Good Questions
by Jim Burklo
This past Sunday I gave what I call a “3x5” sermon, in which I distribute cards to everyone in worship, and invite our people to write down questions and comments that really matter to them. The ushers collect the cards and give them to me; I shuffle them and then respond to as many cards as I have time to speak.
These are sacred times for me, because the questions and comments represent some of the most heart-felt issues in the lives of people in our community. I respond to them, but I don’t pretend to answer them, because in our church we value the questions as much or more than the answers, and many of the questions can never be fully answered, in any case.
In worship, our reading for the morning was a selection of the questions of Jesus found in the four gospels – questions that inspire (and sometimes perspire) us. They, too, are sacred questions because they still make us think and feel profoundly, two thousand years after he asked them.
So here I present these two sets of questions – Jesus’, and yours.
The Questions of Jesus:
What are you looking for?
Why are you looking for me?
What does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?
Where is your faith?
Why are you anxious?
Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
Why do you think evil in your hearts?
What do you want me to do for you?
The Questions of Sausalito Presbyterian, 5-13-07:
Why do we reach for love in religion and yet use it for hating and fighting?
How does humanity as a whole and individually deal with groups who don’t care about consequences, including the ultimate, death?
Talk about non-duality.
When God seems far away....
When did Jesus know who he really is and how does that give us guidance?
How do we make sense of senseless tragedy? How do we find meaning in it? How do we find God in it?
How are you doing?
What are keys of wisdom regarding service to others?
How is it possible to replace greed and love of power with the love and caring of mankind and the environment?
What other questions matter a lot to you? And which questions of Jesus matter most to you, as well?