My theology is not yours. And that is okay.

One of the things that annoyed me in the church was that people assumed, because I was the pastor, that everyone had to subscribe to my belief system. I continually encouraged the people to think for themselves and that we were all just here among each other as fellow pilgrims sharing questions and ideas and once in a while we would trip upon something we would find helpful for each other and for the community.

I do have ideas, such as my waterfall analogy, that I find helpful and believe would be helpful to others. But I don’t expect it to be or demand it to be. It’s just my contribution to the conversation. It’s something I’ve found along the trail of our pilgrimage that perhaps you might find nourishing for your journey as well.

Confusion is an accusation that I’m willing to accept. But I call it embracing the mystery instead. I am comfortable living in a world of profound mystery and theological questioning. As Anne Lamotte has said, the opposite of faith isn’t doubt but certainty.

One of our newest members wrote (go to this link and welcome her!):

“I am fairly solid in my beliefs but struggle with the ‘church’ as a whole.”

And then there are some of us who aren’t sure if we believe anything anymore, and still some who have abandoned belief altogether.

But that’s the point! That’s what is beautiful about TLS and even the human race. Don’t you think so?