Questions Along A Faith Journey

Questions Along a Faith Journey

11/11/2019

Why do I have so many questions along my faith journey? Shouldn't I know the answers or just be told what they are? Am I the only one with the questions? Does this mean my faith is not strong enough? Am I missing something everyone else is? What does it even mean to have a faith? Is it belief in God, Jesus, or is it just a belief in the mysterious spark of life?

What if others know I have questions? Will they judge me for not believing everything I hear and read? Will I be allowed to still be apart of their group? What does this mean for my faith journey? Can I even still be considered faithful?

Where do I even start with these questions?

Questions About Disconnection With God

Why do I feel so disconnected at times from God in my life? Is it me or is it God just not wanting to be with me? Did I do something that God turned away from me? How do I stay steady spiritually when I don't even know where I am most days?

Why do I hear all these amazing testimonies from others but I have none for myself? Couldn't God just talk into my life and make this easier? How often do most people pray? Is it ok to fall asleep why you are praying? How do people stay focused in prayer without their minds wandering?

Questions About Scripture

I mean did Jonah really get eaten by a whale and survive? Or is it just a myth that provides ways for us to find faith? How long can you survive if you are eaten by something anyways?

Did the whole city of Jericho really come crashing down because the army walked around it? Was it just poorly built or was there some weird shift in the foundation?

How does evolution work with the creation story? Was it literally 7 days or is that just a worldview that has been passed through generations? How do dinosaurs fit into the stories from scripture?

How is it these are the only writings in time that make up the word of God? Doesn't God act throughout time making the Bible just part of it? Does God still speak today? And if God did how would that become scripture?

Questions About Jesus

Did Jesus really walk on water as that seems impossible? And why wouldn't he do it all the time if he could? Does this mean Jesus could also fly? Was he really born from a Virgin or did God just act within the world events that transpired?

Was Jesus born as the Son of God or did he become someone we look to as divine because of his life and message? Was he always kind, or did he ever show other extreme emotions? How was Jesus during his teenage and young adult life? Did he ever make any bad choices?

What would Jesus think about society today? Who would he be a champion for now? What about his message still speaks to me? What would he think about social media? And how would he use it to carry about his works? How would he change church today? What would be his primary focus of ministry?

I wonder how people will take a whole blog post of questions?

Maybe this will cause others to question things in their faith this week?

1 Comment

Author

Craig Hidy like the majority of ministers in Community of Christ is a bi-vocational, self sustaining ordained minister. He is a member of the Midlands Mission Center Emporia Team and an ordained Seventy. He and his family, live in Topeka, Kansas.

The mission of the Seventy
“After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves.” Luke 10:1-3 NRSV

What is a Seventy?
The Seventy carry out missionary work for the church in close association with other missionary leaders. They represent Christ primarily as ministers of evangelism through witnessing, inviting, and church planting.

They especially proclaim and promote Jesus Christ’s invitation to faithful discipleship through vibrant witness, and train individuals and congregations in witness and invitation.

They particularly minister with seekers, individually and in groups, to share the gospel in relevant ways and to invite response.

Please Note

The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of Community of Christ. We believe individuals should be allowed to have their own opinions and be at different places in their faith journey.

Emporia Community of Christ

Jim

11/11/2019 06:30:01 pm

To stay connected with a faith community, one must have a personal relationship with Christ. Many who have come in to the “Light of Christ” have subsequently lost their way because they placed their faith in a church doctrine or a church leader and not Christ.

Years ago I was struggling with a significant faith issue, resulting from a change in theology regarding priesthood. I did a lot of study and prayer, I talked with a lot of friends in my faith community, searching for an answer, but could find none. Then an old friend came to my congregation and preached a sermon using the following scripture from Matthew.

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will know them by their fruits.” Matthew 7:15-20 NRSV

He said not to worry or to contend with others over the issue, but to observe whether it “Bears Good Fruit”. If it bears good fruit it is of God, if it does not bear good fruit it is not of God. As I have encountered other faith issues, this counsel has served me well, and I am at peace with Christ and my faith community.

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