Hello

Who I Am and What I Am Doing 

Hi there, and welcome to WhatDaHeckel! You've probably already noticed the scientist, philosopher, and theologian hanging out on my home page—they're the kind of guys who have deep thoughts over coffee and leave the rest of us wondering what on earth they're talking about. That's where I come in. Somewhere along the way, I listened, scratched my head, and said, "WhatDaHeckel?"

This blog is my way of diving into life's big questions with a mix of curiosity, humor, and (hopefully) some insight. I'm Dan Heckel, and here, I'll share my journey through faith and doubt, moments of clarity and confusion, and the strange experience of sometimes seeing what others don't—or can't.

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What is WhatDaHeckel?

This blog exists at the intersection of curiosity, faith, and the big questions that keep us all scratching our heads. It's a space to explore what happens when the neat answers we're given don't match the messy realities we experience. It's for anyone who's ever looked at something everyone else accepts and thought, "Wait, am I missing something, or are they?"

I've spent decades moving through different spiritual spaces, often as a leader and teacher, only to discover that sometimes the person with the most questions sees more clearly than the one with all the answers. Let me tell you how I got here.

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Early Years and Exploration

I was born in 1958, baptized into the Roman Catholic Church, and raised with questions I didn't even know I had yet. By my junior year of high school (1974–75), I had moved on from Catholicism and was baptized in the Church of Christ. That same year, I discovered my love of drumming and started playing in pop and rock bands. From 1980 to 1982, I performed in a Christian rock band, diving headfirst into a mix of faith and creativity.

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Ministry Years

After being baptized in the Holy Spirit in 1982, I began attending an Independent, Charismatic, Evangelical Church. In 1984, I married my incredible wife, and together we moved to Oklahoma to attend Bible School. By 1987, I was ordained into the Gospel Ministry at my charismatic church in Louisville, where I served full-time on the Ministerial Staff.

The 1990s brought both blessings and transitions. My wife and I welcomed five children into our family, which remains one of the greatest joys of my life. In 1996, I stepped out of ministry to help run our family bakery business. Two years later, our church reorganized, leading us to transition to—yes—another Independent, Charismatic, Evangelical Church. After the bakery closed in 2005, I returned to full-time ministry.

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The Crisis: When the Last Straw Falls

In the summer of 2008, I found myself increasingly troubled by contradictions I couldn't reconcile. A high-profile revival was gaining momentum in charismatic circles nationwide. While my pastor expressed some reservations privately, our church was actively streaming these revival meetings during our youth gatherings and even hosted visiting ministers who had participated in the revival for a week of special services.

This disconnect between stated caution and practical endorsement raised questions for me. I began to notice patterns that seemed inconsistent with what I understood as authentic spiritual experience. As events unfolded over time, some of my concerns about certain revival leadership proved warranted through very public revelations.

Simultaneously, I was immersed in research for a Church History class I was preparing to teach. This academic study introduced me to the complex, sometimes messy development of doctrine and biblical interpretation throughout the centuries. I encountered scholarly perspectives that challenged the concept of biblical inerrancy that had been foundational to my faith.

These parallel journeys created a perfect storm of questions that I wrestled with for nearly two years. Each Sunday became more difficult than the last as I fulfilled my duties as an associate pastor while inwardly questioning almost everything I'd once held as certain.

Then came that day in April 2010. What began as a routine disagreement with my pastor—over what, I couldn't even tell you now—suddenly became the breaking point. Something in me simply couldn't continue. I went home and wrote my resignation letter that same day, surprising even myself with the finality of the decision.

A night or two later, my wife and I sat in our living room facing a stark reality. We had an honest conversation where we both acknowledged the truth: "If we don't go to church this Sunday—any church—we likely won't be back in church at all." This moment was pivotal. We knew we stood at a crossroads where one path led to walking away from organized religion entirely.

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The Five Finger Gospel

Amid this spiritual wilderness, I found myself clinging to one small framework I could still believe in:

• Thumb: I'm a sinner.

• Index: I need a Savior.

• Middle: Jesus is my Savior.

• Ring: I need to love God.

• Pinky: I need to love people.

At the time, I wasn't entirely sure I believed these five tenets, but they were all I had left. They became my lifeline—simple truths to cling to when my faith felt fragile and my connection to God seemed distant. For the next sixteen years, I served in various ministries at our new church while still wrestling with doubts, occasionally flirting with atheism, skepticism, and cynicism. I didn't abandon "The Faith," but I didn't fully embrace it either.

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A Fresh Start

Fast-forward to the summer of 2024, when something inside me stirred. Call it an "inner voice" or just a persistent nudge, but I felt compelled to take another look at my beliefs. This led me to an important realization: the Five Finger Gospel wasn't the conclusion of my journey—it was the foundation for something more.

If it hadn't been for my wonderful wife, I doubt I would have remained in charismatic churches throughout this journey. While I questioned, she remained staunch in her belief that the manifestations of the Holy Spirit listed in 1 Corinthians 12:7–11 are still active in the church today. Her unwavering faith became another anchor for me during my times of doubt.

Shortly after my summer awakening, a series of "God winks" (an event seemingly coincidental, but coming from divine origin) guided my wife and me to Yet Another, Further, Different, Independent, Charismatic, Evangelical Church (thank you, Monty Python and Ethel the Frog for the inspiration).

Today, I'm in a very different place than I was before that revival in 2008. My beliefs have shifted and grown, but the Five Finger Gospel remains my starting point—a launching pad, not a finish line. And yes, I'm still wrestling with the same big, messy questions that have followed me for years: Huh? What? Huh?

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Join the Conversation

What questions keep you up at night? What ideas make you stop and say, "WhatDaHeckel?" When have you seen something others missed, or missed something others saw? Join the conversation—share your thoughts, your questions, or even your own "WhatDaHeckel?" moments.

Pull up a chair, grab a coffee, and let's see where this conversation takes us. Because sometimes the most important spiritual insights don't come from having all the answers—they come from asking better questions