Having Faith - 10

Here is what one Bible teacher says about “having faith”:

“In the general sense of the word, to have faith is to believe in something or someone, to fully trust, to be so confident that you base your actions on what you believe. To have faith is to be fully convinced of the truthfulness and reliability of that in which you believe.”

For this person is could be more than mere wishful thinking.  Or, it could be misplaced wishful thinking. 

Could a Jewish person, perhaps steeped in Old Testament wisdom, “have such faith”? 

How about a Muslim person, steeped in the Quran?  Could he or she have faith as described above?

A Hindu person or a Buddhist person might have such faith. 

Thomas Edison seems to have had faith that he could “invent” or “discover” the way to harness electricity in a light emitting device, what we came to know as the incandescent light bulb.  After a thousand or more attempts that failed, he succeeded.  Was it because of having faith?  Something else?

What do you think?  Sign up and let me know. 

Having Faith - 9

“Flyers have faith in Bobrovsky” reads the headline on the web page, http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm.  Here’s another take on “having faith”.  Some people, apparently, have faith in another human bering. 

Many people had faith in Osama bin Laden.  Others had faith in President George W. Bush. Many have faith in the Chicago Bulls.  Few have faith in the Chicago Cubs. 

“Have faith”,  say many.  When is it a pseudo-sophisticated form of wishful thinking?

Even having faith in Jesus can be a form of wishful thinking.  Preachers rant on TV that you can have faith in Jesus to get a new car, a great career, or to close that deal that will put big bucks in your hip pocket (or bank account).  It may be simply wishful thinking. 

What do you think about “having faith”?  Sign up and let me know

Having Faith - 8

As I reflect on “having faith” I wonder if it means much of anything to people who live in real, hostile and horrible circumstances.  How does a severely bipolar patient in a mental institution “have faith”, I wonder.  Or a severely schizophrenic patient on the street, unable to hold a job, living between garbage cans in some alley. – how does this person “have faith”?

What about the mathematician who works with mathematical concepts that seem “hard” and who pushes, pushes, and pushes the boundaries of math towards a better and deeper understanding.  Is faith, for such a person, a matter of believing that there is more to grasp?  More to understand?

Or the politician who regularly expresses his/her sexuality with waitresses and waiters, staffers and maybe (occasionally) with a spouse while posturing for a fickle and naïve public?  What does having faith mean for this person?  Is it, “Yes, I WILL get elected again!”?

There is an appropriate message to “have faith in yourself” that gets expressed by the best Little League coaches, the best vocational coaches, the best teachers.  But what does that mean for the person of low I.Q.?  the person with barriers so high she can’t possibly imagine overcoming them?  The person recovering from being hit by a drunk driver, and who will probably never be able to walk again? 

What’s there to have faith in, within me?  Within you?

What do you think?

Having Faith - 7

I wonder what “having faith” means in the twenty-first century? 

For some, this is the century of repression (women and gays in Muslim countries, dissidents in the People’s Republic of  China, most people in the Republic of Congo).  For others it is the century of iPads, access to information, access to education and access to drugs.  For others it is the century if oblivion, of gang violence, or rape and turf wars.

What does having faith mean to a child in the projects with gang graffiti on every wall in sight, no father in sight, and a mother who works two jobs to try to keep the family together?  Or, similar kid whose mother has to sell herself at night to keep her supply of drugs and booze available?  Or the policeperson who patrols the projects, always on the lookout for violence and at risk at all times?

What does having faith mean to the suburban family with a nice house, green lawn, oppressive homeowner’s association, gossipy neighbors playing “one up” with their children?  What does faith mean to the investment banker or stock broker who is under intense pressure to perform successfully once again, no matter what ethical barriers he has to destroy?

What do you think?  Chime in with your responses. 

Having Faith - 6

I’d like to work a bit more constructively today with the phrase, “have faith”.  Although for many people it is a sort of bland catch phrase, it does have pretty specific meaning to others. 

For some people it means “trusting that the teachings of Jesus guide me in the best possible way to make choices and live in a social context.”

For some people the phrase means, “inviting an unseen (but living) entity called Jesus into my heart.”  Breaking that down a bit for a few people it means inviting Jesus into their will (the Biblical ‘heart’ where decisions are made) and for most it is a vague, somewhat emotional invitation that they want to feel. 

For some people it means living accountably before an invisible but supreme being who will judge me now and at the end of my life.

For yet others is means believing that God inspired the Bible (or Quran or other holy writing) and that learning the book and being able to recite passages of the book accurately is called for.

What do you think?  Which, if any, of these meanings resonate with you?

