Surely you can’t be certain! (I am certain and don’t call me Shirley.)

by: Ryan C. Brown

As our community prepares to host author/speaker Peter Rollins on November 18th, I wanted to share with you a snippet of Peter’s Book, The Idolatry of God. 

“It is the claim of this book that Christ signals a type of apocalyptic event much more dramatic than the one we find in fundamentalist literature. For in the figure of Christ we are confronted with an atomic event that does not destroy the world, but rather obliterates the way in which we exist within the world…In this way the new creation that arises in the aftermath of the Christ apocalypse is not “out there” but is a lived reality bubbling deep within us.” 

This paragraph helps to set the scene for the rest of Peter’s book in which he argues that modern day Christianity has fallen short in sharing the “Good news of Jesus’ ministry.” Rollins argues that so often in our lives we erect idols that stand in the place of God. When we do this, we not only separate ourselves from the presence of God, we sometimes completely replace God altogether. This can lead to a number of dissonant feelings, some of which are isolation, abandonment, and fear. Rollins states, “What we see taking place in the church today is the reduction of God to an Idol, that is, to a thing that will satisfy us and fill the gap we feel in our hearts.” 

Most often Christians attribute uncertainty to an absence of God in their lives. Peter’s work invites participants to press into the uncertainty that is so pervasive in our every day lives. Rollins argues that uncertainty is not an absence of God but is rather an integral part of the Christian maturation process. When our worldview includes a component of uncertainty, we are given the opportunity to fully feel alive. We can begin to experience God in a healthy way knowing that if we are uncertain about something that lies before us, we can be sure that God’s presence will remain. (Deut. 31:6) 

Tickets are available for Peter’s event by visiting https://peterrollins.com/calendar/ or on Eventbrite Keyword: Peter Rollins. You are also able to purchase tickets at the door for $20. Cash preferred.