Friday's Thoughts

"The Bright Idea"
This week I have been thinking about the whole world of ideas and the importance of reason. I know it is important to have confidence in our ability to think. Jesus was reported to have said that we must love God with all our mind. John Wesley lifted up reason as an important resource of faith.

In the reading and research on Wesley it is clear that Wesley did not believe in "pure reason" as an important resource of faith. He was criticised as an "a religious enthusiast" with the implication that he was locked into an approach to religion what was primarily emotion and that denied the value of reason. Wesley believed in reason but not in reason alone. Reason helps us interpret scripture but it is not a substitute for the value of scripture. Reason helps us find balance in tradition but it is not to replace tradition.

But reason is important. The intellect does provide balance to the affect. The sermon will look at those things in our lives that blunt the power of reason. I will explore three factors that stifle reason. They are:

1. There is that within our own sense of confidence that makes us feel inadequate when it comes to our ability to think.

2. There are people around us who put us down. Sometimes they don't even know they are doing it. Sometimes they are trying to do it? It causes us to question ourselves and we begin to distrust our ideas.

3. There is that in life that stifles us. Things happen to us and we question what we can do or how we will face it.

Descartes "I think therefore I am". He was right. Our ability to appreciate our thought is directly tied in to our self-understanding.

Reason is important way beyond the thoughts we might have. It is a measure of who we are and who we see ourselves as becoming.

What do you think about what you think about how you think? If you have some thoughts on this write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to have others read your thoughts click on the box below.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Charles Schuster