Is there room for us to talk about God?

As a Pastor I meet with people often in many different stages of faith. Some are far from God and looking for positive change in their life, others have unthinkingly accepted their family traditions and have lived a lifetime without reflecting for themselves whether they really believe the things that their family or faith community believe. Others after a season of doubt are looking for reasons to believe again, to be inspired by others and by God’s Word. Some have written off faith entirely.

Even when I meet people in public spaces, at cookouts and town events and family functions, when they hear that I am a pastor they have some question or idea or challenge they want to talk about. What I am convinced of is this, the spiritual and religious impulse is universal. And there are very few places for conversations about God or religion that are productive rather than destructive. There is no room for talk about God at work or in our schools, or even at family gatherings.

There is this vast untapped demand for talking about spiritual things, ultimate things, the Bible, God, reality, the cosmos, creation and the ultimate end of existence. I feel it. You feel it.

Even when I spend time with teenagers and bring up these topics, they have questions and ideas but never have an opportunity to talk about them. They tell me that when they lie awake at night in those fleeting moments before they sleep they think about God and death and eternity.

Last year, shortly after opening our new Grace Chapel Watertown church in the old Community Church of Watertown building at 525 Main st, we held an Alpha Course (www.alphausa.org). I had never been a part of Alpha but had heard that it was a great opportunity for people to have intimate serious discussions about faith, God, Christianity and their own faith journey. I was amazed at the life-altering conversations that happened over shared meals those 10 weeks. 4 tables of about 10 people each grew close as friends because they uncritically had deep conversations about some of the most important things in life.

We are starting our Alpha course again on Wednesday January 28th, 6:45PM - 9:00PM, the course runs January 28 - March 23. Come be a part of the conversation, exploring faith from a Christian perspective. Share your own journey, thoughts ideas and questions. Help us shape this conversation as a seeking community, looking to understand God and our place in this world. www.grace.org/alpha

-Robert Frazier, Pastor Grace Chapel Watertown (rfrazier@grace.org)