I was confirmed in 7th grade. I don't remember much about the classes at all.
I belong to a Lutheran church, now. It is fairly large for our rural area, has a lot of young families and a great Sunday School program. I hope to give Adam (and future kiddos) a very different experience from what I had.
We don't attend regularly. It still seems like a "chore." I'm going to try to change that attitude. (I think it would help if our church had a coffee hour - what kind of lutheran church doesn't have coffee?)
I believe (or grew up believing...some of these beliefs are changing)
- God is a loving God...he only does "good" things
- Believing in God is enough to get you to heaven
- There's a reason for everything, but only God knows what it is
- God and science/evolution are not opposites (is "mutually exclusive" the term I'm looking for?)
- Living a good life and making a difference in the world is more important than attending church every weekend.
The three biggest things that I want to focus on now are:
- having faith in hard times
- learning to trust God and give him my worries - I'm prone to anxiety.
- learn how to pray and recognize God's answers
And basically, I just have a lot of questions. What do you believe about this, and that, and whatnot...
My "cheerleaders" here all have different religious backgrounds, but very strong faith, so I'm really interested to see what everyone has to say. I promise, I won't always post 4 times in one day...I was just really focused on this yesterday!
I have three Bibles that I am using right now (King James, NRSV and The Message). I like how The Message is written in contemporary language. The passages often look different from those in a more traditional translation, but I find that it sometimes helps me wrap my head around the meanings (a paraphrased version?). I wouldn’t recommend it as an only Bible, but I find it really helpful since I am also in a “getting to know the Bible” phase on my journey.
ReplyDeleteHi Katie.
ReplyDeleteI use a New International Version (NIV). I use one with a lot of foot notes and commentary, which helps with the context of things.
Funny you call this post faith. That was the theme of today's sermon (which is kicking off a series for the next quarter). The text came directly from the verses in your last post.
The difinition of faith (this was a the combined family service this week): Believing in things you cannot see because of the things you can see.
Can I recommend another book (to go along with your Bible!): "Believing God" by Beth Moore. I've done probably a dozen of her studies and she has an amazing way of relating and applying scripture to the real lives of real women. This book has five statements of faith to help reinforce what the Bible assures us is true about God. (If you can't find it at a store, you can find it online at www.lproof.org.
I can say that I've had to lean heavily on my faith the last couple of years--and I still feel weak in the spirit most days! I think it's a journey--not just a destination. You can only get closer and closer, if you try.
I love this blog you've started. I am a strong believer in having faith through everything. I could not have battled infertility without my faith in God and His eternal plan.
ReplyDeleteMy personal trial has been infertility and I know that it can take it's toll on marriages and people's faith. But my husband and I have been dealing with infertility for the past 8 years and God has heard our prayers through all of it. And I knew in my heart that He would bless us when the time was right. I may not understand His timing, but I believe that He knows all.
As long as you have the desire to want to learn and grow, your faith will be strengthen.
I recommend this site to learn more about faith in Jesus Christ. http://www.mormon.org/
I use the NIV, because that is how I grew up and it is the easiest for me to understand. I also like the NLT (New Living Translation) and I have enjoyed the Message as a paraphrase.
ReplyDeleteI purchased the Archaeological Bible recently because I love reading the scriptures in the context of the biblical times (and meanings). It is helping rediscover scripture in context... which is something I have felt was missing for me for a long time.
Hi Katie - I know you only just met me via the photochallenge blog, but I'm hoping it's ok for me to join the conversation (via Jacquie!)
ReplyDeleteI'm out of town right now, but I'd like to quickly add my two cents specifically to you bullet points of what you believe.
I believe that God IS a loving God and that everything good comes from him. He does everything for our good, but allows us to experience pain and sorrow in this life...for many reasons. Partially, I think this make it possible for us to alleviate the suffering of others. So we learn compassion and charity, which is the pure love of Christ.
There IS a reason for everything and God knows ALL. But he doesn't keep us in the dark. When we pray to Him in faith, with the intention of following what he tells us...he will reveal many wonderful things to us. If it's important for us to understand, he'll clue us in. And the scriptures reveal many of the "mysteries" of God to those who search diligently.
I also think that science and God do not conflict. He created all things...he invented the laws of nature...he works within these laws to make great miracles occur.
I like to read the King James Version of the Bible, and as a Latter-day Saint, I find a lot of things in the Book of Mormon and in revelation from present-day prophets/church leaders that helps me to make sense of ancient scripture stories. Mostly, I find that if I just spend more time reading the scriptures, the holy ghost is able to help me understand...half the battle is just opening the book!! :) Good luck in your quest. You'll be successful...I just know it!