Faith Beyond Feelings: How Our Bodies Can carry our Faith

Transcript of a message given 5.18.25 at Broomfield United Methodist Church

Our body has a way of remembering things that our mind forgets.

Our body has a way of remembering things that our mind forgets. It's just like the saying, just like riding a bike, right? There's things that our bodies do that we don't necessarily have to remember how to do. Maybe it's kneading bread, driving a manual transmission, getting on a bike, right? We hadn't done it in years, but when we step on the bike or stick our hands into the dough or grab the tool, like, our bodies just remember how to do these things. Not because we had to sit and think through the steps of how to pedal or how to clutch or how to knead the bread. Our bodies just remember how to do it.

It's called embodied memory, right? And it's this idea that memories live not just in our minds, but also in our muscles, in our bodies, in our postures, in our rituals. But more than just memories, I think that these memories, uh, in our bodies also hold meaning and stories and values within them. Um, so I want to say this as an example. Like, if you notice, when I came up here, I had to give knuckles to Pastor Don and Pastor Thomas because I'm a sports official. So that's what I do whenever I go into the field is give knuckles. So it just feels right. It just feels like what I'm supposed to do.

Also, I remember when I was a kid, we lived with my grandparents for a time. My family did, and they had two wood burning fireplaces. So every winter evening I had to go with my grandfather outside in the cold, you know, uphill both ways, right? And grab firewood. And, uh, I don't know how many of you have ever loaded firewood. But I remember my grandfather always told me that you grab the firewood with your dominant hand. He was left handed, but he. You grab it with your dominant hand and you stack it like this in your non dominant hand. So this was, you know, years ago, right? But to this day, every time that I grab something and I stack it in my arm like this, I'm immediately transfixed. I'm brought back to that memory of stacking firewood in my arm. But it's not just that memory, the physical memory of stacking firewood in my arm that comes back to me. Be it's of, uh, responsibility of taking care of your family, of doing what you need to do, even when it's cold out or not fun or unpleasant. Those are some of the stories that come back to me when I have that physical memory of stacking firewood.

Maybe for you it's something different. Maybe when you stick your hands into the bread to knead it, you remember the value of maybe, uh, making bread, good bread for those you love, for family, for loved ones. Maybe when you grab that tool and start working on that project, you're filled with pride and confidence, uh, about the ability to do things and to fix things and repair things and to make things. Maybe it's something else, like riding a bike. Of course, this one, uh, how can I forget this? It's like carrying a child, right? When you pick up a kid, you're reminded not just of how to hold a child, but also the burden and the responsibility of caring for a child. Our bodies remember, our bodies carry meaning, certainly some good and we know some bad.

American Christianity tends to reduce faith to our feelings and to our beliefs

I want to talk this morning about how our bodies can be a way to sustain our faith through physical faith practices. When we don't always feel it emotionally, we don't always feel our faith and we don't always believe it. We know how to carry stories. We know this, right? Like we said, it's just like riding a bike. Our bodies know how to carry stories. But American Christianity too often forgets this. And American Christianity tends to reduce faith to our feelings and to our beliefs and more. It's often assumed that we alone are responsible for our relationships with God based on how we feel and what we think. Now, in fairness, this is shaped by the cultural air that we breathe. We live in what some people call an age of authenticity. And this is basically the idea that in our current time, the best, fullest thing that we can do as humans, as individuals is live our truest, most unfiltered, uh, fullest expression of ourselves, unfiltered and unencumbered by any sort of societal or expectations otherwise outside of ourselves. I literally just saw this in a commercial yesterday.

Again, being your truest, fullest, most authentic self is the best through that we can do. This is called the age of authenticity. We also live in what some people call a secular age. And this is basically that our world functions as if God does not exist. That to believe in God is optional, outdated, or irrelevant. Right now, I think back in the 90s, we saw these pressures begin to build within American Christianity. If any of you were you. Excuse me, if any of you were alive like me back in the 90s, especially in this neck of the woods, perhaps you remember the Acquire the Fire conferences. Does anyone remember the Acquire the Fire Youth Conferences? Yeah, a few of those. Now, I actually never went to any of these conferences. Myself, but I certainly remember the ethos and the spirit behind these conferences. Uh, especially as I had friends and classmates who would go to these conferences and, and then come back.