Havng Faith - 5

I’m reflecting on the phrase, “have faith”.  What do people mean when they say they “”have faith” or tell me to “have faith”?  I’d like to look at some alternate possibilities that might make as much sense.

Instead of “have faith” might a person say,

·      “have hope”

·      “have logic”

·      “have thinking”  (or just, “think”)

·      “have courage”

·      have obedience to the rules

·      “have humor”

·      “have unthinking reactions”

·      “have denial”?

Does any such phrase “grab you”?  What do you think?

Having Faith - 4

I am reflecting on what it means to “have faith in God”.  I want to look at it from a slightly different angle today. 

What might it mean to reword the phrase a bit?  For instance,

·      Live by faith in God?

·      Make decisions based on the character of God?

·      Take a stand because of God?

·      Prepare for the afterlife because of God?  Or using God’s teaching”

·      Philosophize about God?

·      Theologize about God?

·      Live obediently to God before God?

Just some other phrases using different verbs.  “Having” implies possession, ownership, the ability to trade, sell and buy .  What do you think?

Have you found a phrase you like, one that works for you?

Having Faith - 3

For some people having “faith in God” means to revere, belong to, and obey the church.  This point of view has been  emphasized by both the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church.  Although it seems to be a Middle Ages sort of phenomenon, it’s alive and well for some folks even today.

Side note:  this seems to be part of the Muslim belief as well.  If you  obey the teachings of the Quran and identify yourself exclusively with the Muslim movement, you have faith in God.  Otherwise you are condemned to some sort of hellish existence in the afterlife and helped to get there in this. 

Thus “faith in God” looks a lot like faith in an organization.  Faith in a movement.  Faith in what is taught by the religion or church or imam of your choice.

What do you think?  Does this sum up faith in God for you?

Having Faith - 2

Let’s zoom in on what it might mean to “have faith in God” again.

I know Christianity a bit better than any other religious expression, so let me slice and dice in that arena a bit.  Some people in the Christian movement mean by “having faith in God” that they believe that God created the world in six literal days, rested up on a seventh literal day, and that this probably took place a bit over 6,000 years ago.    For some folks, if  a person doesn’t believe this, you don’t have faith in God. 

What do you think?  Is this what it means to have faith in God?

Having Faith - 1

Many people believe they will be better if they “have faith”.  I want to reflect on my understanding of “faith” a bit.

Some people have “faith in God”.  What might that mean?

           

It might mean they believe there is a higher being, higher power, some supernatural entity that they believe exists.

It might mean they trust there is a supernatural being messing around with the affairs of our planet, the people and animals and weather of this planet, and maybe even the destiny of this planet.

It might mean they trust that “everything will work out”.  Why?  Because “God” or “god” makes sure such a thing happens for people who have faith.

What do you think it means to “have faith in God”?  Sign in and share your thoughts. 

What Might The Change In Music Mean? Part 2

My wife wonders if I am making too big a deal of this change from singing in harmony (part singing) to singing mostly in unison.  She suggests that it simply means people don't know how to sing anymore.  She might be right.

In the blended service of a church we attend the unison singing is "ho-hum".  But if the worship leaders chooses an old favorite the older people begin singing in four parts (or more) with vigor and enthusiasm.  Hmmm.

When we (wife and I) were in grade school we sang almost every day.  In my school it was from the Golden Book of Song, as I remember.  Somewhere around the fourth grade we were taught to sing in parts.  Harmony, such as it was, although the boys still had not arrived at the magic baritone or bass that would probably come.  The songs were simple, fun, silly, patriotic, sentimental -- but eminently singable. 

Maybe my wife is right.  It's not about the trend toward conformity (especially pushed by the right wing of the church and the right wing of politics).  It is about a lack of ability, and a general lack of good harmonious songs to sing. 


What do you think?

What Might The Change In Music Mean? Part 1

In the past few years I have noticed a trend in churches.  The trend:  everyone sings unison.  Often only words on a screen, or the melody line on an insert with the words is all that is provided.  Unison.

When I was in school in the 1950's we were taught, among other things, that singing harmony, singing parts, was a symbol of something important.  We didn't all have to be the same.  We didn't have to believe the same.  We didn't have to dress the same.  We could be be ourselves, emerging, learning, growing and live in harmony with others.  I call that a "wow" insight.

So I wonder about this move towards mostly, or only singing in unison.  I wonder if it reflects and reinforces the trend in the dominant form of Christianity toward all being the same, all being heterosexual, all holding the same theology, all singing the same songs on the same note.

My wife has another idea.  What do you think?