#Rethink - February 2021
#Rethink - February 2021
Hello February! This month we are pondering faith reconstruction, learning from a book I don't totally agree with, and remembering that change isn't up to us.
How Do We Reconstruct our Faith in the Middle Way?
I continue to find myself in this awkward middle place of faith. Having deconstructed my ultra-conservative Christian views, I still hold to historically orthodox theology so I can’t join the progressives.
I'm just not okay with people deciding what is truth based on their own opinions. I'm really uncomfortable with the Bible being abused or excused depending on your side. I want to find the actual God, not a god created in our own image. And maybe I'm crazy, but I think this Real God wants to be found.Â
It's here in this messy middle way where things aren't black and white that I've discovered the mystery of truth in tension. I've found the delight of paradox. God is who He is whether we believe it or not. This truth keeps me seeking for more. And I long to create a space for people to reconstruct their faith in this middle way with me.
How do we express our doubt and uncertainty without becoming fixated on doubt as an identity?
What does it look like to hold doubt and faith simultaneously?
 Can we learn to be content if we never have all the answers?
I am confident that the Real God is too big for us to ever come close to understanding Him or His ways. And yet I am equally certain that He wants us to try just for the fun of it.Â
"The products Christians consume
shape the faith they inhabit."
Kristin Kobes DuMez in Jesus and John Wayne
I just finished listening to Jesus and John Wayne by Kristin Kobes DuMez and I'm honestly kind of stunned. Even though the author is significantly more liberal than I am, and even though I didn't agree with all of her perspectives or conclusions, the facts that she so articulately exposed speak for themselves.
My biggest regret after reading this book is that the audience who needs her message the most will not read the book because of her bias and choice of language. While at the same time people who already hold her opinion will only be enforced in their beliefs.
That said, Kristin lays bare some really ugly -- and often pushed under the rug -- problems within conservative evangelical Christianity. In many ways, I wasn't surprised by the revelations. I've personally experienced much of the junk she talks about, I just didn't know where it came from. And I didn't have any idea that some of the religious behavior or traditions that I often fight against were created this recently. It wasn't an easy book to read, but I'm glad I read it. Here are some take away observations:
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Power has been the driving force behind evangelical Christianity for a long time.
People do not understand how dangerous it is to have skewed theology.
False teachers are often incredibly charismatic and unassuming.
So now that I have this information, what do I do about it? That's the question I'm currently wrestling with...continued below.
It's Not Up to Me
I was overwhelmed by the mess within every level of Christianity after reading the book I mentioned above. It feels like everywhere I turn I can see lies, twisted Scripture, and people choosing to follow their own ideas instead of truly seeking to know God. It didn't seem like my pathetic little words could even begin to make a difference. But as I sat there journaling about it all, the Holy Spirit reminded me of a very important truth.
It's not up to me. It's not up to us. We can't.
None of this is new to history or to God. Look at the Old Testament. Look at the history of the church. Look at the last 2,000 years. People run from God, make up their own truth, and mess everything up. And God comes with grace and rescues us. Over, and over, and over.
As I prayed, I was reminded that the only thing I can do is to point people to a real God who will do the rest. I can't fight every lie. I can't debunk every theory of the right or left. But I can share the Gospel. I can tell my story. And I can present the very Real Jesus that I have found. And He is big enough to do the rest. That is SO encouraging!
Thanks for taking a moment to #Rethink some of our religious traditions and beliefs. I know that it can be scary to deconstruct and reconstruct our faith, but finding the Real Jesus is absolutely worth it. As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts, questions, or comments.
If you know someone who would love to #rethink, please share!
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