Incompatible faith?

If we are honest I wonder how many of us question our faith (whatever we choose to believe or not believe in), the choices that we have made and the questions, doubts, issues that keep us from going deeper into our faith? 

I know that for me I often like to keep my choices open and therefore not to commit too deeply.  One way to do this is to avoid thinking or questioning and thus never consider anything deeper or go to the opposite extreme of questioning everything and therefore committing to nothing. 

Saying that there are a number of things that bug me, questions that seem to be without answer that makes it harder to sometimes know how to go deeper - the issues/questions  seem incompatible with my faith.  Questions like why does the old testament part of the bible seem so violent compared to the new, same God different marketing campaign? Or why would anyone else want to follow Jesus, i'm more than happy sharing my story of why i do and my experiences but I'm never sure why anyone else would?

It is why I am glad that our church will be exploring these issues during this year and inviting folk to submit the questions, thoughts and struggles that we have with our faith in everyday life that makes it hard to live it out.

So what questions/issues of your own would you submit?

Comments

[Jeff Gill]

How much is God actually involved in my daily life?

I believe firmly that God is working in my life. I am certain that he has spoken to me a number of times. But what about the daily stuff? When I avoided a car accident yesterday, and breathed a prayer of thanks -- I know that was a proper response, but was God directly involved or was it just my mind and body responding well to the situation?

I guess the question is: How much of an interventionist is God?

Does my having a sense of his involvement mean that he does? Is having the sense of God's involvement somehow matter more than the details of how my car avoided the other car?

Now my brain is starting to hurt.

[fernando]

Why do Christians hate each other so much?

A lot of my "struggles" these days come back to the way Christians treat each other and those around them. There's just so much anger, bitterness and resentment. Or, if it's not that, then it is coldness and inhospitability.

It sure ain't "you'll know them by their love for each other."

[Marc]

Why do american evangelicals seem so mad?

[Paul]

Thanks Jeff. It's a great Q, i always used to imagine God as bein like the wizard of Oz, in a room full of levers and controls, able to intervene all the time - when my footie team lost for instance i was pretty sure that God was punishing me for my lustful thoughts and when we won that God was rewarding me.

I guess i've kinda relaxed my view from God the master engineer of the precision controlled universe to a more messy view, God the risk taker, God the grower, the farmer, the father, the guy who sends the rain on the just and the unjust - that is more scary as it is more random maybe, it certainly feels less controlled.

And whether it was divine intervention or excellent reflexes i'm glad you avoided an accident!

[Paul]

Thanks F, it is hard to reconcile, i often feel my own selfishness is actualy about me preserving and protecting my own identity and space. It is a reall challenge to stop being right and start trying to be good...

[Paul]

Thanks Marc, maybe they say the same about us UK evangelicals :)

[Laura Anne]

I would like to know the answer to Psalm 73. Why does it seem that bad things happen to good people, and good things to bad?

And is the God the western church are marketing actually the God we say we follow?

How liberal and open-minded can we be before we start compromising our beliefs?

Why are some people healed on earth, and others not til Heaven?

[David]

Ahhh to embrace the unknown and to be okay with being confused.
It's tough ain't it.
And yet for me it just adds to the awe and wonder of it all....
as frustrating as it also is.

Hope things are well amigo.

[Paul]

Thanks Laura Anne, those are great questions! I might have to borrow them and submit them as my own :)

[Paul]

Thanks David, amazing what uncertainty we can face when we're in the company of amigos :)