Tag: jesus

Dealing with Doubt

On Sunday we talked about doubt and how it’s a part of our lives, and a part of faith. We talked about how you get through it by acknowledging it, naming it, and bringing God into it. We first must acknowledge we are having doubt. We then need to radically and in a raw fashion, name the doubt and struggle. And lastly, we need to bring God into it, and bring to God our doubt. This is how the Psalmist in Psalm 23, Jesus, and Mother Teresa all deal with their difficulties. And I believe that’s the path for us as well.

 

I also wanted to just list some of the quotes that I mentioned here for some further reflection for you. At the bottom I’ve also included some of the books that have helped me to understand this important topic. I hope it’s helpful!

 

Os Guinness:

  • “We do not trust God because he guides us; we trust and then are guided, which means that we can trust God even when we do not seem guided by him. Faith may be in the dark about guidance, but it is never in the dark about God”
  • “If faith does not resolve doubt, doubt will dissolve faith”

Father Neuner (Mother Teresa’s Confessor)

  • “The sure sign of God’s hidden presence in this darkness is the thirst for God, the craving for a least a ray of his light. No one can long for God unless God is present in his/her heart”

Flannery O’Connor:

 

  • “I think there is no suffering greater than what is caused by the doubts of those who want to believe. I know what torment this is, but I can only see it, in myself anyway, as the process by which faith is deepened. What people don’t realize is how much religion costs. They think faith is a big electric blanket, when, of course, it is the cross”

 

Books that Were Helpful to Me:

 

  • Come Be My Light – Mother Theresa
  • Dark Night of the Soul – St. John of the Cross
  • God in the Dark – Os Guinness

 

Lastly, what has been helpful for you in getting through doubt? Was it a friend, book, song, movie, or something else? Leave a comment and let us know what’s impacted and helped you to deal with doubt…

 

by Andrew Mills

The Darkness of Doubt

Have you ever doubted?

I have. I have doubted in God, his faithfulness, and his plan for my life. I’ve doubted whether it will come to pass and whether it’s good.

The truth is that doubt is a part of our lives more than we’d like to admit. We go through dark times, struggle, question, and wonder where God is. On Sunday that’s what we’re looking at: how to deal with the darkness of doubt. Because if you notice doubt is part of the Bible. Half of the Psalms are Laments expressing doubt and longing towards God. Job is a book that centres on doubt and questioning. Peter doubts. Thomas doubts. David struggles and wonders where God is. And even Jesus himself struggles in anguish asking God “Why have you forsaken me?” and “Is there another way?”

So doubt is a part of life and it is also a part of faith. On Sunday I want to look at how doubt can actually be a process through which your trust in God can be deepened. But before we get there I want to ask two questions. What do you do when you experience doubt in your life? How do you actually deal with it? And secondly, what has caused the deepest doubt in your life? My guess is that you’ve gone through doubt and dealt with it one way or another. So what causes you to doubt, and when that happens, how do you deal with it?

These are important questions to think about because whether or not you are currently in a crisis of faith, doubt can sneak up on us. So it is worth discovering how to deal with something that, while it can threaten our faith, it can equally deepen it as well…

by Andrew Mills

Soap Boxes, Couches, and Stories

A friend of mine, Pernell Goodyear, was talking at our denomination’s regional gathering. I was recently going through my notes and really resonated with what he shared. He was talking about evangelism, as inviting people into our lives and walking with others. In his talk he said this:

“Soap boxes and pulpits are not nearly as important as kitchen tables and couches.”

This point really hit me quite hard. His point was simple. Evangelism happens best in the context of hospitality and friendship. Inviting people into your life to see how you live, to ask questions, and to live with you is the starting point. We need to be less concerned with getting our message out there, and more concerned with getting our “lives” out there. To actually connect with people, from friendships, and not only speak the message of grace, but to live it out.

Pernell’s point isn’t to invite someone into your home to “evangelize” or “convert” them. Jesus didn’t do that. Jesus entered people’s homes to hear their stories, to enter into their lives with grace. He entered their homes so that their lives became a part of his story. And we need to follow the same example, practicing radical hospitality with our friends, neighbors, and co-workers, letting their stories intermingle with ours, to see what God might do with the convergence.

