Reconciling Buddhist practice with being a Christian

A form of Christian spiritual discipline is the practice of the presence of God. As Christians, we are looking for that radiance in all things that mystics call the face of God. That radiance is not hidden in some far-off place, but is here and now, right under our noses. Likewise, Dorothy realized that what she had been seeking all her life was simply her life itself: the people, the house, the rooms. All were the face of God. 

From Dorothy and the Locked Door page 262-3 Nothing Special by Charlotte Joko Beck

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Our pastor said Resurrection is a pillar of our faith. In times of chaos , we have hope because as the hymn proclaims, "Because he lives, life is worth living." Hope of God, love of community. The pastor says, We are Resurrection people. 

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John Wesley, founder of the Methodist movement, made it very clear in his writings that Christians generally base their understanding of God on four things. Known as the “The Wesley Quadrilateral,” they are 1.) scripture, 2). tradition, 3). experience, and 4). reason. Certainly, United Methodists believe that scripture contains all the information anyone needs for salvation. Nevertheless, in order to understand scripture properly, the teachings of the Church about the bible through the centuries (tradition), the way we see Christianity working in our lives as a church (experience), and using the bible in a way that makes sense (reason) is very important for us to take very seriously. We have to study these things so that we may grow in our faith. On top of this, United Methodists do not believe in “going it alone” when it comes to what we believe. We believe in something called “holy conferencing,” which is something that has been done since the earliest days of the church. This is when Christians get together on a regular basis to talk about what they believe and make decisions about the beliefs they agree to share as the people of God. As a church we do this every week in Sunday School and worship, every year in church conferences and annual conferences, and every four years in General Conferences. The process is done prayerfully and with trust that God’s Holy Spirit is guiding us. 

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I see these as two very different threads in my spiritual journey. My Christian faith has remained as I have studied the history of Christianity and Bible criticism. I have also made a long journey to having a Buddhist practice. So it's clear to me that the two are not in conflict as far as my faith. Clearly I violate the "United Methodists do not believe in “going it alone” when it comes to what we believe" admonition. That can't be helped. One of my spouse's friend, who I believe has an Asian Buddhist background, did show some interest in talking with my spouse. But that seems very rare. It will be interesting as it comes up more and more, usually because I'm at some gathering and hopefully in the future at a retreat, when my spouse tells friends where I am.

Another odd comparison, there is a tradition in Christianity that we don't suffer enough so people have performed practices of mutilation and martyrs are admired. Buddhists acknowledge there is suffering and encourage happiness.