Ecumenical Exploration: An Interview with Traci Rhoades of the Traces of Faith Blog

I am honored and pleased to welcome Traci Rhoades to the Candid Corinthian today. Traci is a blogger and author who discusses many important faith topics but, most especially: engaging different church traditions. 

Her ecumenical exploration first attracted my attention when I started following her Twitter feed. It was interesting to me because I have a fairly diverse church background myself and like to celebrate the variety of perspectives that has given me. Also, that exploration serves as a reminder of how big and diverse God’s kingdom actually is. 

What I like most about Tracy's Twitter feed is that she proceeds by questioning. She provides polls and open-ended questions as an invitation for people to discuss their different experiences, allowing them to reflect and learn from one another in the process. So without further preamble, let’s turn the tables and ask Traci a few questions. 

Traci, thank you so much for joining me today! First off, tell us about your background. Where are you from, and what did church look like for you when you were growing up?

I’m a country girl who’s always lived on the outskirts of a small town. First in Missouri, and now in Michigan. My first church was a small Southern Baptist one. Attendance was about 50 each Sunday and a number of them were distant relatives of ours. Although a church split ultimately moved us to a larger church in town, I learned about Jesus, and the love of his people, in this first church of my childhood. We were church regulars and it was a solid foundation.

On your website, Traces of Faith, you talk about visiting different churches. Can you tell us when and how you started this particular exploration? 

In looking back at my church story, I realize I started visiting other churches at a young age. A short bike ride on our gravel road and I’d be in the driveway of a Methodist church. I attended soup suppers there, went to Vacation Bible School, participated in their Christmas plays. Then in high school, my best friend’s family was Catholic. I realized they can be devout Christians too. In St. Louis as a single career woman, I ventured away from my Southern Baptist roots and visited a variety of evangelical churches.

But it wasn’t until my thirties I determined visiting other churches would not only be OK but perhaps beneficial. I am a voracious reader and I’d read about church services I’d never even heard of, like Pentecost Sunday and Easter Vigil and Stations of the Cross. It occurred to me in a meaningful way there were Christians experiencing Jesus differently than I did. I wanted to experience him in full so I started venturing to other places more frequently. Each church I’ve visited has welcomed me with open arms. What I suspected was true as well, Jesus was there and I got to know him more and more.


Why do you think this type of exploration is important for today’s Christians?

We’re going to meet people whose Christianity doesn’t look like ours but that doesn’t have to be scary or mean they’re wrong. In an age where we have access to endless amounts of information, we naturally come across those who worship differently than we do. Or at least more than I did in my small Midwest upbringing. I mean, I hadn’t even heard the term liturgy until my mid-thirties. I had no idea there was such a thing as a church calendar. Formal liturgy and a church calendar rhythm offers real value in a Christian’s life, if done in a meaningful way that honors Christ.

Exploring other traditions and spiritual practices has done two major things for me. 1) I’ve experienced more of Jesus. My faith is flourishing. 2) It’s shown me how biased we can be toward our own way of doing Christianity. There are many traditions, Christians worldwide, and worshiping differently doesn’t automatically mean they’re in error.

What is one of the most surprising things you’ve learned about a faith tradition different from your own?

I’ve learned there’s a whole branch of Christianity called Orthodox. They are 300 million strong. They observe the church calendar. They venerate (kiss) icons not as a means of worship, but making present to the believer the person or event depicted on them. Praying a short prayer known as the Jesus Prayer (a variation of the words “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner”) they finger a prayer rope, which is often tucked away under their shirtsleeve or in a pocket. The monks in this tradition encourage them to pray this prayer so often, it becomes as natural as taking a breath. These practices were decidedly not part of my Southern Baptist upbringing. Actually, at one point in my life, I probably would have identified them as wrong, idolatry.


Do you find categories useful when dealing with diverse traditions? Which ones? (e.g. high church/low church; evangelical/ecumenical) 

These categories are useful only if we’re willing to hold them loosely. They guide us into a piece of Christianity but it’s an absolute tragedy if they box us in. In identifying my church experience now, I say “I’m a Christian who worships in the Reformed tradition.” I think that order is vital. We must be Christian first.