So how do we practice this? Well, that’s the easy part, you start opening up your home, inviting neighbors in, inviting friends in, and welcoming others. Start listening to other people’s stories and seeking to discover how Jesus has been active in their lives, because he is. Jesus is already at work all over the world. We need to start joining him in that work by welcoming people into our homes, and starting to share our story, and listen to others…

by Andrew Mills

Lessons from My Father: See Good, Give Grace, and Celebrate

Yesterday we talked a little bit about what my dad taught me about God. I shared three lessons that I’ve learned about my heavenly father from my earthly dad.

The first was that God changes us by reminding us of who we are, not who we aren’t. In Colossians 3:12 God calls us holy, dearly loved, and chosen. God reminds us who we are and how he sees us. He doesn’t see us as half-holy strike outs. He doesn’t see us as people he has to love. He doesn’t see us as half wanted wannabes. Instead, he sees us as holy, loved, and chosen people. Being reminded of who you are is what leads people to change and grow. There is a great clip that shows this from the movie Blood Diamond. What’s happened is this young boy has been taken as a child soldier and forced to do terrible things. This is the scene when his father finds him. Listen to how he talks to him.

I love the line, “I am your Father who loves you, and you will come home with me and be my son again”. This is just like our heavenly Father. God the Father doesn’t begin by reminding us of all the ways we’ve failed, messed up, and sinned. He reminds us of who we are in Him and also who we are to him. He reminds us how he sees us as holy, loved, and chosen. That like Solomon in that clip reminds his son Dia, “You are a good boy.”

The truth is that people live up to our expectations of them. And if we only see people as screw-ups and wash-outs, why should they act any differently if we can’t believe differently about them?

So the first lesson was to remind people of who they are and what we see in them. The second lesson was that grace is meant to be given. We love to give grace to nice people, deserving people, or people who earn it and ask for it. But this isn’t grace. Grace is a gift that covers a wrong, that reconciles, and redeems. Grace can’t be earned, it is a free gift. So we talked about how if there is division, tension, or problems in a relationship to think about this question: “What would it mean to give a gift of grace to that person?” It doesn’t mean pretending that nothing is wrong, but instead rising above the wrong and giving a gift of love.

And lastly, we talked about how we need to learn to celebrate. Celebration, throwing parties, and connecting isn’t just fun, it’s actually Godly. In the Old Testament they had celebrations every single month. In the New Testament the Kingdom of God is often related to a party. And in the parable of the Prodigal Son, the Father throws a lavish party instantly to welcome home his son. The point is that God is into good celebrations, great connections, and a fun party. So we need to as well.

So this week go out and remind people of who they are, give grace, and celebrate. And as you do this, watch as people are changed, because you’ll be living and acting just like our heavenly father…

by Andrew Mills

Where I Saw Jesus this Week…

This week at church we had an amazing Sunday. We celebrated the anniversary of our church, and celebrated the volunteers in our church. Really they aren’t volunteers in the church; they are the church – demonstrating it by how they give. And so as we took time to recognize and thank them I saw Jesus in the little things on Sunday…

  • We had so many people stand to be recognized by how they give in both small, and great ways here at church. They give through their time,and effort, and don’t ask for a reward in return. We gave them a Wunder bar because of how “wunderful” they are. They even laughed at our pun. This is Jesus.
  • We have an amazing administrator here who gave so much and took no credit for a great Sunday. She organized it, got it together, picked up supplies, called people, cleaned up and did it all with a smile. This is Jesus.
  • I was given a hug on Sunday by someone who said this is for you simply because you deserve it. This is Jesus.
  • I have a mom who on Sunday’s when I am busy, and seeking to connect with people comes to me and asks, “Andrew can I watch Hudson for you for a bit?” That’s Jesus.
  • There we people who stayed behind to wash dishes with me laughing and trying to figure out the dishwasher. They served, gave of their time, and their friendship. This is Jesus.

