'My Faith So Far : A Story of Conversion and Confusion' - Patton Dodd

Part of being a Christian is seeking the truths that God wants us to live by. Our spiritual journey is one of growth that doesn't end during this lifetime. It takes us to our final breath on earth and into Heaven. But what happens when the answers we're finding don't make sense? Where do we turn when our confusion outweighs our certainty? Patton Dodd shares his journey in this excellent book. He doesn't proclaim that he has the answers. He simply asks the questions.

Almost every Christian that I know, regardless of their denomination, has had some sort of "crisis of faith" at one time or another. Most of the time it's not of "does God really exist" proportions, it's more along the lines of "is this really how I'm supposed to find Him?". Sadly, most people that I know would never say it out loud for fear that they would be looked down on by the "Christian community" at large for having the question in the first place. Patton Dodd, the author of My Faith So Far: A Story of Conversion and Confusion, may have had that fear, but he overcame it in a big enough way that he wrote about it and his search for answers.

Raised in a Southern Baptist home, Patton grew up in a denomination that quietly seeks God. As a teen he moved from seeking God in the "kid way" that many of us used (i.e. you go to church on Sunday because that's where your parents go and you're supposed to) to seeking the three P's ... parties, playmates (of the female persuasion) and pot. Although he hid it well from his parents, his older sister seemed to suspect that the "good boy" routine was just that ... a routine. She talked him into going to church with her, at a Charismatic Megachurch. His original thoughts of "What is wrong with these people" soon turned to feeling like he was finally home. There was suddenly more to God than he had ever imagined. He went from trying not to fall asleep during worship services to dancing during them. He went from someone who felt like he didn't really know how God wanted him to worship to someone who was being taught how to do it all. How to pray, how to read the Bible and how to worship were very defined, by the church, by the teachings and by the music that he listened to. It was suddenly easy to know and love God.

Of course, for such a radical young Christian, the choice of colleges was an easy one and the logical next step. Oral Roberts University was exactly where he felt like he could grow into a good strong Christian adult. He thought that his experience with the Charismatic Megachurch had prepared him for whatever ORU had to offer. It didn't take long to find out that he was mistaken. There were differences in Charismatic worship and doctrines that he wasn't familiar with or comfortable with. There were questions that seemed to have no real answers. The answers he did get seemed to be pre-packaged and not very meaningful. The cons of the doctrine were outnumbering the pros on huge proportions.

"My Faith So Far" takes the reader through Patton's struggles. It takes you through his questions, his confusion and his search for God's truth. It would be nice to be able to say that it brings you all of the answers, but let's face it, everyone's answers are going to be different and Patton Dodd hasn't found all of his answers yet so he can't exactly give you yours.

This is no light and easy read. This book will probably take you longer to read than books usually do because Patton Dodd makes you think. The situations, scenarios and questions that he describes will ring some bells for you. You'll find yourself comparing your own experiences with his. Some will be so similar that you'll shudder and some will be some different that you'll thank God that you didn't fall into that particular trap. Either way, you'll take something valuable from this book. From new Christians who are still trying to learn all of the rules to seasoned Christians who feel like they know them all, the spiritual journey described in this story will make you look a little deeper and grow a little more. That's a good thing. Isn't it?