Last Sunday, inspired by these words from John's gospel, I asked my congregation to think of aspects of the Christian faith that they found hard to accept. I promised to discuss some of their "hard teachings" in the service, and to publish the rest on line and in print, together with my responses.
So, there's going to be a series of posts on this subject.
Why did I do this?
I do it from a belief that Christianity is not a dodgy cult, but a solid, rational, trustworthy faith. That means that it's OK to go digging around in its dusty corners, we won't unearth any unexploded bombs that are going to blow our faith out of the water.
I've also been encouraged by this book Blind Spots in the Bible by Adrian Plass. In preparing to look hard at some passages we tend to avoid, Adrian says this: "I found myself driven, as ever, to the crucial conclusion that we can safely explore the strangest of avenues as long as we are safe in Jesus." I like his attitude, which is all about giving people freedom to ask questions and have doubts, without pretending that we have a simple, solid faith with answers to everything. Such simple, apparently earthquake-proof beliefs often cave in alarmingly as soon as an unanswerable question comes along. I'd rather have a faith that looks more ramshackle, but which is capable of stretching or flexing when the ground shakes beneath it.
So, come with me onto some dodgy ground, and let's see what our faith is built on!
Solid rock, or shifting sand?
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