May 5, 2008

Welcome to a different kind of religion column, the primary difference being that I personally have no faith at all in “religion.” Religions are based on man’s ideas, ideas which consistently and historically cause untold grief and turmoil throughout the world. What I do have faith in, and what this column will attempt to look at in various ways and from assorted angles and through different colored lenses, is the importance of having a relationship with God, based on faith in him and in his word, the Bible.

What qualifies me to write about weighty, eternally significant issues? Well, I did once breeze through a Bible knowledge test given to Lutheran ministerial candidates—that and a dollar will get you a double cheeseburger at Mickey D’s. You may have noticed that my byline contains neither distinguished title at its beginning nor letters signifying advanced degrees at its end. Call me a Plain Jane Christian, if you will, a generic version—just a sinner saved by grace who wants to learn what the Bible has to say to me and all the rest of us stuck on Planet Earth in 2008—and someone who would enjoy having you come along for the ride.

This isn’t a column for Bible scholars, but for Bible students, which is just another word for “disciples.” In the truest sense of the word, students enjoy digging into available resources, mining precious golden nuggets of knowledge that had, at least for them, been previously hidden. Students also enjoy sharing the results of their particular quests with others, sometimes with annoying enthusiasm!

Although the kind leaders at Crossroads Church have donated space on the church website for this little co-adventure, we won’t expect answers to come from one church’s particular mindset or doctrinal stance (and certainly not from any political soapbox)—all eggs of wisdom can’t possibly be discovered in one basket. We will find fresh wisdom from devoted men and women who have gone before us, and also from those who pursue God in our own time. And (sigh) you’ll have to endure my personal opinions. But I can assure you that the Bible itself will be our focus.

Be forewarned: because (in my opinion) Christians tend to take themselves far too seriously most of the time, we will hopefully enjoy a good belly laugh once in awhile. In fact, people in general have a nasty habit of taking almost everything too seriously…with the notable exception of the few things that must be taken seriously…or else.

This will be a column for fellow seekers of wisdom, colleagues in Christ. Next time, we’ll jump in with both feet and talk about…well, feet. Are there significant Bible verses about feet? Come back, and we’ll look at a few of them together, along with some thoughts.
For what it’s worth.

Ellen Gillette lives in Harnett County, North Carolina, attends Crossroads where she is involved with children’s and women’s ministries, and is the author of Baaad Sheep- When God’s People Let You Down (CarePoint 2007). She may be reached by e-mail: ellenofgillette1@aol.com. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of other individuals or corporate bodies associated with Crossroads Church…or my long-suffering husband.