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12/15/2019

While my son, Kyle, was alive, we spent many hours, over many years discussing a wide swath of theological questions. However, after his death, and the subsequent events of his new baby daughter, Mercy, almost dying, followed several weeks later by the death of his and Hope’s close friend, Eric, (also Max’s Godfather)…those questions discussed in Kyle’s living room, over text messages and late night phone calls, have had to be answered and lived out in the reality of daily life.

I have been a skeptic most of my life…always asking question after question…followed by more questions. Before I make a decision on something, or gain trust with someone, I need a lot of questions answered. That has been true of my worldview as well.

Every one of us has a worldview, or in other words, a “religion.” A worldview is, in a sense, the lens through which you ultimately look at reality. Every worldview has to answer these four foundational questions:

Origin – How does your worldview explain the origins of the human race and creation?
Meaning – Where  is meaning anchored within your worldview?
Morality – What is the moral foundation of your worldview?
Destiny – What is the ultimate destiny of your worldview?

Faith in a worldview – really in anything, or anyone – is built on the gathering of facts. Most of us want some sort of surety that we have enough evidence that will hold up that which we base our decisions, our relationships and our lives on.

 “Faith is a foot bridge that you don’t know will hold you up over the chasm until you’re forced to walk out onto it.

I’m standing there now, over the chasm. I inspect the bridge.”

Nicholas Wolterstorff “Lament For a Son”

I have been inspecting the “footbridge” – Christianity – for many years now. I am certainly not alone in those who have questioned, and wrestled with, the claims of the Christian faith. Do claims of Christianity correspond to reality? Are they logically consistent? Are they experientially relevant?

After all these years of examination, I concur with many others who state, “I am convinced that Jesus Christ alone uniquely answers the deepest questions of our hearts and minds.”

The videos below are a 6-part series by Pastor Tim Keller titled “The Trouble With Christianity: Why It’s So Hard to Believe” and addresses all of the above questions, and the challenges that come with the Christian faith. The series lays a solid foundation where further studying and examination can continue to be expanded upon.

After listening to these, I hope, that you might consider the evidence that Christianity offers the best explanation of man’s condition, and Christ is the healing balm for man’s maladies. He brings forth the abundant life – through both the coalescing of unfathomable sorrow, and ineffable joy.

The footbridge of Christianity that is holding the weight of all humanity is…I have found to be…firmly established.

 May you have a truly blessed Christmas knowing what love was born into this world – for you.

If I could recommend only one book to any one questioning Christianity, or faith in God in general, this would be it. Click on the book for more information and a short video from Tim discussing the book:

Fact or Feeling? Clarity or Confusion?

Fact or Feeling? Clarity or Confusion?

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Is it possible to know truth? Does the current culture even care about facts and logic anymore? How are your kids navigating through all the societal mores they are confronted with?

 

My daughter was recently working with several students on a project at college. She was explaining to the group the requirements for the project. One of her classmates responded, “Kristen, what you say is 100% truthful and correct, but I don’t care… I don’t feel like doing it that way.”

 

That is a simplistic example of a “Post-Truth” response.  A post-truth culture is one that elevates feelings and preferences over facts and truth. People acknowledge truth exists but subordinate it to their preferences. There are tremendous implications in a society where the natural out workings of this mode of thought is lived out. We can see those implications all around us. We now live in what author Abdu Murray calls, “A Culture of Confusion.”

 

The compilers of the Oxford English Dictionary annually select a word that captures the culture’s current mood and preoccupation. In 2016, they selected ‘post-truth” as the “Word of the Year”. That got the attention of lawyer and Senior Vice President of RZIM, Abdu Murray. His thought was, “If that is where we are, we are in trouble.” He thus put pen to paper to author “Saving Truth: Finding Meaning and Clarity in a Post-Truth World”.

What do you when people know that truth exists, but simply don’t care? You give them facts and arguments, and they say they understand, but their preferences matter more? How do we navigate and affect the culture around us when logic no longer matters?

 

Our ability to reason becomes significantly impaired once we start putting personal preferences over factual truth claims, and indeed, causes our culture to become increasingly confused.

