesus still guide their moral and professional lives.

Dr. Sager: Religion plays a positive role in our community…. It has a pretty good reputation…. I think we’ve seen religion affect morality by offering alternative activities, by working together against riverboat gambling, by working with the United Way, by offering private schools…. People see religion as a positive force in our community.

Q: How have weak economic times affected stewardship/tithing, and what does that mean to the church?

Monsignor Kurwicki: The weak economy has not affected us so much in donations, but it has caused fear and anxiety for many. Giving patterns tend to be normal, but weak economic times might make them hesitant to begin a new long-term project. Catholics encourage giving in both good and bad times.

Dr. Sager: It takes longer for the effects of a weak economy to trickle down into church economics…. Honestly, I think — and this is a subjective observation — it seems that church economies [in Jefferson City] are driven more by the political cycle than the economic cycle. The election cycle can have as much to do with it as economics.

Instead of pushing to get people to give more, we’ve flipped that around this fall to thank our people for their faithfulness…. We recognize these are tough times. We are grateful for what our members have done and we want to concentrate on what we can do to help one another.

Pastor Sudduth: We’ve been pretty steady…. We don’t see a change. Tithing for us hasn’t changed…. The weak economic times, by the grace of God, have not made us take a downward turn…. Giving doesn’t have as much to do with economic times as it does with commitment.

Rev. Edwards: Our donations…have dropped off significantly. The situation now is becoming such that the people who use to dona