"Don't Stop Believin'", Songs That Changed the World Part 7 of 10

Don't Stop Believin'  Scripture Reading: Romans 5:1-5 What happens when life gets heavy, certainty fades, and "just believing" feels difficult or overwhelming? In Part 7 of our summer sermon series, Songs That Changed the World, we bring Journey’s classic 1981 rock anthem "Don't Stop Believin'" into conversation with Paul's deep reflections on grace, suffering, and hope in Romans 5:1-5. Journey’s anthem is famously written for "unfinished people living unfinished lives"—and it uniquely delays its famous title chorus until the very end of the song, mirroring how resolution, clarity, and healing so often come late in our real lives. Drawing on the insights of New Testament scholar Marcus Borg, we explore how Christian faith is far richer than merely giving intellectual assent to a list of statements. True faith is about trust, loyalty, a new vision of reality, and giving our hearts to what we hold dear—or "be-loving". Losing certainty isn't the same as losing faith; often, it is simply losing arrogance and gaining deeper compassion. Join us as we discuss: The "Late Chorus" of Life: Why a delayed resolution isn't no resolution, and how Journey's song structure reminds us that hope travels through a long night before the chorus arrives. Redefining "Belief": Exploring Marcus Borg's four Latin dimensions of faith—assensus (intellectual assent), fiducia (trust), fidelitas (fidelity), and visio (a way of seeing). Faith as "Be-Loving": How the word believe connects to holding dear and giving our hearts to love, grace, and justice when certainty is unavailable. Romans 5 & Tested Hope: Understanding Paul’s sequence of suffering producing endurance, character, and a hope that does not put us to shame because God's love is poured into our hearts. When You Can't Sing the Chorus: How community holds hope for us when we are too exhausted to sing it ourselves. When believing becomes hard, keep "be-loving" your neighbors, your children, and this wounded world. Let community carry you when your voice is weary, and trust that God's love is already poured out for you.