lots of doubts after years of certainty
A friend recently sent me an email that included the following:
Looking forward to your new book Faith after Doubt. It sounds like a book that I need. Lots of doubts after years of certainty. I think it’s part of a process of letting go to go deeper into what is.
Those seven words, "lots of doubts after years of certainty," tell a story that so many can identify with. For some, personal suffering nudges their faith into re-examination. For some, it's watching religious institutions decompose through internal corruption or bizarre political alliances. For some, it's watching the faith they inherited from their parents not even work for their parents. For some, it's just growing up and being able to think for themselves.
My friend's ten words -- a "process of letting go to go deeper into what is" - beautifully/painfully capture the process I try to describe in my upcoming book, Faith After Doubt.
It comes out January 5, but you can pre-order now, and we'll soon be making some advanced chapters available. Later this month I'll be recording the audiobook version.
I'm so happy that this resource will soon be available.
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Victor Frankl offers this thought experiment:
"Imagine that you are sitting in a concert hall and listening to your favorite symphony, and your favorite bars of the symphony resound in your ears, and you are so moved by the music that it sends shivers down your spine; and now imagine that it would be possible (something that is psychologically so impossible) for someone to ask you in this moment whether your life has meaning. I believe you would agree with me if I declared that in this case you would only be able to give one answer, and it would go something like: 'It would have been worth it to have lived for this moment alone!'”
Thanks to Maria Popova for this gem - https://www.brainpickings.org/2020/07/17/viktor-frankl-yes-to-life-love-music/
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The First Job We Were Given
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Clergy – Please Don’t Be Silent! (but be non-silent wisely and legally!)
If you're a pastor, please read this letter:
Christian Clergy Call to Election Action
And if you're nervous about what you can and cannot do, please check out this resource:
Resources for Pastors
And if you'd like to do some more research, here are more resources. You only have six Sundays until the election - please don't miss your opportunity. Your voice, your moral leadership, your courage are needed!
https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2012/10/PF_politics-and-the-pulpit-2012.pdf
http://www.interfaithalliance.org/resources/electionyearresources/
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A Reader Writes: Left without a Community
A reader writes:
I’m writing to say “Thank you” for the impact that you have had on my life. As a life-long Christian, I thought I had a solid understanding of God’s plan and was comfortable knowing that I was “in.” About 12 years ago, I began to question some of those beliefs. I soon realized that once you start questioning, it’s difficult to know where to stop.
The first book I read of yours was “The Secret Message of Jesus.” I realized how little I knew about the message and ministry of Jesus. Like most Christians, I was in the “Jesus came to die – Paul teaches how to live” camp. I soon followed up with your other books including; A New Kind of Christianity, A Generous Orthodoxy, Naked Spirituality, and the Great Spiritual Migration, to name only a few.
These books have profoundly shaped my faith and view of God. Your work has helped me see God as a loving Father, not a Judge waiting for me to fail. In addition, my heart is open to love others as fellow brothers and sisters regardless of their religion, sexual orientation, etc.
The challenge is that this spiritual growth has left me without a community. I find that most of my Christian friends don’t really want to discuss alternative views on Christian teachings. They seem to be comfortable where they are, and extremely uncomfortable when I ask them questions that may challenge their beliefs.
Thanks for your note. I imagine that many readers of this blog will feel just as you do about feeling you're left without a community.
Like you, so many people are glad for where their journey has taken them, but they're looking for some new companions.
First, to understand what's happening to some of your friends, this blog and short video might be helpful: https://brianmclaren.net/the-five-electorates-in-2020/
It's not just you who are changing.
Second, there are so many excellent podcasts available that provide a kind of virtual community. If you're looking for some, try googling my name in a podcast app, and you'll find ones that have had me as a guest.
Third, I work with the CAC, and the daily meditations from Richard Rohr and friends also create a touchstone each day to remind you you're not alone.
Finally, you may be ready to venture out to find a new community. You might be surprised that there's a Methodist, Episcopal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, UCC, or other mainline church in your area that will "get" where you are and provide a good spiritual home. There are growing numbers of progressive/post Evangelical churches too. Just a few hours ago, I learned about a new one springing up in my area.
Thanks for writing. It means a lot to know my books have been helpful to you. It's an honor to write for people like you!
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