And basically the idea was this, like, you were supposed to be fired up, full of life, full of passion, enthusiastic about Jesus, like, yeah, Jesus. I mean, not that there's anything wrong with being like, yeah, Jesus, right? But, like, this was the ethos of those conferences and really, of, like, the spirit of Christianity. Like, back in the 90s, like, to be a good Christian meant to be always fired up, full of life, enthusiastic, raring for Jesus. Like, that's what it meant to be a good Christian. Now, conversely, Also in the 90s, perhaps you remember this, the rise of what I'll call the apologetics movement. I don't know if anyone remembers, like, the big, thick book, uh, Evidence that Demands a verdict by Josh McDowell. Anyone get that for a graduation present? I think I did. So there was the Josh McDowell book, perhaps some remember, like, the little more readable Case for Christ by Lee Strobel. So certainly there was this idea in the 90s that we had to be able to defend, talk rationally, give a full explanation for, like, why we believe what we believe, right? To be able to defend our faith fully, articulately. Articulately, like, all that.

And the challenge becomes is that these pressures from the 90s have only intensified today. Like, they've only been amplified now to the point that it's kind of like we're all supposed to be Instagram influencers for our faith. Like, we're expected to be the best version of Christians that can exist, to perform our faith publicly and convincingly. And all the while, we're doing it in the midst of a secular age that assumes God does not exist. Like, I saw these two headlines recently, if anyone, I don't follow her that closely, mind you, but Addison Rae, an, uh, Instagram influencer, she says, we're all putting on a show, aren't we?

And again, another headline that fewer Americans believe in God today than ever before, at least in recorded history. So, again, we're expected to perform our faith, be the best version of Christians that we can be, to put on a show for others, all the while that we're doing it in the midst of a society that assumes that God is not real. And to believe in God is naive or outdated at best. So we carry the pressure not just to feel and to think rightly about God, but to manage, to maintain, to perform our relationship with God not only for ourselves, but also for others. And the result is this. We get tired. Man, I'm tired just thinking about all that. Like I'm an introvert. So like, you know, doing anything extra is like, I'm exhausted. Right? Oh, uh, my goodness. We start wondering what is wrong with us. What is wrong with us because we're not feeling it and we don't always believe it. We're left spiritually exhausted, disconnected and unsure of how to hold on when the fire burns out and the doubts feel overwhelming. Overwhelming.

This morning I want to talk about how physical faith practices can sustain our faith

This morning I want to talk to you about how physical faith practices can sustain our faith in those times when those doubts feel overwhelming, when our emotions are not always with us, how we can hold on. Now, many of us perhaps, uh, like I said, American Christianity is not always a fiscal faith practice kind of tradition. Perhaps some of us grew up in a more uh, in faith traditions that had more physical faith practices. Like maybe some of us grew up Catholic or Lutheran where we crossed ourselves.

Maybe some of us grew up in more charismatic traditions, were raising your hands and, and worship was more, uh, often done. But most of us probably didn't grow up in a real physical sort of faith tradition. Now as, uh, we think about it though, I think if you thought about it, you might think, and this is somewhat, I want to talk to you about today is we actually had probably more practices of faith that you might not think about, but looking back upon, were kind of like physical faith practices. So one of the things we, we've already done, you may not think about it as such, but when we greeted one another, it's kind of a physical faith practice. We don't necessarily title it as such at the nine service, but it's, it's a, uh, many traditions call it a passing of the peace. It's a physical faith practice. And we're actually going to do a few more here this morning. So uh, hang with me and be brave this morning for me.

I grew up Baptist and we would stand for the reading of scripture

Uh, so the first thing uh, I want to have you do is we're going to read together from the scripture, Romans chapter 12. And I want to do something different with you this morning is I want to invite you to uh, read. This is something that I did when I was growing up Baptist, is that we would stand for the reading of the scripture. So I'm going to invite you all if you're willing and able to stand for the reading of scripture. And then I'm going to do one more for you too here. Uh, we're actually going to grab the Bible, another physical faith practice. So if you have your Bible with You or you want to grab it from the pew in front of you. It's on page 1035. Uh, so let's turn to Romans, chapter 12. And I got to find it here myself, but this is a fiscal faith practice to stand for the reading of the gospel, for the reading of the scripture. And while you're turning, if you're wondering, like, hey, who is this guy wearing a suit? Uh, so like I said, like, I grew up Baptist. Baptist preachers wear suits. So it's a physical faith practice for me.

One more spiritual practice, physical faith practice

All right, we're on. Romans, chapter 12, verses 1 and 2, page 1035 of your Pew Bible. It says, I appeal to you. Therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, present your bodies, a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds so you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. One more spiritual practice, physical faith practice. This is the word of God for the people of God. Thank you. You may be seated.

