As part of the BookSneeze.com blogger reviewer program of Thomas Nelson publishing, I requested the book "Finding Our Way Again: The Return of the Ancient Practices" by Brian McLaren. Because I received the book in time, I decided to commit to reading this for Lent, a practice that I haven't really followed before. I also committed to taking two hours a week to play piano and write some music, hoping to re-create a creative discipline I've lost the past few years.

The end of each chapter of "Finding Our Way Again" has spiritual exercises. I am hoping to use write a post for each chapter. Here goes nothing...

1. Using the matrix below, plot your life in five-year increments. For example, when you were five years old, was your faith more a way of life or a system of belief, or was it low on both counts? How about fifteen? Twenty-five? Where would you like it to be for a five year increment in the future?

2. Imagine yourself in the cold war between science and religion described in this chapter. Which side have you been on? Or have you been caught in the crossfire? Describe your experience and how this war has affected you or people close to you?

Early on in my faith, I was very much on the side of religion in the cold war. I naively rejected much of science, and, in fact, I would describe my early education in these areas more along the lines of blind faith rather than honest inquiry. During high school and college, I said the right things to avoid getting into discussion of religion vs. science, and it wasn't until a few years after college that I really began an honest inquiry into any battle line topics.

Lately, I think I'm more caught in the crossfire than anything. I willingly admit I know less about religions or science than I believed I did before, and I'm much more comfortable with that. I don't need to know or understand anything, I need to focus on living out faith outside of both religion and science.

3. Reflect on the ideas of a "fusion between the sacred and the secular" and "everyday sacredness." Describe your experiences of this kind of fusion, and then describe your aspirations or hopes for it. What would it mean for you to learn how to live in this kind of fusion?

My experience with this fusion is lackluster at best. I've yet to really find this put forth in practice. There seems to be a pull to one side or the other, and in general I find a lack of openness of others to meet me in the middle. My aspiration is that I can indeed find community that desires to live in the middle, in an everyday sacredness that takes seriously the life of faith without taking the religion of faith too seriously. At the same time, embrace life, art, conflict, love in all areas of life, not just within a church, faith, or religious context.

4. Consider the three common religious alternatives described in this chapter: scientific secularism, "hot and pushy fundamentalism", and "warm, but mushy spirituality." Name strengths and weaknesses of each, and then imagine combining the strengths into a fourth alternative.

What I appreciate about scientific secularism is a process of testing and application. Fundamentalism, for the most part, shows courage to hold strong on a position, and spirituality embraces an individual journey. Merging these together seem like a good idea, but they don't always jive. Frankly I find it hard to find that fourth alternative, but probably because I haven't really seen it in action.

5. Looking over your answers above, write a prayer that expresses your hopes, desires, dreams, concerns, and decisions.

God, help me be open to be stretched and pulled in ways I've never experienced. Draw me to others who are on this similar journey, and give me the humility to respect and appreciate others who are not yet on this journey.