This letter was originally submitted in August 2021.
Hi!
I have recently joined the Religious Naturalist Association (RNA). I am of both Christian and Jewish heritage, and I lived in Turkey when I was a child. The Abrahamic faiths have been my foundation and have helped me to evolve as a person. I expect that will continue in some form now that I am a member of RNA.
Previously, I had been a member of the Episcopal Church (TEC) for about 35 or so years. I joined TEC during my years as an undergraduate. For most of those 35 or so years, TEC was a good fit. I became more certain that was changing, surprisingly or not, while I was in seminary (Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest, or SSW, in Austin, TX – 2008-2011).
When I entered seminary, it was for the purpose of becoming a board certified chaplain. I was keen to learn as much as I could. Theology and theology-related studies were not familiar to me. My background was in psychology (BS with a clinical emphasis) and public health (MPH in health promotion and disease prevention with an additional concentration in epidemiology). Needless to say, my seminary curriculum took me outside of my usual comfort zone; not only academically, but turns out personally as well.
Fortunately, the more “high-church,” progressive-leaning end of the TEC continuum with which I engaged taught me it is as important to question the answers as it is to answer the questions. Academically speaking, I was well-prepared to be a seminary student and performed well enough to graduate. I really did enjoy most of my theological studies. I enjoyed honing some skill sets I already had and gaining some new ones. Still, it became more obvious than I perhaps already knew of myself that my brain – my spirit, if you will – were simply “wired” a certain way. A typical exchange between my New Testament professor and me puts all of that in a nutshell – Cynthia: “Loren, that’s not data.” Loren: “Cynthia, everything’s data.”
Essentially, my time in seminary helped me to much more clearly frame my spiritual/philosophical thoughts and feelings. I was aware the difficulty I had been having perceiving God as a being, particularly as one with omni-characteristics, was continuing and becoming more and more obvious to me. I learned I was much more drawn to the immanent nature of the holy than I was to the transcendent.
My struggle with reconciling my membership in a creedal tradition; my theological studies; and my evolving spirituality/philosophy was never so real as in the act of worship. I was reciting creeds; praying prayers; singing hymns; etc… that simply did not hold the same meaning for me as they once did. Let me be clear – the traditional, communal worship I engaged in then, and continued to engage in until about four years ago, was meaningful for me. And, I was intentional to ensure I never engaged in worship simply ‘going through the motions.’ The struggle and questioning, in their own way, ensured I would have as deep an experience as I would otherwise.
I have been doing some form of chaplain care for about 20 years now. It is a good thing I am truly committed to my call as a chaplain, as it became clearer and clearer I was not going to end up serving TEC in the usual and expected ways for someone seminary-trained.
Eventually, about four years ago, the time came when I simply felt like a fish trying to climb a tree. The upholding of the supernatural nature of a triune God inherent in a Christian tradition like TEC, was something I no longer wanted to, or could, do. In the local church my wife and I were members of at the time, I served in various roles over the years we were there. More often in the latter years, I would choose to serve as a greeter, or to assist the greeters, in the narthex, which happened to have a glass front to it. While I participated in the service along with everyone else, I almost always chose to stand facing the glass front, looking out into the neighborhood in which the church is located. I had done this for so many years, I had formed connections with regulars who would walk past the glass front and we would exchange either smiles and waves or a more subtle acknowledgement like a nod. At one point shortly before my wife and I transitioned from that church, the fairly new rector came up to me after a service and chastised me for looking out and not looking into the nave where the service was taking place. I quietly received her comments. It was then I knew I was really at a crossroads and needed to make the inevitable decision to move on. I also needed to take action to care for myself. The first step of that action was to take time to grieve the loss of that church community and the loss of a Christian tradition that had been so formative for me. Too, my wife and I met and married in an Episcopal Church. This had always been something we shared together. This would be a big change for us. Four years in, my wife remains an Episcopalian with some Religious Naturalist leanings. I am now a Religious Naturalist who, as a chaplain, leans into whatever direction I need in order to provide appropriate care to my patients and their families as well as my colleagues.
Personally, my “worship” these days consists of reading, studying, listening, watching and being educated about the natural holiness of this world and of the universe. As always, I have much to learn about most things; and, particularly, about Religious Naturalism. My contemplative practices consist of my taking whatever action I can to introduce Religious/Spiritual Naturalism to my friends; to introduce it to the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC) and other professional connections as a way of encouraging and advocating for appropriate stewardship of resources and care of creation. I also think of my time spent connecting in some way with the natural world as a contemplative practice. I do not have a problem with using the term God. For me, God is the life and death forces; the creative energies of all there is. Whatever I do to connect to those forces and energies, I can just as easily call prayer as anything else. The words, terms and labels are not as important to me as the actual, real connection I feel and experience. Frankly, the same goes for the terms religious and spiritual. I am content to refer to/think of myself simply as a Naturalist.
By the time I had discovered there was such a thing as Religious/Spiritual Naturalism, I had already felt a sense of contentment in how my spiritual/philosophical self was evolving. I was encouraged when my research led me to find the RNA and the SNS. As I continued to read and study, I came to feel this is a good fit for me. I was so grateful to meet Joel Berning, also a member of RNA and a board certified chaplain ( as well as other RNA-affiliated chaplains), and discover the RNA has a process for endorsing chaplains that is accepted by APC. I am heartened by the fact that nothing really changed for me when I clicked the button to join RNA. It felt more like an affirmation of what already was. And, my practice as a chaplain has not changed because it has been, and always will be, about meeting people where they are. I have used the analogy that, as a chaplain, I am like a chameleon. I am quite content in my own color and also quite happy to change color to fit into whatever environment I am in at the time.
Prior to entering seminary, I had already been serving in a Clinical Pastoral Education residency (a requirement for board certification as a chaplain) and was committed to my calling as a chaplain. I knew the APC required particular masters degrees, or the equivalent thereof for certain spiritual/philosophical traditions, for members. I chose the master of divinity degree because it offered me the broadest possible curriculum at the time. I was awarded that degree in 2011. During my time at seminary, I also joined APC and was commissioned (the lay version of ordination in TEC) at the church I was assigned to serve during my senior year. After graduating and moving to Washington, I was hired by a major health system-affiliated hospice in early 2012; awarded my board certification in 2013; recertified in 2018; and will be due for recertification next in 2023.
I love being a chaplain. While I have enjoyed and been encouraged in any context I have served these past 20 or so years (a continuing care retirement community; a children’s hospital; a large, urban, university medical center; a health system-affiliated hospice), I seem to be well-suited to serve those who are nearing end of life, regardless of age. I am fulfilled by what I do and enjoy and appreciate serving with and learning from my colleagues.
In order to continue being a board certified chaplain and being employed as I am, I must be endorsed by the tradition with which I affiliate (now RNA) as part of APC’s requirements for recertification. Presently, I am still endorsed by TEC. Frankly, it is quite an ethical issue for me at this point. When my wife and I left the one Episcopal church, we moved our membership to another one. Fortunately, the rector and assisting clergy of the current church are all good friends of ours. They have supported my seeking and my not wanting to attend worship services, despite it being a requirement of TEC for my continued endorsement. Now that I have found RNA and feel and believe it is the right fit for me, I very much wish to pursue endorsement through RNA as soon as it is possible for you. I believe it is the right and ethical thing to do.
I would very much appreciate your consideration to endorse my chaplaincy. Please let me know whether you have any questions or need any further information. Thanks so much.
Peace and Joy.
—
Loren Peters, MPH, M.Div., BCC (he/him/his)
7064 35th Ave NE. #33
Seattle, WA 98115
205-837-2615