Time to Move On…From Beliefs

In America, we are obsessed with beliefs and information. But it’s not information that sparks life change, it’s relational experiences. Scripture is our primary source of information about Christ, but our primary source of transformation is our relational experience with Christ (the Holy Spirit) and people. 

Jesus routinely foreshadows the Holy Spirit as the helper (John 14:26), our leader (Romans 8:14), our guide to truth (John 16:13), and our gift (Acts 2:38). 

The entire Gospel of Luke is healing and restoration accompanying Jesus at a meal, going to a meal, or coming from a meal. Communion, the shared meal, is a transforming relational experience, which is why no one should be denied a seat at the Communion table. If you want to get a little nerdy, you can read a paper I wrote on this subject for seminary. 

“Christianity isn’t meant to simply be believed; it’s meant to be lived, shared, eaten, spoken, and enacted in the presence of other people. They reminded me that, try as I may, I can’t be a Christian on my own. I need a community.” - Rachel Held Evans 

Another way of understanding the importance of shifting from information and beliefs to relational experiences is by looking at the words for “faith” in the Bible. The Hebrew word for faith is “emunah” and means active faith and trust that focuses on concrete actions and relationships. 

The Greek word for faith is “pistis” which focuses on knowledge and belief (which is how many Americans tend to view faith). 

So the shift I’m suggesting isn’t new and innovative, it’s a return to the roots of our Jewish Messiah. It’s simply experiencing life change by returning to His ways and habits. 

What are the personal implications of this? 

Start by asking yourself, what’s an experience that sounds like good news to me? What experience do I want to try that might bring me into communion with Christ in a new way? 

If you would like to process that with someone, email me and let’s set up a conversation. I almost always find the most clarity through a relational experience :). An intentional talk with a faithful person you trust can unlock your faith in very simple but transformative ways. 

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What are the implications of this for churches? 

While there have been valuable traditions and practices formed in the church, churches need to hold on loosely to everything but Christ. I already critiqued preaching and sermons. The church of the future is going to look far different than what most of us know as church. 

Churches need to spend more energy on building rhythms and practices that are based around relational experiences rather than so much energy building an information sharing session on Sunday mornings. 

Less buildings…more meals around tables.

Less information…more experiences. 

Less events…more spiritual disciplines. 

Less certainty on what we believe…more mystery and wonder. 

“The devout Christian of the future will either be a ‘mystic’, one who has ‘experienced’ something, or one will cease to be anything at all.” - Karl Rahner. 

“By mystic;, we simply mean a person who seeks and at some level attains a direct experience within the mystery of God. The faith of the future will be sustained by an experience, not an argument. It’s significant to note that all of the most important figures in the Bible are men and women with stories of mystical experience.” - When Everything's on Fire: Faith Forged from the Ashes by Brian Zahnd