I find myself tonight with an unexpected calm.  I set off for New York today, and I just feel good about it.  I am spending the night in Cincinnati with a friend’s dad, and despite little speed bumps popping up in my long-term plans for the year, there is certain peacefulness that comes from trusting that what should happen, will happen.  And regardless, I have a great place in New York to spend the next month.

For this post, I wanted to provide a concise list of the types of questions that I am curious about this year.  Some come from previous blog posts, others from conversations with friends and mentors, and still others from pure curiosity.  Some are intellectual, some practical, some spiritual.  My overall goal for the year is to serve, and I bet that most of my learning will rise from that service as a secondary result.  Be that as it may, though, I would like to begin the trip with some idea of the big questions.  Thus, without further delay:

Questions to Be Answered* Throughout the Course of the Year (i.e. broad, ethereal, abstract, frustratingly philosophical questions):

• What is the function of denominationalism in the United States?
• What does it mean to be “Christian” in the U.S.?
• How do churches** relate to other Christian churches, as well as other religions?
• What does it mean to worship?

Questions to Ask Members/Leaders of Each Church:

• Why do you think most people choose this church?
• How do you perceive God’s will for individual churches?
• What is your church’s role in social issues, such as poverty, crime, homeless, and the like?
• What role does joy play in the function of your church?
• How about music, silence, ritual, prayer, scripture, service?
• How does your community handle grief?
• How do you understand the love of God?
• What is your church’s attitude toward tithing and giving?
• In what ways is your church a family or a community?

These are just to get us started.  What would you want to ask if you could join me on this trip?  Let me know, and I will try and find out for you.

*When I say “answered,” I really mean “thought about in different ways through observation and experience”

**When I say “church,” I mean any faith community…”church” is just an easy short-hand.