Redrawing Our Spiritual Maps Through Suffering and Grace

 

Summary

In our journey of faith, we often find ourselves needing to reassess and sometimes redraw our understanding of God. Just as Lewis and Clark mapped the American West, we must map our spiritual journey, identifying the mountains and rivers that shape our beliefs. This process is not just about intellectual exploration but also about personal experiences that challenge and refine our understanding of God.

Lou's story, which we explored today, illustrates this beautifully. He shares two pivotal moments in his life that forced him to reconsider his beliefs about God. The first was the tragic loss of his newborn son, which shattered his previous belief in a God who micromanages every detail of life, including suffering. This experience led him to reject the idea that God orchestrates every tragedy for a greater purpose. Instead, he found solace in the belief that God suffers alongside us, offering a deeper connection through shared pain.

The second moment came during a period of deep depression, where Lou felt abandoned by God and questioned his own faith and integrity. It was in this darkness that he experienced a profound encounter with God, who assured him of His unwavering presence and support. This encounter lifted him from despair and brought him into a new understanding of God's grace and healing power.

These experiences teach us that our map of God is not static; it evolves as we face life's challenges. Suffering and despair can be opportunities to deepen our relationship with God, finding meaning and hope even in the darkest valleys. As we navigate our own spiritual journeys, we are invited to be honest about our struggles and open to the ways God might be calling us to redraw our maps.

Key Takeaways:

- Our understanding of God is like a map that evolves with our experiences. Just as Lewis and Clark mapped the West, we must map our spiritual journey, identifying the landmarks that shape our beliefs. This process requires honesty and openness to change. [01:02]

- Suffering can challenge our beliefs about God, as it did for Lou when he lost his son. This tragedy led him to reject the idea of a God who micromanages every detail, instead embracing a God who suffers with us. This shift offers a deeper connection through shared pain. [04:45]

- In times of despair, we may feel abandoned by God, as Lou did during his depression. Yet, it is often in these moments that God reveals His presence and support, lifting us from darkness and offering new understanding of His grace. [08:32]

- Our spiritual journey is not static; it requires us to continually reassess and redraw our map of God. This process is not just intellectual but deeply personal, shaped by our experiences and challenges. [09:31]

- Embracing the mystery of God's presence in suffering can transform our pain into a source of meaning and hope. By bringing our struggles to God, we can find a deeper connection and purpose in our journey. [05:26]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:23] - Questioning Our Ideas About God
- [00:34] - Mapping Our Spiritual Journey
- [01:02] - The Need for Spiritual Maps
- [01:26] - Lou's Journey with God
- [02:15] - Changing Ideas About God
- [02:44] - The Loss of a Child
- [03:38] - Rejecting Hard-Boiled Theology
- [04:45] - Redrawing the Portrait of God
- [05:26] - Finding Meaning in Suffering
- [06:03] - Embracing God's Healing Presence
- [07:10] - A Dark Night of the Soul
- [08:32] - Encountering God's Grace
- [09:18] - Daily Grace and Gratitude
- [09:42] - Redrawing Your Map of God

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Romans 8:28 - "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
2. Psalm 34:18 - "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."
3. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 - "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God."

Observation Questions:
1. What were the two pivotal moments in Lou's life that led him to reassess his understanding of God? [02:15]
2. How did Lou's experience with the loss of his son challenge his previous beliefs about God's control over life events? [04:03]
3. During Lou's period of depression, what was his perception of God's presence, and how did it change? [07:23]
4. How does the sermon describe the process of "redrawing the map" of one's understanding of God? [09:42]

Interpretation Questions:
1. How does Romans 8:28 relate to Lou's experience of finding meaning in suffering? In what ways might this verse be comforting or challenging? [05:38]
2. What does Psalm 34:18 suggest about God's relationship with those who are suffering, and how does this align with Lou's story of shared pain with God? [05:26]
3. In 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, how is the concept of comfort portrayed, and how does this relate to Lou's encounter with God's grace during his depression? [08:32]
4. How might Lou's story of encountering God's presence in his darkest moments challenge or affirm your understanding of God's grace and healing power? [08:46]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you had to reassess your understanding of God. What prompted this change, and how did it affect your faith journey? [02:27]
2. Lou found solace in the belief that God suffers alongside us. How does this perspective influence your view of suffering and God's role in it? [05:26]
3. During times of despair, Lou felt abandoned by God but later experienced His presence. How can you remain open to encountering God in your own moments of darkness? [07:37]
4. Consider the idea of "redrawing your map of God." What areas of your faith might need reevaluation, and how can you approach this process with honesty and openness? [09:42]
5. How can you find meaning and hope in your current struggles by bringing them to God? What practical steps can you take to deepen your relationship with Him through these challenges? [05:38]
6. Lou's story highlights the importance of community and support during difficult times. How can you actively seek or offer support within your faith community? [09:31]
7. Identify one aspect of your spiritual journey that feels static. What actions can you take this week to invite growth and transformation in that area? [09:42]

Devotional

Day 1: Mapping Our Spiritual Journey
Our understanding of God is not static; it evolves as we face life's challenges. Just as Lewis and Clark mapped the American West, we must map our spiritual journey, identifying the mountains and rivers that shape our beliefs. This process requires honesty and openness to change. As we navigate our own spiritual journeys, we are invited to be honest about our struggles and open to the ways God might be calling us to redraw our maps. This journey is not just about intellectual exploration but also about personal experiences that challenge and refine our understanding of God. [01:02]

"For we walk by faith, not by sight." (2 Corinthians 5:7, ESV)

Reflection: What is one belief about God that you feel is being challenged right now? How can you be open to redrawing your spiritual map in light of this challenge?


