Theology of Awe

What is awe? Paul Hill created this definition — the serendipitous, unanticipated experience of the holy. #FirstThird
— Sandy Kathleen (@sandykathleen) November 26, 2012

I have spent a majority of yesterday at Luther Seminary's First Third Dialogue titled, Why Can't my Church be More LIke Camp? The Power of Immersion Learning in Faith Formation. 

Immersion Learning is a hot topic for youth workers and church professionals. We all know there is something unique about the experiences our students have at camp and on short-term mission trips. I am not denying that reality, and I am excited to be with other leaders who want to push this topic further.

Paul Hill, Executive Director of Vibrant Faith Ministries, presented a theology of awe yesterday afternoon. Paul looked to define awe in many ways included a definition he crafted himself -- the serendipitious, unanticipated experience of the holy. Awe is that thing that undermines all of our assumptions. Awe is how God works. Awe is both humility and blessing. And unlike so many things in the world, there is no shortage of awe.

After Paul's presentation we gathered in small groups to dig further into this idea of awe. My group defined awe for ourselves and looked to articulate moments of awe in our own lives. These themes became apparent through our own sharing:

• Awe is different for each person. Therefore, we must look towards the individual, although it may be easier to look at the whole, especially with immersion experiences.
• We can experience moments of awe in the here or now, but we can also experience awe in looking back.
• We must have some sort of knowing of the existence of awe to experience awe.

We then wondered together what it would look like to create the space for awe. Earlier Paul had used the metaphor that camp sets the table for experiences of awe. We set our table and included community, vulnerability, trust, and people.

Yet we were left wondering about this space we had set. In some way we wondered if we have to create the understanding of awe in order to experience awe. For example, I challenge my students to find glimpses of the beloved community in their everyday lives. If this is the first time I asked them to do this and I gave no explanation or example, I cannot be shocked if they report back with glazed looks on their faces. But instead we spent time looking at what is the beloved community and what it looks like in our current context. Do we need to look at awe in the same way or can we leave it as this unnamed abstract thing that transforms everything we know to be true?

A question was posed on whether the church needs to promise moments of awe within their ministry just like camp. I am fearful for that. How do we know of the next in-breaking of the spirit? I fear promoting our next immersion experience as life-changing, because maybe it won't be. I have no control over that. I can set the table. I can wait. And I can challenge my students to find moments of awe in the ordinary, but it might not happen. I'm not trying to limit God or the creative work of the Spirit but I admit, I'm fearful. I do wonder if there is a shift of looking at the awe in the whole of the experience and challenging students and ourselves to find awe in the simplicity of everyday.

I look forward to what Paul adds to the conversation on awe later today. I do agree that there is something intrinsically unique about awe.

Feel free to follow along on twitter using the hashtag #FirstThird.