Theology and Experience
The conference emcee said, "You won't want to miss tonight's session with Judah Smith, cuz' that boy can preeeeeach."
He could not have been more accurate. I had never heard of Judah Smith, but since that day I have since subscribed to the podcast, and I cannot get enough of this hipster glasses and skinny jean-clad fellow who preaches with the passion, wit, and impact of a black preacher in the south (though he is a skinny white kid from Seattle). Best preaching I've heard in a LONG time.
A large premise not only for his talk that night, but for his life as of late was:
"My theology will not be dictated by my experience."
After having lost his father, his hero, to a long battle with cancer this past year, Judah was and is still able to make this faith statement.
How often have we, or those around us, been caught up in life's broken circumstances and began to wonder if God and his promises are really true. We go through different situations and we begin to doubt all the foundational things we have built our lives on.
The truth is we all have a sick heart, and we are all faced with situations when the things we think were supposed to happen do not materialize, and we have to learn to take our failed promises back to God and say, "I still trust you."
------- * Judah's church in Seattle and The Podcast