THE SURGE
  • SurgeHome
    • Good News
    • I'm New
    • Prayer
    • Community >
      • About Us
    • SurgeOnline
    • Contribute >
      • CoronaVirusRelief
    • Current Series
    • Message Archive
    • Surge Blog

The Surge Blog

my heart overflows with a good theme...
~Psalm 45:1a

Why We Do What We Do ~E Reiss

3/5/2012

0 Comments

 
I recently read an article by Margaret Wheeler Johnson.  I don't know Margaret, at least not directly.  But I do know her, in the sense that I too have more questions than answers.  Her article is here, go ahead and read it, I'll wait.


Losing My Religion: If I'm So Done With Faith, Why Do I Still Feel Its Loss?

As I've recently said to a friend who doesn't believe, if I'm on the other side of that line (and I am)... it isn't by much.  It isn't that I'm not secure in my faith or thinking... I'm probably too secure there to be honest.  But my path has led me to conversation after conversation with folks who (for lack of a better way of saying it) want to believe, but don't feel like they can and be honest.  People who look at the world and say, "God doesn't exist... or if He does...God is Good, God is Powerful, God is Wise... pick two."

Intellectually, I can understand that, even if I ultimately disagree.  I don't think they are playing games there.  I'm not convinced that their personal philosophy is a rationalization for things they want ethical permission to do beyond so called Christian morality.

If we're honest that may be part of it, but it's nowhere near that simple and it's unworthy of us to accept that as the only cookie cutter reason why someone doesn't yet believe.

God loves those folks.  Everyone of them.  Lord knows I do, and I'm weak and slow in the category of saint-like love.  How much more does His heart break for Margaret?  The God I know and follow isn't scared of tough questions, or people who are open but not convinced yet.

My prayer for many of my friends and for our writer Margaret is that He would send them a credible witness.  Someone who they can respect and someone who loves deeply and without reservation.  It may seem strange, but Margaret's article gives me great hope that God is doing something huge.

I don't have a lot of confidence in organizations, or marketing (yes you heard me), or process, or strategic thinking or clever plans or beautifully constructed arguments.  Those things can accomplish a lot, just look around.

They will never reach up to God on their own.  And no matter how powerful, funded or financed or loved... those things will be dust soon enough.

But a heart like Margaret's, that is honest, to some extent, broken... and longing for something real - that is a recipe for God to do something great.  In spite of herself, or her intellectual misgivings, she finds herself reaching out to God... and in some way she feels His love in return.  What would it take to launch her into a vibrant life of faith?  Not more than God can do, I'm certain of it.

I want to be the kind of person, in the kind of church that Margaret would want to talk to... to have a tasty beverage with... to have a real conversation with... and to the extent we can - to take her heart into our hearts and let her see that a relationship with God can be more than the thing she walked away from.  Don't be fooled by the graphics, or music, or sermons, or preparation, or cards or coffee or activity, by the launch plans and excel sheets and corporate non-profit status.  To have a chance to really love and talk to the Margaret's in our area...

This is why we do what we do.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Our Writers:

    At The Surge we love doing things together... that includes writing a blog!  Here are a few of our main contributing authors:

    Greg Johnson

    Jesus++
    Me--

    Dwaine Darrah

    Our fearless leader, Dwaine is the lead pastor at The Surge.  His experience in counter terrorism with the CIA prepared him for ministry and he likes dogs and babies even more than E does.

    E

    E (short for Eric Reiss) is the Wingman at The Surge and likes dogs, music, Mexican food, his wife Karen and his little girl Evangeline... not necessarily in that order.

    Archives

    February 2023
    September 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    August 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    December 2019
    October 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    June 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    August 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012

    Categories

    All
    Beliefs
    Betrayal
    Buildings
    Caesar
    Career
    College
    Corn Flakes
    Decisions
    Denomination
    Fishing
    Holy
    Hope
    Jesus
    Kids
    Lord’s Supper
    Memorizing
    Missions
    Pan And Echo
    People
    Peter
    Psychology
    Respect
    Rock
    Rome
    Shadows
    Time Discernment

    RSS Feed

Picture

(571) 748-3359

​Small Groups
I'm New
​SurgeOnline
The Surge Community Church
Meeting Sunday Mornings at The State Theatre in Falls Church, 11:10am!
Meeting Sunday Evenings Online with SurgeOnline, 7:00pm!

  • SurgeHome
    • Good News
    • I'm New
    • Prayer
    • Community >
      • About Us
    • SurgeOnline
    • Contribute >
      • CoronaVirusRelief
    • Current Series
    • Message Archive
    • Surge Blog