Three things you can do to incorporate physical faith practices into your lives

So there we go. We just did, uh, three physical faith practices right there. Now, uh, as I mentioned, I grew up Baptist, and I've heard this scripture preached so many times. So many times that I can. I have the sermon. I have the message memorized. The scripture message memorized. I grew up hearing it. King James Version. I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies, a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind so that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. See, that has been embodied into my memory. And if. You know, if you caught me when I was reading from the nrsv, I tripped and said it in the King James Version.

So, as I mentioned, I've heard messages on this text of scripture so many times, so much so that I can recite it from memory. And for the many, many times that I heard it, I always assumed that these were two separate things happening in this text, that we're supposed to be not conformed to this world. And. And transformed by the renewing of our minds was one thing, but presenting our bodies, a living sacrifice, was another thing. But as I thought about this message for today and I thought about this text, I began to wonder, what if these two things are connected? Like, what if our mind is renewed through our bodily actions? What if our minds are Renewed through our bodily actions. What if our minds are renewed through presenting our bodies as a spiritual sacrifice?

So I came across a couple quotes from a couple authors I want to read to you this morning. One is from Rita Nakashima Brock. She's an author and a speaker and a theologian. And she says that “in any form of collective work, think athletics or sports, you train people so that stuff is automatic in their bodies.” Like, I see a Nuggets jersey right here. Let's go. Nuggets. Like these athletes, Nikola Jokic and such, like, they're trained so that the stuff is automatic in their bodies so they're not thinking about what they do when they're on the court. “Rituals are like that. And it's not meant that every week we change the words or something so that people will think about it again in a new way. You do the same thing over and over again, she says, because it's the automatic behavior or the recitation that delivers the meaning, not thinking about the meaning.”

David Taylor, another author and theologian, says this. He says, “in corporate worship, we are informed by Christ, transformed by the spirit, and reformed by embodied practices. Again, in worship together through our bodies, we are reformed and renewed.” So as we think about physical faith practices, how we can renew our faith through physical faith practice, I want to give you this morning three things you can do to begin to incorporate or reincorporate physical faith practices into your lives again.

So the first thing is quite simple, and, uh, it's something I think Krista and Taylor will hopefully appreciate. Like, it's just to say the words. Like, when words come up on screen, like, say the words. And I know sometimes we're trained again, we're trained like this. Like, oh, I gotta feel it or I gotta believe it. Like, say the words. Whether or not you feel it or necessarily believe it, like, just say the words. Just say the words that come on screen. Like it makes a difference. Trust me. I'll have more on that in a moment.

The second thing I want to encourage you to try to do is try out a new physical posture in worship. Now, again, like, me, like, I'm pretty straight laced. I'm wearing a suit. So being really physical is not something that I get into a lot. But perhaps, like, maybe you want to raise your hand in worship. Perhaps, I don't know, maybe when you come forward, receive communion. I know some people, like, they receive communion looking at the cross. Maybe when you're praying, you want to really focus your body and receive the prayer or bow your head. Like, try out A new physical posture in worship.

And the third thing I want to encourage you to do is to try to incorporate some element of physical faith practice at home. So it could be something like going for a walk and praying. Maybe it's something more traditional, like fasting. Again, people like to fast traditionally because when they feel their hunger, they reminded them to pray and to connect with God. Uh, maybe it's like doing something really revolutionary. And like, when you read scripture, like grab a Bible and not just your phone and read scripture from the text to the pages. But try to figure out a way you can incorporate some element of physicality into your faith practices at home. Because again, you'll find that, oh, I'm going for a walk. And when your body starts moving, you're like, oh, I'm reminded God is with me. I'm connected to God, not through something you did or felt on your own, but through your physical faith practice.

Like, the point is this. Basically, there's going to come a time in our lives where we're not going to feel it. We're going to feel disconnected from God when we're going to feel full of doubts. And it's in these moments that our faith physical practices can be sustaining and renewing.

Training as a hospital chaplain many years ago

So some of you who know me, uh, may be aware that I recently started working again as a hospital chaplain. Now, I first started training as a hospital chaplain many years ago at the old St. Anthony North Hospital. Anyone remember the old St. Anthony North Hospital? Uh, still is open. At least the emergency room. I don't know if any of you ever had to spend some time in the old St. Anthony North ER, but it's like a circle, right? I don't know if you remember. It's kind of like a round circle. So this was 10, 12 years ago. I was working on call on pager. In the middle of the night, the pager goes off and, you know, I kind of, kind of like right now, kind of fumbled my way out of bed, get dressed, drive into the hospital.

