Ranges Community Church

Finished Doubting’ by Alister McGrath. It is a topic which for me I often struggle with. Not so much about God and his character. Rather Christianity.

I’ve read a number of McGrath’s books and found them useful. There where a number of paragraphs that McGrath wrote that I found helpfull. So I thought that I’d just quote them and add a bit of blurb next to them.

In the first place, doubt is not skepticism-decision to doubt everything deliberatey, as a matter of principle.

In the second, it’s not unbelief- the decision not to have faith in God. Unbelief is an act of will, rather than a difficulty in understanding.”

Yep this is about where I fit.

“In the words of Blaise Pascal, “In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don’t”

I think this can be seen in the natural world. If you are a real searcher yet at the same time are over burdened with skepticism you will never find God. I suppose there has to be a time when you just say yes. Hanging on just to that yes. God will not disappointed this jump of faith.

“Some people develop a very superficial faith in the gospel, which never takes root properly. Often, it is very emotional in character, relying heavily on experience of the presence of God or an unbalanced understanding of the work of the Holy Spirit. While such faith is initially enormously enthusiastic, it lacks real substance. It is like a house built on sand rather than rock-it lacks a solid foundation, being too dependent on human emotional states and not relying on the promises of God.”

I’ve seen this, with friend, young people, youth groups. the only thing holding them is the hype and emotion. They do disappear or hop from one church to the next looking for the buzz.

I’ve seen it the other way as well, where Churches and its people are wooden. The place is lifeless. It was in this type of place many years ago when I nearly walked away from it all. If it wasn’t for an experience  of the Holy Spirit I doubt that organized religion would have cut it for me.