A couple of months ago I wrote about how our generation is more open to exploring the ‘spiritual’ side of life than the generation before us, while at the same time we are not slow in asking questions and voicing doubts. I also said that doubt is not a bad thing. It forces us to go focus on why we believe something, and why it is important to us. It forces us to keep an open mind, and not get too set in our ways. It keeps us on our toes and keeps our faith alive.
For the past six weeks, with the help of Tim Keller’s book – ‘The reason for God’, we have been giving people the chance to explore some of their doubts at our SIX30 service on Sunday evenings. What has been on offer has been a safe place where, within the context of Christian worship, people can still voice their concerns and discuss things that puzzle them. These occasions seem to have hit the right note, as they have been well attended by Christians and non-Christians alike, and, as the weeks have passed, I think there has been a shared recognition that, whatever our doubts are, belief in God is still not an unreasonable thing to hold to.
But once someone is open to the possibility of spiritual belief, where do they start? How do they find their way through the myriad possibilities and worldviews that are out there? As a Christian, my response would be that the best place to start is with Jesus. Being a Christian is like being on a journey, where you may not know all that lies ahead, but you’ve found a guide you can trust.
For the next six weeks we plan to flip things round. Instead of exploring faith and doubt at our SIX30 service, we will now be exploring the second half of Tim Keller’s book, which is about doubt and faith. Having spent some time exploring barriers to belief, we are now going to be looking at the stepping stones which might help us on our way.
For example…
• What clues are there that help us to believe?
• Is it possible to truly know God?
• Why is sin such a problem anyway?
• How does ‘religion’ compare with the Gospel?
• Why do Jesus’ death and resurrection matter?
• What is the ‘dance of God’?
Once again, you can aim for 6.30pm, or you can come early. Everyone is welcome, and there will be plenty of time for discussion. The series begins on Sunday 8th November.
Hope to see you soon.
Much love
John