And I remember, like, walking into the double doors and up to the nurse's station. And again, if you remember, the old San Anthony north er, like, on one side was just rooms and the other side was like the trauma rooms. So I remember walking up to the nurse's station and kind of expecting m like to be pointed over to the trauma station rooms, right? And instead I'm pointed down this way. And I'm kind of nervous because I know down what's down this hall. So sure enough, I start walking down this hall and I keep walking, and my nerves are increasing all the more because I know what's down this hall. This hall is the psych rooms, the psych hold rooms. So my anxiety is kind of right here. And I stop right in front of this room, in front of this window, and I look in.

My anxiety goes from here to here, because I realize I look into this room, and yet there's this barrage of staff and nurses and security guards, and they're holding down this patient. And, uh, you can see all this commotion, all this disruption, all this chaos happening as this patient is thrashing about in bed and shaking, and they're screaming and groaning. And I'm thinking, I've got to go into. How do I got to go into this room? And I'm wondering, how in the world did somebody. How did this patient ask for a chaplain? I, uh, can't believe that actually happened. So eventually, they get this patient strapped down. I remember, like. I remember the security guard. Like, he comes out and he kind of does, like, you know, one of these, right? And he's like, it's all yours. And I'm like, what. What am I gonna do?

And all I had was my Bible, right? I had my Bible. And I walk in, and what I do and I say, hello, my name is Loren Richmond. I'm a chaplain here. And meanwhile, this patient's, like, shaking and groaning and grunting, and, you know, and I'm just like. I don't know what to do. So I just. I grabbed my Bible, and I turn to Psalm 23, and I start reading. You know, the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. You know, and I read through Psalm 23, and this guy is still shaking and grunting and groaning. Um, I don't know what to do. So I turn to. I turn to Psalm 90, Psalm 91, uh, trying to find it here, and I'm reading, O Lord, you have become my dwelling place in all generations.

You know, Again, guys still shaking, grunting. Uh, so I just. I just keep reading Psalm 91. You who live in the shelter of the most high, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the Lord, my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I entrust. So I'm just, like, reading through Psalm 90, Psalm 91. This guy's shaking and moaning and grunting.

But all of a sudden, I recognize that this guy is saying something, and I recognize that what he's saying is the Lord's Prayer. So there in that moment, at 2:00am or so, in the middle of St. Anthony north er, we say the Lord's Prayer together. And jumbled, broken.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.

Friends, there will come a time in all of our lives where we will be broken, where our emotions will be in tatters, where our minds will be clouded with doubt. I know this because I've been there. It wasn't that long ago. This past winter. I remember being in a challenging spot myself. Like, emotionally, I felt completely lost. My mind was clouded with doubt and uncertainty. And God felt a million miles away. And I remember being in worship and these words came onto the screen and I remember saying through clenched teeth the words of this song. I know nothing has been wasted. No failure or mistake you make all things work together for my future and for my good. When I doubt it, Lord, remind me. When I doubt it, Lord, remind me. When I doubt it, Lord, remind me. You know, God reminded me that day. God reminded me that day.

I remember coming forward another time to receive communion and I stuck my hands out and it hit me right here. God's grace is for me. I remember standing in worship next to good friends and hearing the voices of others echo off the walls and being reminded that I am not alone. That I am not alone. Friends, when we find ourselves in the valley of the shadow of doubts, God's rod and God's staff, they comfort us. Our physical faith practices remind us that we are not alone, that God is with us and God loves us.

So this morning, I want to do one more physical faith practice

So this morning, I want to invite us to do one more physical faith practice. You've been so wonderful and participative this morning. This morning I want to invite us one more time to stand, and we're going to pray a section of, um, what's called the St. Patrick's Breastplate Prayer. So the words are going to come on screen here and I'm going to invite you to stand. Excuse me. And since we're talking about physical embodied prayer and spiritual practices, physical faith practices, I want to invite us to really, like, lean into the physicality of this prayer. So, as we say together, I encourage you to try to act out the words of this prayer. Christ with me. Christ before me. Christ behind me, Christ beneath me. Christ above me. Christ on, um, my right, Christ on, um, my left. Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I rise. Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me. Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me. Christ in the eye of everyone that sees me, Christ in the ear of everyone that hears me. We're going to sing together a song inspired by this prayer. And again, I encourage you. When you feel wracked by doubt, uncertainty, lean into your fiscal faith practices.

If you’d like to watch the full video, my part starts about 34:00