So where did I find Jesus this week? I found him in people, his church. I found him in you. This is a beautiful thing.

So this week if you’re looking for Jesus you don’t have to look far. Look to the people who are walking with you. Pay attention and I bet you’ll find him…Because he isn’t hiding…He’s just so close to you sometimes he’s hard to see…

by Andrew Mills

A Quick Quote to Change Your Day

Read the following quote. Then slow down, and read it again. Lastly read it one last time and let it shape your day.

There are many books that tell us how to find God. But the truth is that God is not lost or hiding. In fact, it is the actual, continuous, omnipresence of God that is so hard for the human mind to fathom.

God is with you, God is near to you, God is a part of every moment of every day. So go out today seeking to just live in awareness of his presence. As Jesus says “Pay attention” (Matt. 24:42). So may we pay attention today and find the God that isn’t lost or hiding but is right with us the whole time…

by Andrew Mills

Fastening Your Grip ~ Clinging to God…

Earlier this week when I dropped off Hudson for daycare he was quite upset. He’s been sick and not at daycare and so has spent lots of extra time with mommy and daddy. So when I went to drop him off he started crying and said “Daddy, no, home daddy, home”. He wanted to go home with me. He literally wrapped his little body around me, grabbing my shirt and neck with his arms, and my body with his legs. He was literally clinging to me.

Eventually we made it through and after I left our wonderful daycare sent me a text saying he was happy and having lots of fun. But I couldn’t get that picture out of my mind ofHudson clinging to me.

Often in the Old Testament we are told to “cling” to God. We read of this in Deuteronomy 10:19, Joshua 23:8; and Psalm 63:7. In each verse we are told to cling tightly to God, to not let go. The Hebrew word is the word dabaq which literally means to cling, hold on tightly to, to cleave to, or to fasten your grip. This is literally what Hudson did. He fastened his grip on me, he wouldn’t let go, he clung to me.

As I look back on this morning I wonder if I have that same desire for God that Hudson had for me? Am I clinging to God that much? Am I truly fastening my grip on him deciding to never let go? Would I notice if God wasn’t right next to me? Am I that close to him? These are deep questions but important ones to ask.

So today ask yourself this…What do you cling to?

by Andrew Mills

Chasing Bubbles ~ Developing Wonder

I’m just going to state the obvious. My son has more fun than me at any given moment. Seriously. My life compared to his is dull, dreary, and lacks luster. Any parent knows immediately this truth: kids love to play with bubbles proportionally more than we really like to do anything. Bubbles bring out this amazing sense of play, awe and excitement in my son that happens so naturally and easily.

This is important to note because Jesus says in Luke 18:16, “The Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.” And as I ponder this verse in connection with my son I’ve realized something. He has more wonder than me.

I think this is part of what Jesus is saying in this verse and that if we are to become childlike I believe it means, in some sense, to regain our sense of wonder. Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote, “The whole earth is full of his glory, but we do not perceive it; it is within our reach but beyond our grasp”. He continued to write of the importance of wonder, awe, and astonishment. I believe children grasp what we do not perceive as adults: that there is wonder, awe, and God’s presence all around us. If we want to grow closer to God we need to allow a spirit of wonder to capture us. Heschel says, “The insights of wonder must be constantly kept alive. Since there is a need for daily wonder, there is a need for daily worship”.

This is what I am learning to do through Hudson. I now stand in awe of bubbles as they move, sway, and swirl through the sun. We stare at the stars in amazement as he yells “that one, that one, that one”, as he personally seeks to discover each star in the sky. We slow down and watch butterflies dance across the sky holding our breath in excitement.  And as I do this with him he is teaching me wonder, and teaching me to find God…

So today do something that is truly “wonder-full” and seek to discover God as a child would, with wonder, awe, innocence and joy. Then share where you found wonder or who it was with. For me obviously the best “wonder-hunter” in the world is Hudson. So today we’re going to explore this world together and find God in the midst of it…go have fun!

by Andrew Mills

Silencing Death and Learning to Speak

On Sunday I’m going to be preaching about death. In preperation for Sunday I thought I’d write a brilliant series of blog posts on death. But the reality is I’m struggling to simply write just this one…

Eberhard Jüngel wrote,  “Death is mute, and renders us speechless.” That’s what I’m feeling. I’m feeling speechless, drained, and unsure of what to say. This is why I hate death; it simply takes too much…

So why write at all? Why preach on death? Why not just talk about something else?

