The Gift of Wary Seekers to the Church

Paul writes - In the excellent, Norvene Vest edited book, Still Listening: New Horizons in Spiritual Direction, Vest has a wonderful essay titled Wary Seekers: Spiritual Direction with Church Dropouts. She concludes her essay with the following:

“Wary seekers have many gifts to offer the Christian church at large. They remind us of the value of doubt in keeping faith honest. New perspectives are always helpful in the mosaic of faith, and seekers’ questions may help us toward sounds critiques of existing thought and practice.

Without them, we might neglect the foundational truths that engage us in lifelong growth toward God; with them, we are challenged to speak of Christ’s impact on our lives in an immediate way. Too often as church, we find ourselves fussing over issues that have no real substance, while the world, in making the radical shifts required in the new millennium, cries out for reliable connection with God. Wary seekers [and those with a “churchless faith”] help us to remember and cherish that which is essential.” (p. 59).

It reminds me of some great conversations I’ve had in the last couple of days.

Amazon allows you to “Look Inside” if you’re interested in the “Contents.” This is a collection of very useful essays including ones by Kenneth Leech, Margaret Guenther, and Janet Ruffing.  Amazon link here.