A web of faith February 9, 2007
Posted by Alien Drums in Christianity, Emerging church, Religion, Spirituality, Truth.trackback
“What if faith isn’t best compared to a building, but rather to a spiderweb? Instead of one foundation, it has several anchor points. Those points might be spiritual experiences, exemplary people and institutions whom one has come to trust, that sort of thing,” Neo says in Brian McLaren’s A New Kind of Christian. (p. 54)
Spiritual experiences:
– Sitting alone in the hills of central Texas watching the proverbial babbling brook work its way downward while I read from The Cloud of Unknowing.
– Reading Perelandra by C.S. Lewis (my first Lewis read) and feeling like a whole knew world of understanding had just opened to me.
Exemplary people:
– My parents. Mom made me feel special by loving me as much as any son ever has been loved. Dad showed me how to make good decisions and take care of my family.
– Tom Landry and Roger Staubach. My heroes growing up. Good and godly men, who never gave up and often won while keeping the most important things — God and family — uppermost in their lives.
Institutions:
– Several churches where I came to love some wonderful people and had a chance to serve.
I love the web that my spiritual life has grown within. And those were only a few of the anchor points.
I would love to read some of yours.
A boss who led me to Christ just before he fell away from the faith.
Assembly of God churches in California.
Non-denominational churches in Maryland and West Virginia.
Worshiping, ministering and being ministered to in all black churches in Baltimore and DC [I'm white]
Reading books by evangelists John Lake and Smith Wigglesworth, over and over to increase my faith and hunger.
God’s voice and the breath of His presence when I needed Him most.
Answered prayers and those that seemed to be ignored that stretched my faith.
The fellowship and companionship of those who believe the way I do, or differ in their faith, or believe in nothing at all.
The realization that God loves people above everything else.
Thanks, Cumby. I’m white, but black churches have been a blessing to me, as well.
That is a good question to ponder. My faith is first anchored in my own experiences of the Divine walking with me in prayer and times of trouble.
As a panentheist, I see the image of God in every person I encounter, in every rock and tree and mango and sunset.
Exemplary people- geez, too many to name! My husband for one!
institutions- my church and others, art galleries, museums, libraries, public gardens.
Good words. I’m not a pantheist, but I do feel drawn to God through all that is around me, even though some of the things reminds me there are forces at odds with Him.
My wife is one, as well.
And the art galleries, museums, libraries and public gardens was a good reminder of my own experiences.
Thanks, naturalhigh, you helped me worship.
Anchor points for me:
A regular, still quiet place where I tell “Daddy” all about it and “hear” what he feels about me. I find Him in solitude.
Moments when it seems as though I am a part of what God is doing. I find Him in relationships and service.
One time last summer, I heard a little girl and her daddy singing, “What A Wonderful World” on the streets of the Plaza in Kansas City. A couple was dancing on the sidewalk in front of some department store. The place was full of grace and beauty. I find Him in beauty.
Tonight I saw the faces of some of the people that the local Habitat for Humanity affiliate built homes for. I find Him as a team member doing something much bigger than I imagined.
I see Him in my two-year-old grandson and his wonderful parents. I find Him frequently in children.