'Holy questioning' keeps our faith alive

We’re on the cusp of Lent, that deeply introspective time in the Christian tradition that leads up to Easter.

For some Christians, it means Fat Tuesday’s coming, replete with stacks of pancakes heavily laden with butter and syrup, to be followed by Ash Wednesday and the possibility of fasting. (OK, I know it also means Mardi Gras is about to hit the streets of New Orleans, but that’s another column.)

Lent is a time when many in the Church focus on what are sometimes called the “means of grace”:

• works of piety, including prayer, fasting, the reading of Scripture;
• works of mercy, such as visiting the sick and imprisoned, feeding and clothing the poor, doing other “good works”;
• and sacramental practices, such as observing Holy Communion, and preparing new converts for baptism.

One other means of grace that is sometimes mentioned is “Christian conferencing,” whereby believers gather together and talk about matters of faith. There is even a movement in United Methodism that is called “holy conferencing,” through which those with opposing viewpoints on “hot-button issues” attempt to gather and dialogue about those things in a sensible, Christian manner.

But what about “holy questioning?”

“Rethink Church,” a recent denominational campaign, is launching a Lenten series entitled, “Fearless: The Courage to Question.” The associated website, rethinkchurch.org, announces itself this way: “A spiritual place for you to question, discuss, get involved and make a difference.”

Sounds like church, to me; at least, the churches I’ve been a part of for most of my Christian life. However, there is the belief among some outside of our church walls that questioning is not allowed in most, if not all, Christian faith communities. They see Christians as mere lemmings heading toward cliffs where unsubstantiated faith in a loving, saving God falls into a bottomless abyss. In some people’s minds, anyone who has questions about faith, or questions traditional theological interpretations, will soon find themselves on the suffering end of the right foot of fellowship -- right out the door, thank-you-very-much.

Someone once said, “Doubt is the ants in the pants of faith.” It’s been attributed to various theologians, but it really does not matter who uttered the words.

The truth is, doubting, questioning and conferencing about matters of faith keeps it alive.

May you keep your faith alive this Lenten season.