I'm a pastor in a liberal denomination, and we're aging. Young people aren't coming. The faith I inherited is being criticized - dogmatic, oppressive, out of touch. Part of me thinks the critics are right. Maybe we should just let it die.
Jude opens with something: fight for the faith. Contend. That doesn't mean be rigid or defensive. But it means the faith has content. It's not just generic spirituality. It's a specific deposit of truth.
I'm learning to do this with humility. Yes, some ways we've taught the faith were wrong. Yes, we need to listen to criticism. But the core - that God loves us, that Jesus showed us God, that the Spirit empowers us - that core is worth contending for.
I'm finding a middle way. I'm less dogmatic. I'm more open. But I'm also clearer about what I actually believe and why. I'm inviting younger people into something real, not just a therapeutic philosophy. It's working slowly.
No comments yet. Be the first.