Wrestling with Faith

Topic: Where do I turn if I'm wrestling with my faith?   Intro: special guest Tanner Olson, Written to Speak, the poetry master   Wrestling can be scary, but healthy Can feel like a journey, a battle, a dessert, normalcy, mediocrity Common Questions: Is God still who He says He is? Is God still close to me? Validating your questions and feelings goes a long way in making wrestling feel safer Keep talking to God – step toward relationship and revelation, getting to know God rather than always answering the whys     Wrestling can bring growth and depth of faith Find people you can talk to about the questions and wrestlings Making peace with wrestling as part of the faith process Research studies reveal wrestling as a widely experienced phenomenon: Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2839364/ Barna - https://www.barna.com/research/two-thirds-christians-face-doubt/ Study of Islam - https://yaqeeninstitute.org/read/paper/what-causes-muslims-to-doubt-islam-a-quantitative-analysis (Yaqeen Instititute for Islamic Research) Predominate themes in wrestling: moral and social concerns, philosophical and scientific concerns, personal trauma There is nothing wrong with you and sometimes it's hard to see we are loved, forgiven, free, etc.   Everyone's relationship with God looks different We can rest in what we do know – "I know how this story ends" Faith looks different in different seasons of life Value of silence and stillness (Walk a Little Slower: pg. 104) Wrestling in the daily walk (Walk a Little Slower: pg. 52) Sometimes we think, sometimes we are invited to just be, sometimes we wait What to look for in wrestling companions Tanner wisdom: "Let the cheesy things still be true."       Resources: writtentospeak.com Tanner's books - Walk a Little Slower - https://amzn.to/3IPETu7 As You Go - https://amzn.to/3IMa49A I'm All Over the Place - https://amzn.to/3KYc0h1 Short Answer: Let yourself be curious and let the cheesy things be true.