Rev. Don Erickson

The religious life is one that is too often marked by something I think is not helpful. In some ways, this unhelpful practice mirrors the ways of material labor and production. It mirrors the ways of economics when it should reside beyond it in some sense. We see it explained very well with a common practice this time of year. The New Year’s Resolution. It works something like this. I notice something in my life that is missing. For example, I notice that I am not exercising like I should and am gaining some pounds. That is the problem. The solution – a resolution to exercise. Resolution is a promise made to one’s self to solve a problem. But it does not stop there. After the resolution comes the actual work of making the resolution a reality This resolution-based idea is what I will call the goal-attainment model. I set a goal and I work to realize that goal. But what happens when despite how much we work to attain something, we don’t attain it? What happens when desp