Holy Grounds by Tim Schenck

Author:Tim Schenck [Schenck, Tim]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-5064-4824-4
Publisher: Fortress Press
Published: 2019-03-03T00:00:00+00:00

Decaffeinated Faith

If you’ve ever tuned in to a TV preacher (or lost the remote and were too lazy to get up to change the channel), you’ve likely heard some guy with bad hair and a shiny suit railing against “decaffeinated faith.” It’s become a trope of sorts, a way of illustrating the point that my style of religion is full-test, while yours is weak and diluted.

There’s little nuance in a faith presented in such stark, black-and-white terms and that always gives me pause. “You’re either with me, or against me. You’re either for God, or against God. You’re either saved, or condemned.”

Embedded in this archetype is a toxic masculinity where shades of gray are deemed effeminate and an introspective, contemplative approach to spirituality that leaves room for questioning and doubt is considered inadequate and fragile.

This isn’t how God works, in my view—God exists in the midst of the questions! And while you won’t catch me drinking decaffeinated coffee (unless it’s after 5:00 p.m., an unfortunate consequence of middle age), I won’t equate it with feebleness of spirit.

The my-way-or-the-highway approach to faith also places human limitations on God’s sovereignty. Who’s to say God doesn’t speak to people in ways I can’t hear or comprehend? The overwhelming hubris in imagining that I alone am the unfiltered receptor and interpreter of God’s commandments is astounding. It also stifles authentic dialogue with people of different faith backgrounds. If I’m convinced of being 100 percent correct on issues of faith 100 percent of the time, that means whenever you disagree with my convictions, you are 100 percent wrong. Not a great starting point for cross-­cultural conversation.

A few years ago, I passed along an image on Facebook that asked “How do you take your coffee?” It showed five coffee cups, labeled from A to E, with black on the left to barely brown on the right. People’s responses overwhelmed me in terms of quantity and passion for their particular gradation. (“A all the way,” “Team C!” “E or I drink tea”). It’s not a bad metaphor for faith when you think about it. God speaks and we hear God’s voice in a variety of ways. We may be zealous in our beliefs, but other avenues of discipleship abound. In other words, just because I drink black coffee doesn’t mean I must compel you to do the same. That’s not how faith, or coffee, works.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.