“If Scripture is from God, why does it sometimes sound unbelievable?” This question does not come from disbelief—it comes from honesty. People are not rejecting Scripture when they ask this; they are noticing a mismatch between what they are told the Word is and how it often sounds. Stories feel exaggerated. Images feel archaic. Descriptions…
Why Faith Built on Fear Resists Questions Faith shaped by fear is always fragile, because it depends on protection rather than understanding. When belief is held together by anxiety—fear of being wrong, fear of punishment, fear of exclusion—questions feel dangerous, not curious. They are experienced as threats to survival rather than invitations to insight. In…
Why Questioning Is Not Rebellion, but Preparation. When questions begin to surface, many people instinctively feel they are doing something wrong. Religious culture often teaches—sometimes subtly, sometimes directly—that doubt is dangerous, that questioning weakens faith, or that obedience means setting certain thoughts aside. As a result, people learn to mistrust their own mind just at…
Why Literal Belief Eventually Collapses For many people, the struggle with literal belief does not begin with skepticism, but with sincerity. At first, the literal sense of Scripture offers clarity, comfort, and direction. Stories feel solid. Teachings feel certain. Faith feels simple. But over time—often quietly—questions begin to surface. Not because faith is weakening, but…
When Faith Stops Making Sense “When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth” John 16:13 Many people today still love the Word, yet when faith stops making sense, they find it increasingly difficult to read it without pretending. They no longer experience Scripture primarily as a set of future events or literal images, and…
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The Beauty of Diversity in Heaven and the Church A common misconception, in both secular and religious circles, is that unity requires uniformity, that for people to be truly “one,” they must be alike in character, background, or belief. Yet the teachings of the New Church reveal a profoundly different reality: Spiritual unity is not…
Love the purpose, not the method. It is natural for church communities to reflect carefully on changes to worship methods, i.e., the order of service, music style, the building, etc., especially when it involves introducing something new, like a television screen, on the chancel. As ministers and congregants strive to foster deeper engagement with the…
Why We Feel Stuck We feel stuck because we believe what our senses and our self-made stories tell us. Our senses present us with appearances of reality. These appearances are powerful; they feel immediate, concrete, and undeniable. Add to this the stories our mind creates, stories of who we are, what we need, what others…
This week, I was asked a question by a church member who is unable to attend a New Church congregation: “Is it possible to meaningfully participate in Holy Supper at a local church that doesn’t offer traditional elements of bread and wine?” To answer that question, it is useful to ask yourself what matters more:…