 Sept-Oct '09
You asked for a sermon on…
Why do doctors describe what they do as 'practice'? Can you daydream at night? Why is 'abbreviation' such a long word? Despite the cost of living, why does it remain so popular? If a word in a dictionary is incorrectly spelt how would you know? Why do you press harder on the remote control when you know the battery is dead?
Life is full of baffling, bizarre and trivial questions. Do you remember the 1972 reggae song 'There are more questions than answers' by the African-American songwriter Johnny Nash? The song opens with the words:
There are more questions than answers
Pictures in my mind that will not show
There are more questions than answers
And the more I find out the less I know
Yeah, the more I find out the less I know.
Sitting alongside the trivial questions of life are the serious and profound. Can you imagine how poor our lives would become if we did not have the opportunity to ask searching questions? As Nash's song suggests, we may not be able to find answers to all of life's perplexing mysteries but that does not mean we should stop probing and exploring. Imagine how many breakthroughs and discoveries would be thwarted if we didn't have scientists, archaeologists, historians, professors and medics. I think the same applies to our Christian faith. However young or older we may be, we still have questions that can intrigue, baffle and perplex us. The philosopher Bertrand Russell once remarked, rather too harshly, "Christians would die rather than think, and in fact most do." But maybe sometimes it is not far from the truth.
In our Morning Service sermons later in the Autumn (and maybe into the new year), we are going to have the opportunity to think about some challenging issues that accompany our faith. If you have a burning question or subject that you would like to see addressed and responded to, please do consider writing it down (anonymously if you prefer) and then post it in the box on the table underneath the Millennium banner. If you'd prefer to just mention it to me verbally then of course that's fine too! I certainly don't profess to be a theological 'know-it-all' and I'm sure some of the questions will stretch my thinking and experience too. The main objective is to enable us to form biblically-based responses to our questions so that we are not, in the words of Ephesians 4:14, "tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming".
Be assured that there is no such thing as a silly question (some of the most profound are often the simplest!). Please also bear in mind that if we are to be equipped and resourced as whole-life disciples (rather than just Sunday church-goers) we may need to face up to taboo subjects that some may think are "best left outside of church". The swift changes we see all around us in society's values, ethics and beliefs demand of us that we are able to formulate clear, credible and biblically-informed responses. Otherwise our Christian faith is easily dismissed as irrelevant and outdated, instead of being something to listen and take notice of!
Jesus said that his followers should love him "with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength... and all your MIND". I await any questions with interest, and a little trepidation! Until then, I'll leave you with a few questions to start us off:
- Where does the Bible say God is: 'up there' or 'down here'?
- If God knows our needs, why do we pray?
- "Faith is a private matter. Keep your beliefs to yourself!" How should Christians respond?
- Why is there so much random and pointless suffering in the world?
Every blessing,
Andy
[Our Minister]
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