Faith Story | Brian R.
Then, an acquaintance invited me to Sunday school … and somehow, deep down, I felt that was where I needed to be. Yet I balked; “I won’t have slept off my hangover by then, you gotta be kidding me,” and I dismissed it.
But that feeling remained … that I needed to be there. I’d purposefully stay out till 4 a.m. yet was wide awake in time for Sunday school … so I started going. I was instantly aware of the “community” experienced by that group of kind, thoughtful Christians. I enjoyed meeting them and getting to know them. Such a stark contrast to those I met at clubs. This new group cared about each other, on a fundamental level.
I began to think more … where will I be in twenty years? Ten years? Five years? And with whom? I know there are right ways to fly a plane, to be a leader of Marines, to exercise … is there also a right way to live my life, too? And, what if I don’t live that way? Beyond that, I looked at the evidence of the Christian truth claims … history, psychology, sociology, and particularly science (“Intelligent Design” and “Irreducible Complexity”) … and it all fit perfectly.
So, not knowing what I was getting myself into but trusting this God that I was beginning to know, I prayed for God’s forgiveness and that Jesus would indeed be my Savior, to lead me as I sought Him. And I discovered the possibility and the intensity of a personal relationship with the Creator of the universe, who has guided me over the next 30 years, proving Himself over and over.
Throughout my career and after, whether overseas or here in the U.S., I see that it’s not that there are God-forsaken places, it’s that places have forsaken God. And I saw what happens to a society that does so. It’s not that I’ve been delivered FROM challenges, it’s that I’ve been delivered THROUGH them, and I am learning and growing as I do. The meaning of life has been proven to me … to realize there is a loving God, and to spend my life getting to know Him and becoming like His Son, to be able to spend eternity in the presence of a perfect, holy God.
How will our families, neighborhoods, communities, cities, nation, and world thrive, or even survive, without Jesus? I realized that God isn’t keeping any good thing away from us (like Satan alleges in Genesis 3:4), but is giving us a clear path and opportunities (John 10:10) … that life is about what we give, not about what we get.
Oh, and when that acquaintance invited me to Sunday school: His friend said to him, “Why bother inviting Brian … he’s a lost cause.” At one point, I was a lost cause! But Jesus found me. Also, I later learned that my mom had been praying intensely for me as well. No coincidence, just God-incidents. Lastly, my home church of HBBC hasn’t just been a “refuge” to recharge, but also a “launching pad,” where I refit to continue and grow! Romans 8:28, Romans 5:3-5, James 1:25, 2 Timothy 1:7.
Faith Story | Mark H.
Imagine God. If you think you can, you’re really not trying. Our best scientists can’t unravel the atom or this vast universe. So how can one comprehend the creator of the universe, and then add infinite love and the supposition that this God also cares about us as individuals?
Fortunately, along comes Jesus – the incarnation of this incomprehensible God. Fully God yet fully human, we like to say. Sharing our feeble bodies and lovingly helping us wrap our feeble minds around what God wants from us.
This is the basis of my faith. Not the promise of heaven (whatever that might be) or the threat of hell (ditto), but Jesus as the foundation, showing how I might build a life in which I can do at least some good.
It’s odd to think about what “influenced my commitment to Christ.” It’s like asking what made me an American. I’ve been a Christian (and an American) since birth, and I have no intention of giving up on either. But that hasn’t stopped me from growing and doing serious questioning in both roles.
That growth has had twists and turns. As a child, worshiping with my parents, I served as an Episcopalian acolyte and then learned to stay awake during Quaker meeting. I attended a Presbyterian college, married the daughter of a Presbyterian minister (in a New England Congregational church) and became a Presbyterian elder. And now, in retirement, I’m an active Baptist here at Hayes Barton!
Growing in my faith has meant being less afraid to ask questions and acknowledge my doubts. My many doubts. If Jesus’ hand-picked disciples failed to “get it” time and time again, certainly I can be excused as well.
“Foundation” is the word I come back to.
Through my doubts and my uncertainties, Christ is there (even if as a sometimes inaudible whisper), giving me a foundation – for dealing with my fellow humans, making workplace decisions, raising two children (both of whom are now church leaders) and maybe helping others.
Is that a faith story? Maybe just the start of one — with a long, long way to go.