--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You might tell me that you have been…" description: "\"You might tell me that you have been engaging in some deep questioning and theological rethinking.1 You can no longer live with the faith you inherited..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d0/brian-d-mclaren-8226_attendance_you-might-tell-me-that-you-have-been-eng_2541885.jpg" --- # You might tell me that you have been engaging in some deep… ![“You might tell me that you have been engaging in some deep questioning and theological rethinking.1 You can no longer live with the faith you inherited from your parents or constructed earlier in your life. As you sort through your dogma and doctrine, you’ve found yourself praying less, less…” quote by Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d0/brian-d-mclaren-8226_attendance_you-might-tell-me-that-you-have-been-eng_2541885.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d0/brian-d-mclaren-8226_attendance_you-might-tell-me-that-you-have-been-eng_2541885.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d0/brian-d-mclaren-8226_attendance_you-might-tell-me-that-you-have-been-eng_2541885.jpg) > “You might tell me that you have been engaging in some deep questioning and theological rethinking.1 You can no longer live with the faith you inherited from your parents or constructed earlier in your life. As you sort through your dogma and doctrine, you’ve found yourself praying less, less thrilled about worship, scripture, or church attendance. You’ve been so focused on sorting and purging your theological theories that you’ve lost track of the spiritual practices that sustain an actual relationship with God. You may even wonder if such a thing is possible for someone like you.” [Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Intense theological questioning can eclipse lived spiritual practice, leaving a hollow faith experience. **In simple terms:** Overthinking doctrine can drown out relationship with God. Key Takeaway Balance study with practice. Themes faith theology spirituality self‑examination Mood reflective conflicted Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal crisis - church disengagement - spiritual renewal - faith transition Key Concepts existential doubt religious identity prayer discipline Questions to Reflect On - How can you reconnect with daily spiritual habits? - What practices nurture relationship beyond belief? A Different Perspective Intellectual pursuit alone may not sustain inner peace. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attendance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attendance/) [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible/) [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Church attendance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church-attendance/) [Doctrine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctrine/) [Dogma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dogma/) [Engaging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engaging/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Focused](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focused/) [Found](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/found/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Like you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-you/) [Lost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lost/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Parent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parent/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Practice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/practice/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) [Praying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/praying/) [Purging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purging/) [Purging Theological](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purging-theological-1440403/) [Questioning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/questioning/) [Questioning Theological](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/questioning-theological-1440402/) [Relationship God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationship-god/) [Relationship with god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationship-with-god/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Rethinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rethinking/) [Scripture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scripture/) [Someone you like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/someone-you-like/) [Sorting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sorting/) [Spiritual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritual/) [Spiritual practice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritual-practice/) [Theological](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theological/) [Theological Rethinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theological-rethinking-1440401/) [Theory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theory/) [Track](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/track/) [Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonder/) [Worship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worship/) ## Related quotes > [“Laws requiring a certain frequency of church attendance, the taking of Communion, and baptism of infants soon appeared all across the Lutheran areas of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-stark/laws-requiring-a-certain-frequency-of-church-attendance-the-taking-of/) [Rodney Stark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-stark/) > [ \[On women as priests:\] It has always seemed very odd to me that this particular sphere of activity should remain a male closed shop,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-stocks-baroness-stocks/on-women-as-priests-it-has-always-seemed-very-odd-to-me-that-this/) [Mary Stocks, Baroness Stocks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-stocks-baroness-stocks/) > [Many people get what they need from church attendance because the Word is preached, and the rituals are carried on, and God works, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/many-people-get-what-they-need-from-church-attendance-because-the/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [America has begun a spiritual reawakening. Faith and hope are being restored. Americans are turning back to God. Church attendance is up. Audiences for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/america-has-begun-a-spiritual-reawakening-faith-and-hope-are-being/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Church attendance rates among white Americans without a college education have dropped pretty significantly. People with college degrees are more likely to go to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/church-attendance-rates-among-white-americans-without-a-college/) [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) > [I quickly found that the American church is a difficult place to fit in if you want to live out New Testament Christianity. