This is a text version of the story I told at the opening worship this past week's Arts, Recreation and Worship Conference. You can find video at the bottom of the post. The whole story--our story, our faith story--begins and ends with water It all begins with the spirit of almighty God hovering over the water—an inky, black, watery abyss. Water left to its own devices will create chaos and wreak ...
Read More
If you're not familiar with the story of Jacob and Esau, you can listen here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3BLexsGYvmW2cASToRpzvQ?si=zhy0P92PTwmAazGIVtBd2Q&dl_branch=1 To recap: Jacob has been fighting to be the first-born or at least receive the benefits of the first-born since he and his brother were in the womb. Finding his brother in a weak moment, Jacob trades Esau a bowl of stew for Esau’s birthright. Knowing that this not really kosher, Jacob and mom, Rebekah, concoct a ...
Read More
Regular followers of Doubting Believer know that I'm not really one to cherry pick Bible verses and toss them out as easy answers or rules for life. Individual scripture passages should be read in context to the whole and always in light of the words, work and witness of Jesus. That being said, there are, of course, some real gems contained in our scriptures that may be just what ...
Read More
There are plenty of verses in the Bible that celebrate wine. Psalm 104 says that wine is a gift from God to "gladden our hearts." Proverbs 3:9-10 claims wine is a blessing for honoring the Lord with our gifts and tithes. Our vats will "overflow with new wine." Jesus turned water into wine (John 2:6-10) , and, of course, Jesus himself instituted one of our holiest rituals using wine to represent his own ...
Read More
How we view God very much affects our own reading and understanding of holy scripture. https://youtu.be/p8SwQcCEBCQ Learn More About That's Not in the Bible
Read More
Those in our Bible on Location Bible study have just finished our first week. The location and reflection on Day 3 generated the most discussion and seemed to really resonate with people, so I wanted to share it with you all. The title of this post did not come from me, but from one of our study group who remarked, "I've never thought of God as a laundry woman, but ...
Read More
Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.James 1:22 (KJV) Generally the King James is not my go-to translation, but I like the way this verse trips off the tongue in the King's English. We can read and study and discuss and Tweet and even create lovely Instagram graphics of scripture, but we're missing something if we stay only hearers (and even sharers), and fail to be do-ers. One ...
Read More
I find that it's a good idea to check myself from time to time to make sure that my theology is staying faithful to scripture and not just to what I want to believe...or what is convenient to believe...or what is self-serving to believe. So before I go making assertions or sharing opinions on certain subjects, I ask myself these six questions. 1. Is it based on something that is actually ...
Read More
I love the Bible and strongly agree that more people should be biblically literate, but I don’t believe that literacy should be obtained in a public school setting. Aside from the fact that our constitution separates church and state, there are a number of reasons why it's just a bad idea--no matter what your faith is or isn't. Biblical Literacy has no agreed-upon definition. Is it just about teaching kids ...
Read More
One of the statements that some Christians like to throw out whenever they want to exclude or limit the participation and acceptance of women, LGBTQ people, people of color or any group they deem threatening or unacceptable is, "the Bible doesn't change." Meaning that there are verses in the Bible they can point to that say these folks are not okay and that stands for now and all time. There is ...
Read MoreI cannot count the number of times in the past couple of weeks that I have heard or read someone begin a sentence with, "The Bible clearly says..." and then goes on to say something that I have never known the Bible to say. Just to check ourselves, here are six questions we can ask to make sure that when we say, "The Bible says..." we're not just using that make ...
Read More
Doubting Believer is an online, progressive and inclusive religious community of diverse followers of Christ. Doubting Believers Seek to follow Jesus Christ Believe that everyone is welcome at the table Have lots of questions about how we should live out our faith Do not use religion as a weapon Encourage others in their faith journey Practice the new commandment--to love one another as Christ has loved us (John 13:34) Give of ourselves and our resources to help those ...
Read More
A lot of our theology (what we believe about God) comes more from literature, pop culture and popular opinion than we'd like to admit. We all fall in to the trap of bad theology from time to time. Here's a handy six-step guide to check yourself when you think you've allowed less-than-good theology to creep in to your life. Want more Doubting Believer? Check out our Doubting Believer Member Community.
Read More
Whether you find the Bible hard to read or have noticed your own Bible study has gotten a little stale, here are five versions of the Bible you may not have seen. Wherever we are in our study of scripture, it's always a good idea to take a look at the Word in a new light, in new format or a different translation. Stories we've stopped hearing because we know them ...
Read More
And in what universe does Jesus back terrorizing children? A 12-year-old transgender girl's school had to be shut down for two days because of violent threats made by grown-ups. She and her family are planning to relocate. A nine-year-old boy committed suicide after being bullied by classmates when he came out as gay. A nine-year-old...who had classmates who were so mean to him, he didn't see anyway out but death. Wonder where they ...
Read More
As I proudly watch young people across the country stand up against violence in their schools, I am saddened by the many adults who discount their efforts, their feelings and their voices. Just a quick reminder that many of the heroes of our Bible were young, too. Gideon He was sure that someone has young as he from a family of no influence or power could possibly lead the Israelites to victory ...
Read MoreWhile studying the Book of Amos this week, it occurred to me that it is the anti-prosperity gospel. It doesn't tell rich people they've received their riches as a reward from God, but that their riches have caused them to turn away from God and from the least of these. So just for fun, I searched "Joel Osteen Amos" to see how (or if!) the king of the prosperity gospel ...
Read MoreRecently, I've seen several articles that speak of progressive Christianity and use the word "progressive" as a derogatory term, suggesting that we progressive Christians have tossed out the Bible, given up any moral compass we may have possessed and just do whatever feels good. Yeah, I call horse hockey on that. Here is my list of six signs that you may be going to a progressive church. Nobody is arguing about who does and doesn't ...
Read MoreInspired by a poster my teacher friend, Whitney, created to help her students make sure they included all the important information when turning in a graph assignment: I decided that it would be handy to have a checklist to help people make sure what they are saying/sharing/tweeting/texting regarding Christianity is theologically sound. Please feel free to use this guide whenever the urge to make broad, sweeping statements about Christians, Christianity or the Bible strikes.
Read More