Day 2: God Suffers With Us
Suffering can challenge our beliefs about God, as it did for Lou when he lost his son. This tragedy led him to reject the idea of a God who micromanages every detail, instead embracing a God who suffers with us. This shift offers a deeper connection through shared pain. In moments of deep sorrow, we may find solace in the belief that God is not distant but is present with us, sharing in our suffering and offering comfort. This understanding can transform our pain into a source of deeper connection with God. [04:45]

"The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." (Psalm 34:18, ESV)

Reflection: Think of a time when you experienced deep pain. How might the belief that God suffers with you change your perspective on that experience?


Day 3: Encountering God's Presence in Despair
In times of despair, we may feel abandoned by God, as Lou did during his depression. Yet, it is often in these moments that God reveals His presence and support, lifting us from darkness and offering a new understanding of His grace. These encounters can be transformative, providing assurance of God's unwavering presence and support even in our darkest times. This experience invites us to trust in God's grace and healing power, even when we feel most alone. [08:32]

"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10, ESV)

Reflection: When have you felt abandoned by God? How can you seek His presence and support in your current struggles?


Day 4: Continual Reassessment of Our Spiritual Map
Our spiritual journey is not static; it requires us to continually reassess and redraw our map of God. This process is not just intellectual but deeply personal, shaped by our experiences and challenges. As we grow and change, so too does our understanding of God. This ongoing reassessment invites us to be open to new insights and revelations about God's nature and presence in our lives. [09:31]

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:2, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your spiritual life that you feel needs reassessment? How can you begin to explore this area with honesty and openness?


Day 5: Finding Meaning and Hope in Suffering
Embracing the mystery of God's presence in suffering can transform our pain into a source of meaning and hope. By bringing our struggles to God, we can find a deeper connection and purpose in our journey. This perspective allows us to see suffering not as a barrier to faith but as an opportunity to deepen our relationship with God and find hope even in the darkest valleys. [05:26]

"Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope." (Romans 5:3-4, ESV)

Reflection: How can you bring your current struggles to God and seek His presence in them? What might it look like to find meaning and hope in your suffering today?

Quotes


so here's the question for today where have you changed your ideas about god where did you have thoughts about god that were childish or immature or wrong or don't fit your understanding of life scripture wherever you change your ideas of god or where do you think that you might need to [00:15:45]

and most particularly it makes me think about our map of god and life and reality and really loose means with this book that we're journeying through together uh is doing that he was very honest and uh uh very forthright about the fact that he often found god to be an elusive character [01:20:56]

he writes one of them that happened relatively earlier on in his and doris's marriage about four years into their time when he was teaching at calvin he writes doris gave birth to a beautiful baby boy who died before he had lived the whole of a day god's face has never looked the same to me since [02:39:12]

but i could not believe that god was in control of our child's dying he talks about how earlier on in his christian life he'd been intellectually excited by calvin's what he calls tough-minded belief that all things he really meant all of them including the ghastly and horrible happened when and how and where they happened [03:27:44]

on the day our babied boy died i knew that i could never again believe that god had arranged for our tiny child to die before he had hardly begun to live any more than i could believe that we would one fine day when he would make it all plain praise god that it had happened [03:56:72]

i learned that i do not have the right stuff for such hard-boiled theology i am no more able to believe that god micromanages the death of little children that i am able to believe that god was macromanaging hitler's holocaust with one morning's wrenching intuition i knew that my portrait of god would have to be repainted [04:15:19]

and i find that the thought that god suffers along with us that that's part of the message of the cross that somehow in some mysterious way i can join in the fellowship of the sufferings of jesus that if i bring my sufferings to him i can meet him at a deeper place than i would be able to otherwise [05:17:91]

through the valleys of suffering and darkness and pain that don't have to be the valleys of despair that's been a way that i've had to redraw my map and i'm wondering how suffering might do that for you in a similar way luke talks about an episode in his life some years later when there was also suffering [05:46:56]

he came from a tradition where there wasn't talk about that much talk about that aspect of god then he went to teach at fuller there were these classes on signs and wonders and miraculous events that lou was actually asked to give theological reflection to it's quite an amazing journey and he did that in a remarkable way [06:15:19]

i did not know where god was during this time i only knew that wherever he was he was not with me god came back to me at the very moment i had reached ground zero in my own hopelessness i had been living alone for a couple of weeks as a therapeutic regimen in a secluded cabin on one of the islands [07:27:68]

god came back he broke through my terror and said i will never let you fall i will always hold you up when i heard him speak remember lou doesn't use this language lightly or as some of my friends say imagine that i heard him speak i felt as if i had been lifted from a black pit straight up into joy [08:29:59]

i swallow every capsule with a gratitude to god almost makes it sound like it's communion so how is your map of god what needs to be redrawn take a little prozac get to work worship god with a community this weekend be honest with him and i'll see you tomorrow [09:31:04]

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Transcript
What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?
Were there any personal stories shared?