Deconstruction Part II: Am I Still a Christian?
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This is Part II of a series on deconstruction— if you missed Part I, go ahead and listen to that here. In Part I, we ask what exactly is deconstruction + how do I know if I’m experiencing it, and the resources that have helped me in my own process. Today, we’ll be moving through the question “Can I completely deconstruct my faith and still be a Christian?”
In almost 20 years of being a Christian I had never uttered the words: “What if I’m no longer a Christian?”
What would that mean for my life?
Who am I if I’m not a christian?
How does that impact my heart, soul + body, but also my day-to-day life, my community, friendships—my entire platform that somehow now revolves around being a Christian, what about dating + who I should date + what about sex?
The Crystallization of Discontent // Jon Tyson
The moment you see something and can no longer ignore it.
More + more sex scandals being exposed in the church
A full generation out from the Purity Culture: IT DID NOT WORK
We began to see the fallout of Conversion Therapy
I could no longer in integrity ignore what had made me uncomfortable for so many years:
The election cycle
Pandemic that shut the world down
George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery
January 6, 2021 insurrection
Masks vs. no masks
Vaccines vs. anti vaxxers + now what about that booster?
On the verge of WW3?
What do we do when it feels like everything is on fire? Who do you become when everything is crumbling to the ground? When you can’t tell up from down?
Discern
There’s a big difference between Jesus, the church + Chrisitianity
Theological house
Everyone’s house will look a little different. What do you want to renovate? What do you want to remain untouched?
BE HONEST
Last fall, I thought having a podcast break would give me time to sort out my crisis. It did not.
Reflection Questions
What is the question you’re afraid to ask? What is the doubt you’re afraid to say out loud?
There’s a difference between Jesus, the church + Christianity. Spend some time teasing out + processing where you’re at with all 3. What questions do you have for each of these? Do you think there’s a difference between the 3?
When you think of the theological house metaphor—can you identify any rooms in your house worth saving? Which ones need to be renovated? Any need to be demolished + completely remodeled?
Next week on the podcast, the Deconstruction Series continues with the questions: What would Jesus do? How then shall we live? What are the different stages of faith? Can doubt be an ally in growth?
Resources
Listen to Deconstruction Part I here.
Check out Faith After Doubt by Brian McClaren here.
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