Further, I’ve come to realize we define these terms differently. Evangelical is by and large not a negative title for me, because it’s all I’ve ever known. Depending on one’s experience, or what a person hears/sees about this group of Christ-followers, it might carry a negative connotation. Looking at the terms Protestant or high church or open communion or confession, those mean completely different things to people. Honestly, that’s been a hard part of my journey. I write about the varying traditions, and even that word, tradition, has different meanings. Fiddler on the Roof anyone? But you can’t call it denominations because Catholics and Orthodox Christians don’t identify with that term. Word selection is huge when trying to be ecumenical.


Which categories have you found to be unhelpful?

I don’t know that any category has been unhelpful. We can identify one another using these terms. What’s unhelpful is when we don’t put Christian first. I’ll see people tweet things like “Catholic Twitter, please pray for me as I go in for this health procedure.” Do my prayers not count because I’m not Catholic? Often, we don’t mean to be exclusive but our word selection does that.


Here’s a question snuck in, just in deference to my present faith tradition: I believe you’ve mentioned the Book of Common Prayer in your social media, what is your favorite part of the Prayer Book?

I love its depth. It took me years to understand what I was looking at; a combination of liturgical worship service and corporate/individual prayers, but I’ve learned to feel my way around it as a personal prayer book. I love the opening of The Great Litany:

“O God the Father, Creator of heaven and earth,
Have mercy upon us.

O God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy upon us.

O God the Holy Ghost, Sanctifier of the faithful,
Have mercy upon us.

O holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity, one God,
Have mercy upon us.”

Let’s talk about your upcoming book, Not All Who Wander (Spiritually) Are Lost, which the synopsis calls “a story of faith and exploration.” Tell us a little about how this story unfolds; is it through your memoirs, conversations, or other things? 

In its simplest form the book tells my own church story. There’s a chronological rhythm to it but all along the way, I reflect on various experiences. For example, I walked down the aisle to an invitation hymn and was baptized at seven years old. Was that too young? What about Christians who came to faith in a more gradual way, rather than praying “the sinner’s prayer?” Where does infant baptism fit into this narrative?

In addition to my story, there are essays from some friends. In ways our church stories are similar, and they vary greatly in other areas. Often, these guest writers tell about another tradition to give readers an idea of what it’s like practicing Christianity in their churches.

The book is designed to offer times of reflection (I hope everyone sees their own story in there somewhere) and start healthy conversations.

Finally, if a churchgoer wants to learn about a brother or sister in a different tradition, how would you advise them to proceed? What tips would you offer?

Don’t be afraid. People like talking about their church. It’s easy to find a variety of people to interact with on social media. We’ve never had the ability to broaden our horizons so easily and quickly. Go and visit a church, taking a friend or asking a new friend to meet you at the door. Again, I’ve been so well received everywhere I go. If your heart is true and you want to learn, people are eager to share their story.

If you really branch out and visit a tradition unknown to you, like an un-programmed service with the Quakers or a Russian Orthodox Divine Liturgy, give them a heads up you’re coming if you can. It eases the awkwardness when you arrive. In the case of the Russian Orthodox Church, their women cover their heads with a scarf during the service. There was a basket of scarves outside the nave so we could have used those, but because I had checked ahead of time, I knew to bring a scarf to wear. I had also been warned they stood during the service and it could be two to three hours long. Both correct! Nevertheless, my family and I were welcomed and I left feeling as if I had worshiped Christ our Savior.


In closing, I’d like to ask: Is there is anything we can pray for you about?

So kind of you to ask! Pray for me as I engage in these kinds of conversations in my daily life and online. Pray over the book when it releases next spring, that the ensuing conversations would be God-glorifying. I’m constantly considering this, is a particular faith practice man pleasing or God-honoring? Pray we could all have open hands and hearts as we ask this question in our own lives.


If you'd like to learn more about Traci, check out her blog at https://www.tracesoffaith.com

You can also follow her on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

You can learn more and pre-order her upcoming book here.