Dear Hyde Park Family,

We can freely admit that there are some aspects of the Christian faith that are simply hard to believe. It’s not that we don’t believe them. It’s just hard to fully comprehend them. There is a whole category of essential concepts to the faith that cannot be completely explained with reason.

• What is the nature of the trinity? How can one God exist in three persons?
• How was Jesus fully human and fully divine?
• How can we believe that God is all-powerful, all-loving, and all-present, especially in a world filled with such suffering and evil?
• What does prayer mean, and what difference does it make?

These are questions that stretch the mind.

For some people who consider themselves irreligious or non-Christian, these questions are barriers that prevent them from having faith. In a world filled with such unsettledness and uncertainty, we crave the reliable and the predictable. We would much prefer answers that are clear, cut and dry. So, for some, these concepts are not only hard to believe; they make it hard to have faith.

But for others, including many of us, these are questions that actually reinforce the need for faith.

For the next five weeks, our worship series is called “Hard to Believe,” and we will tackle each of these imponderable questions that are at the core of the Christian faith.

• May 26: The Trinity: How Can Three Equal One?
• June 2: The Nature of Christ: How Can He Be Fully Human and Fully Divine?
• June 9: The “Omnis” of God: All Powerful, All Knowing, All Present
• June 16: The Impossible Chess Match: The Problem of Suffering and Evil
• June 23: Prayer: What Difference Does It Make?

We will discover that these questions not only remind us of the limitations of our intellect and keep us humble. They help us to embrace mystery, not shy away from it. They remind us that we are not God, because if we had everything completely figured out, there would be no room for wonder, and no need for God. To believe in God is to believe in something beyond us, and beyond our capacity to grasp it. And that’s what each of these questions do.

So, join us for this series. Bring your questions, and your openness to mystery. We will discover that these essentials to Christian doctrine are not barriers to faith but are reminders of faith.

See you Sunday!