The truth will set you free

I don't know. Lately these three words tumble helplessly out of my mouth with alarming frequency. Contrary to my expectations, experience and age don't help ease the nagging sense that the right answer rests beyond my reach. The more I learn, the more our little church grows up, the more I feel like a pastor instead of an entrepeneur, the more difficult it is to remain confident that the truth is easy to spot. People are complicated, people living, working, and worshipping together are like stage 10 Sudoku. Preaching every Sunday and bouncing through our sacred texts in preparation is a delight that comes with a price - God is not ours to tame. "I don't know" is a more appropriate response than unflinching certainty after stretching back a few layers of the biblical record to find the God of good times doesn't play by our rules, isn't accountable to our systems, and could care less about our expectations.

But if you were to ask me one particular question, I'd be more certain in my response today than ever before. Does God expects us to always know? No.