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-chan/i-quickly-found-that-the-american-church-is-a-difficult-place-to-fit/) [Francis Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-chan/) > [Tend to choose what is popular over what is right when they are in conflict. They desire to fit in both at church and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-chan/tend-to-choose-what-is-popular-over-what-is-right-when-they-are-in/) [Francis Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-chan/) > [“if the church fails to make the shift to apostolic movements again, Christian influence in Western culture will continue to fade, and church attendance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hirsch/if-the-church-fails-to-make-the-shift-to-apostolic-movements-again/) [Alan Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hirsch/) > [Do you realize the weight of the one who has invited us to follow him? He is worthy of more than church attendance and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-platt/do-you-realize-the-weight-of-the-one-who-has-invited-us-to-follow-him/) [David Platt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-platt/) > [Genuine Christianity is more than a relationship with Jesus, as expressed in personal piety, church attendance, Bible study, and works of charity. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-colson/genuine-christianity-is-more-than-a-relationship-with-jesus-as/) [Charles Colson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-colson/) > [“Fifty years ago there were no Little League games on Sunday mornings, and the stores stayed closed. But while we like to complain about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-c-heath/fifty-years-ago-there-were-no-little-league-games-on-sunday-mornings/) [Emily C. Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-c-heath/) > [Your deepest, darkest sins and your shameful secrets are simply irrelevant when it comes to the counterintuitive, ecstatic announcement of the gospel. So are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/your-deepest-darkest-sins-and-your-shameful-secrets-are-simply/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [“churches have unconsciously encouraged the development of fear by using it as a weapon to whip people into church attendance, the performance of church…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/churches-have-unconsciously-encouraged-the-development-of-fear-by/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [There was only one decline in church attendance, and that was in the late 1960s when the Vatican said it was not a sin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-stark/there-was-only-one-decline-in-church-attendance-and-that-was-in-the/) [Rodney Stark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-stark/) > [No person can be punished for entertaining or professing religious beliefs or disbeliefs, for church attendance or non-attendance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-black/no-person-can-be-punished-for-entertaining-or-professing-religious/) [Hugo Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-black/) ## More by Brian D. McLaren > [I love writers who are insightful enough to be cynical but choose not to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-d-mclaren/i-love-writers-who-are-insightful-enough-to-be-cynical-but-choose-not/) [Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) > [“I have a confession to make.121 Almost every time I tune in to religious radio or TV, I want to change my religion. I”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-d-mclaren/i-have-a-confession-to-make-121-almost-every-time-i-tune-in-to/) [Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) > [“If, for you, orthodox means finally “getting it right” or “getting it straight,” mine is a pretty disappointing, curvy orthodoxy. But if, for you,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-d-mclaren/if-for-you-orthodox-means-finally-getting-it-right-or-getting-it/) [Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) > [That in itself is an act of peacemaking, because we're seeking to align our wills with God's will, our dreams with God's dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-d-mclaren/that-in-itself-is-an-act-of-peacemaking-because-we-re-seeking-to/) [Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) > [“The wise preacher of Ecclesiastes might say, “There is a time for everything—a time to be laid-back and a time to be outraged; a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-d-mclaren/the-wise-preacher-of-ecclesiastes-might-say-there-is-a-time-for/) [Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) > [Since I was introduced to the practice of God's presence, which in turn led me into the contemplative way, I have nearly always felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-d-mclaren/since-i-was-introduced-to-the-practice-of-god-s-presence-which-in/) [Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) > [“There’s a lot of dirty theology out there, the religious counterpart to dirty politics and dirty business, I suppose. You might call it spiritual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-d-mclaren/there-s-a-lot-of-dirty-theology-out-there-the-religious-counterpart/) [Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) > [“For me, Carol, we can't be faithful to God unless we're faithful to the facts, faithful to the data if you will. And so,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-d-mclaren/for-me-carol-we-can-t-be-faithful-to-god-unless-we-re-faithful-to-the/) [Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) > [The scarily brilliant Romantic poet and visionary William Blake dared to say what many of us have perhaps thought but kept to ourselves: “A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-d-mclaren/the-scarily-brilliant-romantic-poet-and-visionary-william-blake-dared/) [Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) > [“A generous orthodoxy is like that. It acknowledges that we’re all a mess. It sees in our worst failures the possibility of our deepest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-d-mclaren/a-generous-orthodoxy-is-like-that-it-acknowledges-that-we-re-all-a/) [Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) > [“Why is it that the choice among churches always seems to be the choice between intelligence on ice and ignorance on fire? —as