Imago, You're the Faces of My Faith
SHANE RICHARDSON
As I listened to pastor Melinda’s sermon last month, I thought about how I am an unknown face to this community. I would guess that very few people at Imago Dei would recognize me if they saw me out and about. I, however, feel like I know quite a bit about you. Well not you the individual, but you the church. I have listened to your podcast of sermons for over a year now.
Since you don’t know me, I would like to share my story with you all. I grew up in a loving household where the Christian faith was part of our weekly lives. We attended a Methodist church with a fairly mainline theology. As I entered high school, my faith was pretty important to me. I was involved with youth group, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and I would go to a couple different church camps each summer. In general, I had few if any doubts about God, Jesus, or the Bible. And because I came of age in the late 90s, I was surrounded by the fundamentalism of evangelical Christianity.
For example, I remember reading “I Kissed Dating Goodbye”, a book so steeped in purity culture that even dating before marriage was considered outside the bounds of what God had planned for you. I even thought that it made sense. I also felt guilty because I could never live up to those standards.
I was able to maintain this faith for a few years after high school, but after 4 years in college and 5 years in the military I found myself not wanting to have anything to do with the Christian faith. Christianity seemed to have been hijacked by the religious right. I said to myself that if what they are claiming is Christianity then I could no longer consider myself a Christian. I did not deconstruct my faith. I just abandoned it altogether.
It took me another ten years to start to reconstruct my faith. There have been countless happy accidents and unexplainable coincidences that have led me back to God. But today I would have to say that the “Faces of My Faith” are the numerous podcasts that I listen to each week. They are continually leading me back to God and strengthening my faith.
The first podcast that has impacted me is the weekly sermons from the Mayflower UCC church in Oklahoma City. I had originally found out about this premier liberal protestant church many years earlier listening to NPR. The senior pastor, Robin Meyers, was being interviewed about a book he had recently published, titled “Why the Religious Right is Wrong”. I never read the book but many years later, when I was ready, I remembered the pastor’s name and his church and found their sermon archives. This podcast gave me hope for a Christian faith that was about peace and justice, love and acceptance.
Two years ago, I found a podcast from GracePointe Church, a church in Nashville, Tennessee. This is a non-denominational church that is open and affirming. They have just finished a sermon series called “Bible Stories for Grownups” where they take a fresh look at common bible stories and reinterpret the meaning. If you get a chance, I highly recommend it.
Now I had found two churches that I would like to attend, but they were both at least 7 hours away. I was beginning to think that to find a progressive liberal church, I was going to have to move to a red state. Luckily, I found Imago Dei. So, it turns out that, currently, my greatest “Face Of Faith” is you, Imago Dei. I would like to tell you all how much you as a church mean to me. I love all that you do in and for the local community, that you embrace a generous orthodoxy, that you are bold with your inclusivity, and that you walk the walk and not just talk the talk. I am so excited that I have found these churches as I continue to reconstruct my faith. And, although I don’t currently know you (the individuals that make up Imago Dei), I look forward to getting to soon.
I am happily married to my beautiful wife Jamie, and am a loving father of two wonderful children, (Sophia 6, Finn 3). I earn a living as an Equipment Operator, and although I have more hobbies than free time, I do love to cook, garden, travel, camp, hunt, fish, and build things.