Well, because then death would win. When we refuse to talk about it, to enter into it, or to journey with people struggling with it, death wins because it separates us, it isolates us, and leaves us speechless. So on Sunday I’m not going to let death win and together we are going to talk about death. We are going to explore why death happens, what death really is, how you get through it, and how you can face it.

I know for some in our congregation this topic will hit very close to home. It will for me as well, because Sunday is the anniversary of my dad’s death 2 years ago. Krista asked me, wouldn’t I rather just take the Sunday off and be by myself? And the anwser is no. I won’t let death stop me from doing what I love – preaching. I won’t let death stop me from following my calling. And I won’t let death separate me on a hard day from the family and church that I love. Death has already taken too much, and I won’t let it take anymore.

So Sunday we will stop death from rendering us speechless. We will talk about it, heal through it, and discover that death is the last enemy, but it is not an enemy that lasts…

And who knows maybe next week I’ll have something brilliant to write. Being honest and open will have to do for today…

by Andrew Mills

Kissing Dirty Faces

Today I started thinking about messiness, and dirtiness. I am someone who likes a clean world. And I don’t really like messiness in general. But today my little boy ran up to me when I came home saying “Daddy, Daddy, Daddy” wanting a big hug and kiss.

The only thing was he had a really snotty face, his mouth was full of cookie, and when he gives kisses they are big open mouthed kisses. So did I ask him to clean his face first? No, of course not. I gave him a big kiss, runny nose and all.

The reason this struck me is because we all seem to have different tolerances of “dirtiness” in our lives. But the interesting thing is that depending on the person, our tolerance of dirtiness changes. Hudson running with a dirty face for a kiss gets one, if it was someone else it might not have happened. The point is that our acceptance of “messiness” affects relationships.

Do we allow people to enter our worlds who aren’t clean, perfect, and orderly? Do we actually invite people who are different, messy, and maybe even dirty and unkempt to journey with us? Would we be willing to kiss a dirty face?

This might seem like an odd question, but for the people of God it is a crucial question. The question of acceptance is critical for the church because Jesus demonstrates a radical acceptance of people just as they are. Jesus kisses people with dirty faces, and even dirty feet. People don’t need to change or to be cleaned up to come to Jesus or join his followers. Tax collectors, lepers, and prostitutes came and joined his group as they were without change. Jesus seems to be okay with a bit of dirt, and messiness. The question is are we?

Do we allow people to join with us, and belong without being clean? Do we expect people to behave like Christians before learning to following Jesus with us? Are we okay with some messiness, dirt, and grime in church? These are the questions we, as Christians, need to answer because if Jesus is okay with some messiness, we need to be too.

You know what made the difference for me allowing me to kiss my son’s dirty face? The simple fact that I deeply love him. Love changes how we see people. Love changes how we see messy lives, and broken hearts. Love looks past the outside, the dirt, the sin, the brokenness, and sees someone worth loving. That’s how Jesus sees us and we need to see people in the same way.

So the final question is this: are you looking on people with love? Do you see people as Jesus does? Are your actions those of Jesus, accepting people as they are and welcoming them in? Does who you welcome, and hang out with look like the same people Jesus welcomed and spends time with? Because if we want to learn to follow Jesus, we need to start being like Jesus. Spending time with dirty and broken people.

I can tell you when we start doing that we’ll discover Jesus in our midst. If you want to find Jesus, you need to go where he hangs out; and Jesus has always hung out where people with messy lives and dirty faces are. So why not join Jesus there, loving, accepting, and kissing a dirty face or two…

by Andrew Mills