Consider how some central doctrines of the Christian faith provide handles on how to respond to certain challenges of life.
In what way can a firm believe in the sovereignty of God assist those who are affected by the overwhelming tragedy of floods or fires that destroy their communities? Of course one has to be careful about too easy an application of this belief that somehow makes the tragedy less real, but is there not a reason to affirm that evil is not as powerful as God?
When we are confronted by a myriad of opinions about truth, does one not need to wrestle with the Christian assertion of the centrality of Scripture as a means by which the eternal God can speak to each of us?
When we are too tempted to idolize certain individuals in our society, doesn’t the recognition of the doctrine that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God cause us to be cautious about giving too much unreflective acceptance to what the person says? Wouldn’t a greater clarity in such an understanding have been helpful to those who were part of the Jim Jones congregation.
Consider the power of the Assurance of Forgiveness for many of us who can become too judgmental of ourselves. How does a deeper understanding of the phrase in the Lord’s prayer, Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors, affect our capacity to hold a grudge?
Not only with respect to the current question of ordination, but also to the question of all those who seek greater satisfaction in what they are doing, would it not be helpful to have a more profound sense of what we mean when we speak of God’s call in life?
What theological doctrines might be helpful for our congregation as they seek to sort out their preferences at times of national elections?
It isn’t that doctrines make complex questions easy to answer. Rather they provide some framework within which we can have a productive discussion as we seek to discern God’s truth in life.