 

Abdu addresses all these questions, and answers them in a way that upholds that no matter our differences, we are all made in the image of God. He cares deeply on how people think and how they come to their beliefs and is sensitive to those differences throughout the book. Being an attorney, he has a love for how logic, evidence and solid argumentation can help the reader examine some of the most pressing issues in our culture, and come to a logically consistent tautology.

This interview gives a great overview of the book:

#Forti-fy

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Wake to the Wonder

Wake to the Wonder

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I just posted last week that Ann VosKamp’s devotional, One Thousand GIfts, has been one of my all-time favorite books – it is very well worn!

This morning, I saw she is starting a free online bible study on Novmeber 18

I just wanted to spread the word, as I am fairly confident that it will be an encouragement to all us to put our minds and hearts into a place of thanksgiving – as we seek the wonder all around us.

“Awaken to the wonder of now – the wonder of the small. Staying awake to this one wild and beautiful life.”

Consider checking it out!

#Forti-fy

What Am I?

What Am I?

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Am I just my brain?

Are our minds nothing more than a biological computer? Are we just clusters of cells and chemical reactions?

Are we “Human Algorithms”, as best selling author Yuval Harari has suggested? And just dancing to our DNA, as atheist Richard Dawkins asserts?

If that is the case, do we have free will?

Is personhood dependent upon having a fully functioning brain?

Do we believe certain things just due to our brain activity?

What ultimately makes us human?

There are huge implications on how you answer these questions. If you and/or your kids get into deep philosophical questions about science and faith, these interviews with Dr. Sharon Dirckx discussing “Am I Just My Brain?” will provide some thought provoking insights.

Dr. Sharon Dirckx knew she wanted to be a scientist from a very young age. Starting out at university studying biochemistry, she did not believe that one could be a scientist and believe in God. However, she did find out that, yes, indeed you can, and she ultimately did!

Am I just My Brain? Ask Away Podcast

by With Sharon Dirckx

Sharon joins Michael Davis and Vince and Jo Vitale on this episode.

In the video below, Sharon is speaking at at an RZIM “Trending Questions” event.  She begins her talk at the 35 minute mark and speaks for about 45 minutes. Afterwards, there is a Q & A.

You can also check out Sharon’s new book:

Rethinking Sexuality

Rethinking Sexuality

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“I know of no greater failure among Christians than in presenting a persuasive approach to sexuality.”

Honestly, it seems as if sexuality is the most discussed topic outside of the church, and the least discussed within the church. This book takes a very theological in-depth, thoughtful and compassionate approach to human sexuality and why how we live out our sexuality out matters. This book is so important in speaking truth and grace into our kids lives, as well as our own.

Let me share a few quotes from the book:

“For far too long, Christianity has not represented a safe place for pilgrims to find help related to sexuality.”

“Christians have a long history of avoiding and mishandling topics of sexuality. For generations, we simply didn’t talk about things such as sexual addition, sexual abuse, sexual dysfunction or even sexual pleasure in marriage.”

“I know of no issue that more effectively cuts to the quick of our beliefs in God. To the extent that we refuse to talk about tough sexual issues, we allow culture to define God’s character and truth on sexuality.”

“Although sexuality presents enormous challenge to Christians and to the world at large, it is not a problem to be solved but a territory to be reclaimed.”

This ground-breaking resource challenges and equips Christians to think and act biblically and compassionately in matters of sexuality.

“Sexual abuse, sex addiction, gender confusion, brokenness, and shame plague today’s world, and people are seeking clarity and hope. By contesting long-held cultural paradigms, this book equips you to see how sexuality is rooted in the broader context of God’s heart and His work for us on earth. It provides a framework from which to understand the big picture of sexual challenges and wholeness, and helps you recognize that every sexual question is ultimately a spiritual one. It shifts the paradigm from combating sexual problems to confidently proclaiming and modeling the road to sacred sexuality.”

You can listen to Juli talk about the book with the RZIM Ask Away team on this podcast episode. It is a really honest conversation on the intricacies we face and the implications of how our view of God affects our views on sex. This is a much needed resouce to fortify  your life and your kids lives. A link to the book can be found here.