Meet Rev. Troy Venning
Rev. Troy Venning was a classmate of both my wife and I at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary where he graduated in 2011 with a Master of Divinity. He is an itinerant Deacon in the African Methodist Episcopal Church serving at Bethel AME Church in Downtown Miami. He received an MBA from University of Phoenix (Ft. Lauderdale) and received his B.S. in Psychology from Xavier University of Louisiana. Troy says, "Love is and has always been the key and if we love one another like Christ loved us (to death) then the world will change." I hope we can agree with him on that and all will welcome him as my newest guest blogger during Eastertide!
Questions are really ok...I promise
Today's Scripture: John 20:19-29
When I was in Junior High School, I remember my English
teacher. She was a very serious lady, especially in the classroom. Of all the
things that I remember about her besides her glasses with the chain on them,
the two things that stick out most are this t-shirt that she would occasionally
wear and this mug that she drank coffee out of. The message on both the shirt
and the mug were very similar but expressed in different ways…That
message…”because I said so!” Deep right…but doesn’t that speak volumes to the
position that adult takes towards children most times? Children are to seen and
not heard…right?
Oh, I forgot that is just me…
However, if we dared to be
honest, we would admit that most believe that children should stay in their
place, and they dare not ask questions. That is, they should not ask an adult a
question. I would assert that the church is like that. This is so because we
have been taught that when it comes to one’s relationship with God; that we
must remain like a child who better not ask a question.
Quiet often (not
everywhere) the church teaches people of God that as life comes and you
experience the ups and downs, the ebbs and flows of life that we are just
supposed to take whatever life throws us, not have an opinion and not question
God one iota. But I mean is that really possible? Is it possible to be alive
and not have questions about one’s daily experiences? Life continues to happen and if you keep
living, you will have questions. Sickness, poverty, death, failure, heartbreak,
injustice, racism, hatred, classism, sexism, I could go on and on…but the fact
of the matter is, that in life all of these things will come.
Thus I write
today to remind you that when they come, that God is big enough to handle and
is ok with any question that you may have. I know this because of Jesus posture
and position Jesus to when addressing Thomas and the disciples after his death
and resurrection. The disciples had questions; they had just experienced
excruciating pain as they watched their leader get executed. They were afraid;
for them all had been lost and because of that reason, I can attest that they had
questions. The disciples all had questions, each one of them. Thomas and the
others all had questions and Jesus new that. The difference with “doubting”
Thomas and the others; he was bold enough to verbalize his questions. Whereas
the others, simply operated in fear unable to say what was troubling them.
Maybe today as you are reading, you have unanswered questions that you are
afraid to ask; know today that no matter how big or small…God is big enough to
answer every one of your questions. The
Good news for you and me is that no matter your question, God will meet you
right where you are. How do I know? Look at the way God reacts to our
questions. What is Jesus’s response in the story of doubting Thomas? He sends
the disciples a word that should set them at ease, when it didn’t, he went
looking for them. When he found them he granted them peace and he gave them
(the disciples as a group and Thomas individually) a tailor made response. Beloved
God knows that you have questions even when they are unspoken like the
disciples. Maybe you are bold like Thomas, guess what God is big enough to
handle your questions…still not convinced that questions are ok…ask Abraham,
Moses, Gideon, Elijah Jeremiah, Job, David and then there was Jesus and the
ultimate question…My God, my God…why has thou forsaken me?
Beloved, know that
questions are fine. In fact the ability to question is a gift from God. Read
your bible, you will find out that you are not the only one that has questions.
In fact, the beauty of the cross is relationship and restoration…at the end of
the day God would much rather being in dialogue with you than for to be engaged
in a monologue…Ask away, trust me God is big enough to handle all of your
questions…In fact, God is waiting and ready to answer because God loves you.
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