Where does our Christian belief come from?
Much of our belief comes from the experience of Jesus' followers (disciples) during their time with him in Jesus' earthly lifetime, and importantly, from their eye-witness accounts of meeting Jesus after his death in the 'new being' mentioned above.
These eye-witness and other accounts were written down as early as 70 or so years after Jesus' death. They can be found in the four Gospels ('good news' in Greek) and in the action-packed story of the Acts of the Apostles. St Paul was a prolific writer and public speaker at the time, and his early letters (look at the first and second letters to the Thessalonians and his first letter to the Corinthians) demonstrate the huge impact of Jesus' new being after his death and resurrection.
Ever since the first Easter Day when Jesus was resurrected, his followers repeated his words and tried to live according to his commandments (orders). At the start, they were all practising Jews, and comtinued with their own temple services. As the movement grew larger, distinctly Christian worship emerged. Over the two thousand years that has elapsed, believers have continually sought to understand God, Jesus, and their faith. As a result, we now have a rich tradition of church teachings which we draw on in our own faith journeys.
We also draw on our own experiences. Sometimes people report a mystical experience or a sudden new understanding of faith. Children, particularly, are receptive to the presence of God, whether in nature, or in their play. We can work with our experience along with our understanding of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and our reading of the Bible.
