Faith After Doubt Groups
It happened again a couple weeks ago. The preacher I was listening to referred to the Adam and Eve and Garden of Eden story as if it was naturally assumed by everyone in the room to be historically and literally true. Inside I cringed. Maybe a little bit outwardly if I'm honest. And once again I wondered, "Am I the only one here that doesn't think there was a literal talking snake and a magic garden with powerful trees in it?"
My beliefs used to accept that, but along the way it became simply impossible to keep reading the Bible that way. This is just a microcosm of a much larger set of questions that has taken me on a long journey over the past decade or so, as many beliefs once held as certain became clouded or discarded due to doubt.
I think there are a lot of people out there whose faith has changed through a process of doubting and re-learning things. If you're on this email list - you probably know what I'm talking about.
A few months ago I read Brian McLaren's book "Faith After Doubt: Why Your Beliefs Stopped Working and What To Do About It". In this book McLaren talks about the role doubt has played in his spiritual growth, as well as the lives of countless others in his several decades as a pastor and author. I found the book really thought provoking and helpful, and I'm excited to announce I'll be hosting both an in-person and a Zoom book group discussing "Faith After Doubt" starting the first week of October.
The group will go 4 or maybe 5 weeks total.
In-person group will be at Whidbey Coffee (by Wendy's) in Oak Harbor WA - Wednesday nights 6:30-8:00pm starting on October 4.
The Zoom group will be on Thursdays from 6:00-7:30pm Pacific (USA) time starting on October 5. (This time was adjusted from the original time posted.)
Here's a description of the book from the book jacket:
"An honest, vital conversation... will help you live fuller and breathe easier. He illuminates the reality that belief and doubt are not opposites" ―Glennon Doyle, #1 New York Times Bestselling author of Love Warrior
"Important book…Helps you find a deeper and wiser faith " ―Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, author of The Universal Christ
Sixty-five million adults in the U.S. have dropped out of active church attendance and about 2.7 million more are leaving every year. Faith After Doubt is for the millions of people around the world who feel that their faith is falling apart.
Using his own story and the stories of a diverse group of struggling believers, Brian D. McLaren, a former pastor and now an author, speaker, and activist shows how old assumptions are being challenged in nearly every area of human life, not just theology and spirituality. He proposes a four-stage model of faith development in which questions and doubt are not the enemy of faith, but rather a portal to a more mature and fruitful kind of faith. The four stages―Simplicity, Complexity, Perplexity, and Harmony―offer a path forward that can help sincere and thoughtful people leave behind unnecessary baggage and intensify their commitment to what matters most.
Want to join the group? Send me a message and let me know if you want to join the in-person group or the Zoom group. Spots are limited to keep discussion lively.
Order your copy of the book today wherever you order books (check your library for free versions - it is available at Sno-Isle (our local library) in hardcover, e-reader, and audio book. We'll jump right into the first few chapters on our first session.
I hope to see you there!
Sincerely,
Don