Thinking About Faith

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Difficult and Left Untried

I love how GK Chesterton put it.  “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting.  It has been found difficult and left untried.”

What do you think?  Do we tend to reject the way of Christ, and the life of faithfulness, servanthood, and love to which he calls us, because when taken seriously it leaves us hungering for something more?  Or do we give up when we simply find it more challenging, more rigorous, more difficult than what we thought we were signing up for?

In my own journey of faith I find myself constantly tested and stretched.  There is nothing easy about committing to Jesus Christ and then actually living as his disciple.  Yet the more wholeheartedly I love God and neighbor with all that I am, the more deeply I dive into that lifestyle and orientation, the more joy I find!

Hoping to see you in worship on Sunday,

This entry was posted on 02/01/11 and is filed under General. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

5 Responses to “Difficult and Left Untried”

  1. Donald L. Bell
    03/30/11 04:17 PM
    Dennis, Go For it!!! I'm still doing interim ministry. I'll be 77 in May. Yours, Dr. Donald L. Bell
  2. Dennis Jones
    02/10/11 07:45 PM
    I have been encouraged and inspired by your thoughts. Thank you for being honest and real! Please keep the insights, struggles, and questions coming!
    Tomorrow I begin a silent directed retreat at a retreat center run by Jesuit priests in PA. I have been struck during this past week by how curious and intrigued so many church members have been upon hearing of my plans. I bet many of them would love to hitch a ride and join me for the experience! It will be a luxury to spend so much time being still and quiet. While telling my 4-year old daughter about it tonight over dinner her eyes grew larger as I told her that God will be the only one I am allowed to talk to.
    May grace and peace, and moments of simply talking with God, be with you all.
  3. Katja
    02/07/11 10:48 PM
    The beginning of faith is exciting - first encounters with real hope, forgiveness, joy. Perhaps an expectation that God will sweep you off your feet and take you along for the ride, Until you realize that God is telling you to get up on your own two feet and walk. God empowers us to walk in the way of Christ, but it is spiritual exercise, and while we tout its benefits, we don't always want to do it, or know how. For me, avoiding the challenges of faith always begins with avoiding prayer. That's the "more challenging, more rigorous" thing that gets me. But I know that if I truly give it a good try, it does not leave me wanting. Can you name your faith challenge? (We all know the best way to respond to a theological question is with another one!)
  4. Pam Meyers
    02/04/11 06:26 AM
    Dennis, I just read What's Happening at BRPC in my email. It's very effective - short and well-designed. I smiled at the large print.
  5. Cindy VanderVoort
    02/03/11 07:38 PM
    Hi Dennis, I've never blogged before, but I love this new avenue for communication within our church family and the community at large!

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