Embracing God's Hiddenness: Navigating Spiritual Dryness and Finding Healthy Church Community

Dec 4, 2023

The podcast discusses the hiddenness of God and why believers sometimes feel His absence. They explore scriptures that mention God hiding Himself and touch on the theme of hiddenness in the Christmas story. The concept of intimacy with God and the 'dark night of the soul' is also explored.

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Introduction

00:00 • 2min

Christmas Decorations, Accidental Heresy, and Ohio State Michigan Game

02:05 • 2min

Emails, Year-End Giving, and Church Recommendations

04:25 • 3min

Choosing a Church Based on the Kingdom of God

06:57 • 24min

Understanding Deconstruction and the Purpose of Gathering

31:05 • 3min

Discussion on Upcoming Episodes and Audience Suggestions

34:16 • 2min

The Hiddenness of God and Feeling His Absence

35:53 • 24min

Intimacy with God and the 'dark night of the soul'

01:00:08 • 17min

Explore how experiencing God's hiddenness and spiritual dryness is a normal part of the Christian journey. Mike Erre and Tim Stafford delve into the biblical concept of disorientation, discussing why God sometimes feels distant and how this can lead to deeper faith and maturity. They also provide insightful guidance on what to look for in a healthy church community that fosters genuine growth, transparency, and support.

Key Takeaways:

Understanding Spiritual Dryness – Recognizing that feeling God's absence is a common part of faith and can deepen our reliance on Him.
The Hiddenness of God – Exploring biblical examples and reasons why God may veil His presence to encourage our growth.
Stages of Faith – Discussing the journey through Orientation, Disorientation, and Reorientation in our spiritual lives.
Finding a Healthy Church – Identifying key qualities such as shared leadership, inclusion of women in leadership roles, and transparency about money and power.
Embracing Disorientation – Learning to navigate seasons of doubt without guilt, understanding they can lead to stronger, more authentic faith.

Resources Mentioned:

The Bible Project – bibleproject.com
Dallas Willard's Teachings – Insights on spiritual formation and God's presence.
Scott Peck's Stages of Spiritual Development
Walter Brueggemann's Psalms of Disorientation

Join the conversation and share your experiences with spiritual dryness and finding authentic community. Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and follow the Voxology Podcast on social media to stay connected.

As always, we encourage and would love discussion as we pursue. Feel free to email in questions to hello@voxpodcast.com, and to engage the conversation on Facebook and Instagram.

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Music in this episode by Timothy John Stafford

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