quoted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-d-mclaren/why-is-it-that-the-choice-among-churches-always-seems-to-be-the-2/) [Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) > [“globalism (for better or worse) transforms personal and ethnic identities, creating hyphenated and cosmopolitan identities—in which people consider themselves first and foremost citizens of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-d-mclaren/globalism-for-better-or-worse-transforms-personal-and-ethnic/) [Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) > [We must never underestimate our power to be wrong when talking about God, when thinking about God, when imagining God, whether in prose or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-d-mclaren/we-must-never-underestimate-our-power-to-be-wrong-when-talking-about/) [Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) > [“We must, therefore, never underestimate our power to be wrong when talking about God, when thinking about God, when imagining God—whether in prose or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-d-mclaren/we-must-therefore-never-underestimate-our-power-to-be-wrong-when/) [Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) > [You know what, the thing that breaks my heart is that there's no way I can answer it without hurting someone on either side.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-d-mclaren/you-know-what-the-thing-that-breaks-my-heart-is-that-there-s-no-way-i/) [Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) [Explore all 82 Brian D. McLaren quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) ## More Attendance quotes > [To a large extent, the American church has become merged with the world. It has adopted so many of the world's ideals and standards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/to-a-large-extent-the-american-church-has-become-merged-with-the/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [Our large trading cities bear to me very nearly the aspect of monastic establishments in which the roar of the mill-wheel and the crane…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/our-large-trading-cities-bear-to-me-very-nearly-the-aspect-of/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [While attendance at traditional churches has been declining for decades... the evangelical movement is growing, and it is changing the way America worships.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-brokaw/while-attendance-at-traditional-churches-has-been-declining-for/) [Tom Brokaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-brokaw/) > [My mother attended the local church, Saint Nicolas, and consequently, I attended that church and its Sunday School. My only prizes from the Sunday…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-smith/my-mother-attended-the-local-church-saint-nicolas-and-consequently-i/) [Michael Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-smith/) > [Upon arriving, meeting their teachers and signing up for classes, these students began to realize that their attendance at Delaware State University was not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-n-castle/upon-arriving-meeting-their-teachers-and-signing-up-for-classes-these/) [Michael N. Castle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-n-castle/) > [What is the biggest benefit of having a Girlfriend or Boyfriend in the same school where you study? - '100 PERCENT ATTENDANCE'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/what-is-the-biggest-benefit-of-having-a-girlfriend-or-boyfriend-in/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [A lovely nook of forest scenery, or a grand rock, like a beautiful woman, depends for much of its attractiveness upon the attendance sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-t-barnum/a-lovely-nook-of-forest-scenery-or-a-grand-rock-like-a-beautiful/) [P. T. Barnum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-t-barnum/) > [If Facebook was school I swear I'd have perfect attendance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-facebook-was-school-i-swear-i-d-have-perfect-attendance/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [After a child has arrived at the legal age for attending school,-whether he be the child of noble or of peasant,-the only two absolute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/after-a-child-has-arrived-at-the-legal-age-for-attending-school/) [Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/) > [It's great to see the World Rowing Championships returning to U.S. soil for the first time in 25 years. I am even more excited…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-young/it-s-great-to-see-the-world-rowing-championships-returning-to-u-s/) [Stephen Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-young/) > [Broadway shows in New York draw two times the attendance of all New York sports teams put together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lahr/broadway-shows-in-new-york-draw-two-times-the-attendance-of-all-new/) [John Lahr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lahr/) > [The number of opera houses around the world and the high attendance rates show that opera an art form that is more popular than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-beresford/the-number-of-opera-houses-around-the-world-and-the-high-attendance/) [Bruce Beresford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-beresford/) > [But there were some things I believed in. Some things I had faith in. And faith isn't about perfect attendance to services, or how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/but-there-were-some-things-i-believed-in-some-things-i-had-faith-in/) [Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/) > [My attendance in school was 30 per cent. I was always travelling with my parents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janhvi-kapoor/my-attendance-in-school-was-30-per-cent-i-was-always-travelling-with/) [Janhvi Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janhvi-kapoor/) > [The great proliferation of museums in the nineteenth century was a product of the marriage of the exhibition as a way of awakening intelligent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-fortey/the-great-proliferation-of-museums-in-the-nineteenth-century-was-a/) [Richard Fortey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-fortey/) [Browse all 116 Attendance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attendance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You might tell me that you have been engaging in some deep questioning and theological rethinking.1 You can no longer live with the faith you inherited from your parents or constructed earlier in your life. 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