Poll of United Methodists

Thank you so much for your generosity at our Samuel’s baby shower last Saturday. As always we are overwhelmed by your love.
I want to share with you some interesting numbers from a recent poll conducted by the U.S. Religious landscape survey. The following is a sampling of responses from United Methodists. See where you fit in these questions.
• 42 percent say they attend church at least once a week; 14 percent say they seldom or never attend church.
• 59 percent say they pray at least once a day; 15 percent say their prayers are answered at least once a week; 28 percent say their prayers are seldom or never answered
• one-fourth believe the Bible should be taken “literally, word for word;” 21 percent say it’s written by men, not God; 44 percent say it’s the Word of God but probably shouldn’t be taken literally
• 82 percent believe there is more than one way to interpret their religious teachings
• 42 percent believe the U.S. should be active in world affairs; half said we should focus more on problems here at home
• 29 percent say stricter environmental laws would hurt the economy; 63 percent say it would be worth the cost
• 47 percent lean toward or are Republican; 42 percent lean toward or are Democratic
I find all of this interesting but not real surprising. United Methodists are a diverse people and I find that diversity in the right places is a strength. Overall as a denomination, we want to be a people who are every color and economic background. We want to be a people who challenge each other in community about interpreting the scriptures. The question becomes, what unites us? The answer is Jesus Christ. As United Methodists we unite around central doctrine related to the beliefs spelled out in the Nicene and Apostles Creed. We are a people that practice Open Table Communion. We are a people who offer the radical grace of Christ to everyone and believe that the doors of the church are open to all. We are a people that believe in service and public witness and involvement in the community and the nation.
This last piece is clear from this survey. Methodists are people who are concerned with society. In other words we are not a people who don’t care about the community or the world in which we live. Our founder, John Wesley, was fond of saying “in essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity.” The essentials and non essentials can be found above.
In the spirit of public witness, I’ve been invited to say the opening prayer for the start of Monday’s State Senate Session in Austin, Texas. Ironically I’ve been invited by Senator Tommy Williams of Conroe. Pray for me as I offer prayer for the leaders of our state.