I just got done reading the Relevant Leader magazine, my favorite article was Asking Tough Questions: Is There A Place For Skeptics in the Church? by Chris Mitchell. The reason why I liked this article so much is because by nature I am a very skeptical person. I am the "why guy" in meetings. I don't do this to be annoying or even negative, actually I am very upbeat and positive person. I just like to gain a greater understanding of things. If I don't know something, I will exhaust all research until I find the answer. When it comes to faith I feel that I am ground in the essentials of faith, the hard truths of Christianity, but when it comes to the extracurricular stuff that goes along with the church or even with my own denomination this is where I get extremely skeptical and I question. I am the type of person I just don't accept any answer or even any teaching, I need to know for myself if this is right.
With all of that being said, one of my favorite types of people to minister to, be around, and to talk with are skeptical people. I love the honest conversations I can have with them, I enjoy provoking their thinking not with simple Christianese answers but with really deep question. I especially see this with many of the students at Evangel, too many have the sunday school answers down, but let us get beyond the shallow and get deep. I don't want to just give people cliches or memorized answers, I want them to have a great thirst for knowledge which in return will produce a greater faith. There are things I still wrestle with...I do believe over time I will gain a understanding of it or even a revelation. Until then, I want to continue to be provoked and continue to provoke others to come to an individual intimate faith in God.
Later
Chris
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