Somewhere along the line, I picked up the idea that doubt was big, bad and scary. It sure would be nice to blame someone, but I don’t know who that would be. I don’t remember a conversation or a sermon or a specific church teaching. And even if I could blame someone, that might let me off the hook a little too easily. Anyway, I don’t know where I got it, but I believed that doubt and questions were to be avoided. I don’t think I ever intentionally chose this position, but non

I remember the first time somebody “got it”. They heard my thoughts on faith, doubt, belief and mystery and they understood. It was a magical experience. I didn’t feel crazy. Many times questioning is seen as challenging and is met with resistance. It doesn’t have to be that way. It’s okay to question. It’s okay to doubt. It’s okay to live in mystery. And it’s better to do so in the context of community. We’re all on a journey. Sometimes we don’t need answers, we need listene

Questioning, by nature, causes people to think more deeply. When we ask questions, it spurs contemplation. Questions unlock thoughtfulness. Questions create intentionality. Questions must be followed by the seeking of answers. Even if answers aren’t found, the seeking is the point. Consciousness and the ability to reflect on our lives is humanity’s gift. It’s what makes us human. Questioning spurs us onward. It makes us reflect. It forces us to notice and take notes. It begs

We’re all in this together. We are the human tribe. We’ve all shown up on this planet without a roadmap. Side-by-side, we’re piecing together the answers to life’s big questions. Your journey is helpful to me. It encourages, it teaches, it challenges my understanding. My journey is helpful to you. We can compare notes, swap stories and share experiences. We have a responsibility to each other. I learned the idea of “T.E.A.M” in first grade gym class. Together, Everyone Achiev

Some people don’t understand. That’s okay. They ask, “Why?” I wasn’t exactly sure for a while. And I still haven’t “nailed it.” But I have some thoughts. For thousands of years, people have asked life’s biggest questions. Why am I here? How did I get here? What is the meaning of life? What is a good life? How does one live a good life? What is good and right and moral? How do we know what is good and right and moral? These questions inspire religions, art, science, and virtua

Two weeks ago I started publicly talking about my journey of faith and doubt. One week ago I told you I felt like I was on the outside. In all this, your idea or picture of who I am has probably changed. Now, I don’t think anyone thought I was perfect. But I was a pastor for goodness’ sake. At times, I do feel like I’m on the outside, but today I feel loved. Today, I want to say thank you because you reached out. You texted, commented, FB messaged, emailed, etc. You encourage

I recently made a trip to Ohio to see my family. On the way back to PA, I missed an exit. The next sound I heard was, you guessed it, “Recalculating route…” The GPS then proceeded to map out a different way. It’s a cheesy and overused metaphor, but it feels more poignant when you’ve seen the “Recalculating route…” message come up over your faith and life. There is a certain level of fear waiting for clarity and direction. The plan goes out the window. Likely your headed down