Doubters Welcome

NEW PODCAST EPISODE! I think my friend Parker is good at asking questions and being curious about his faith, but in a way that isn't driven by anxiety! Find the whole conversation on your favourite podcast app or here: doubterswelcome.com/podcast

Happy 12th Day of Christmas

Whatever hope Jesus wants us to have, it doesn't exclude the possibility of being deeply troubled in our spirit and weeping. That's what hope can look like. His promise to wipe away every tear includes his own, but as of yet he is still shedding tears of compassion alongside us.

As we celebrate HOPE on this first Sunday of Advent, remember, needing to have HOPE implies that not everything is well. It isn't all okay. Let's recognize our deep desire for more peace, joy, and love from Jesus. Can we trust him for more of what we seek from him?

What we learn from the story of "Doubting Thomas" is that honestly expressing our doubt to Jesus is a totally safe thing to do. No shaming. No anger. No rebuke. Seriously... Just more self-giving love from Jesus.

What do 'safe spaces' for doubting Christians look like? The same way they look like for everyone! Unconditional love, respect, understanding, humility, and gentleness. It's not just for 'doubters,' it's part of what it means to be a healthy community.

When I first started doubting, I wanted to get to the end of my doubts as quickly as possible. Years later, I realized that my doubts may never properly 'end,' but that doesn't mean I have to be in perpetual crisis. Instead, I've chosen to be perpetually curious.

Our plan for navigating doubt has to be more than hoping we never have doubts...

Thomas expressed what he needed to believe in Jesus' resurrection... and Jesus offered his wounds for touching. What if Jesus isn't as tired of giving to doubters as we imagine? What if he's willing to bleed and bleed again for us?

@theRTMullins @RFupdates If you're being cheeky in the post, it doesn't come across... It just reads as misleading.

Yesterday I received the deeply troubling news that William Lane Craig is an atheist. It is sad to see someone walk away from their faith, especially when they have been such an influential evangelist. I made an episode to discuss Craig's path to deconstruction. @RFupdates

If we try to seek God and still please everyone with our conclusions... That's a failing and disorienting strategy! Seek Christ with the understanding that his truth, love, and grace upsets human systems, even many inside the church.

It's not a new idea. It's actually a very old one. Communities of faith need to be able to welcome doubters well.

Doubting, at its best, must allow for an AUTHENTIC process. That means embracing some unknowns on the journey… It’s scary, but also essential for anyone who is ready to honestly address their doubts. Sign up for ‘30 Days’: doubterswelcome.kit.com/30daysofencour…

Prompt: It is more socially acceptable to be a newcomer "unbeliever" in church than it is to be a doubting Christian.

Day 18 of "30 Days of Encouragement for Journeys of Doubt". Get an email once a day for 30 days with wisdom and insight to navigate doubt well. doubterswelcome.kit.com/30daysofencour…

@vteclimey Jesus thought Pharisees has some correct beliefs about God that were distorted by a shame-based/legalistic system. But (I assume) you think Evangelicals don't even have correct beliefs to distort, So, on your view they're even worse! I'd love to hear more specifics.

Today's evangelicals are the modern equivalent of the pharisees that jesus criticised.

If faith is a pilgrimage with Christ, doubt is like a back pack we might wear on that journey. We can put it on or take it off. It can get lighter or heavier. But it doesn't mean we have to stop walking...

@Sean_McDowell @AndrewMarinel10 I think the question is, "what does fidelity mean?" It feels obvious to me that Christians should aim at that, but different groups of Christians will not agree on what that looks like.

@AndrewMarinel10 The question, of course, is: “What does ‘truth-based’ mean”?

The Bible is back in film/TV. Should Christian creators aim for fidelity, entertainment, or some combination of both?

Doubters Welcome is honest about doubt while being hopeful about faith in Christ.