cairns

I just hate it when pastors say things that are untrue about God and contrary to the overwhelming evidence of scripture.  Yesterday I heard a local pastor give a mostly very good message about the role of the church in reaching out to others.  But, as he talked about the obstacles to actually getting up and doing something, he repeatedly said that we are not allowed to question God.  Of course, I know his denomination all too well.  They believe God speaks to the body through the staff and elders and what they really mean is, “Do not question what we tell you.”  That is bad enough in my book, but that is not what he said.  He said, “Do not question God.”

The most basic perusal of the Bible narratives will show that this is an unsupported view.  They all questioned God.  Abraham, Moses, Job, the psalmists, the prophets and kings, the disciples, Ananias, (and now us.) The problem is not in asking questions.  The problem comes into the narrative when people do not pay attention to the presence of God at all, or refuse to obey the answers they are given.

People have questions, especially if called to live outside the norms of their own cultural narrative.  Who are they supposed to ask?

Themselves to see if it fits into what their own culture deems normal or acceptable?  That is contrary to the Biblical accounts and leads to inaction — or action that only supports the direction their culture is already traveling.

Their neighbor? I have no problem with this one if the neighbor is a mature person who can help with discernment.  But, it often leads to gossip, doubting, and undermining of valid decisions by church leadership.

God?  I do understand the problem the pastor was getting at here.  We ask our questions through inaction and rationalization.  We talk to the ceiling not truly believing that God has or will speak, and are answered only by our own norms and fears.  Then we fail to live lives of adventure and service.  Or, we word it so that we appear to be questioning (humbly because we are so ‘virtuous’) our own skills, talents, or ‘calling.’  But, we are letting ourselves off the hook of doing and being what we are called to do and be.

No, I think honestly questioning God is exactly what we ARE supposed to do.  Then we are to listen for the answer and obey.  Ananias (called to go cure and witness to Saul of Tarsus) was the example used in yesterday’s text.  Question God is exactly what the text says he did.  It does not indicate that God is offended.  It indicates that God gave a clear emphatic, also read unmistakable, answer.  He went, and the history of Christianity changed.  I see no problem with the asking.  The obedience to the answer is everything.

Even for the pastor giving the sermon, within his “we tell you what God says” framework, would be better off to invite folks being called to do something new TO ask their honest questions of the leadership that claims to speak for God.  If they really are delivering a message true to divine intention, they will have the answers and be able to support their followers into action.

The alternative is well known to anyone who has studied leadership.  If they do not ask you, they will ask somebody else and undercurrents will form.  (I know the military, under the possibility of orders given in battle conditions, does not use this model.  But, they are not the scriptural model and most of life’s situations do not match theirs.)  Or, people will lie awake at night questioning themselves, their faith, their worthiness because they have questions for God and their pastor has told them it is forbidden.  They just will not be free to ask for help, because that would label them as spiritually unfit instead of human like every hero in the Biblical narratives.

The same pastor, in the same sermon, was talking about inviting people into a relationship with God.  What kind of relationship, other than dictatorial, allows for only commands and obedience without questions?  Certainly a relationship with a loving God cannot mimic those demeaning human behaviors.  Relationships call for honesty.  When one party has questions, they should be asked.  Then answers should be carefully heard.

THAT is what the heroes of the scriptural texts DO.  They hear and see, they question, they listen, and they obey.  There is nothing evil or forbidden in that pattern.

peace

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