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go here to buy my stock photography Alan Creech
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aaron klinefelter
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Cut to the chase Creech! OK. I pretty often feel like I live in between two theological and ecclesiastical worlds. Yeah, yeah, but seriously, let me finish before you start identifying with me. You may not want to. I admit, I'm a weirdo - to a lot of people, in these arenas. That's fine. I'm fine being weird - to a degree. I mean I find myself reading or hearing things that people in the so-called "emerging church" think or believe and I shudder. I'm like, "wow, did you just say that? Holy crap! When did this become wacked-out central?" On the other hand, side of the divide, whatever - I find myself reading or hearing some things that so-called traditional church people think or believe and I sink down and shake my head thinking, "are you guys some kind of idiots or something? seriously! you've got to be kidding me!" Of course I've said enough of that here that you know what I think about that stuff by now. Why is it that when we feel inspired toward radical reform, even what many call revolution in the church, that we feel the need to go on half-cocked and go all the way over the damn waterfall? Huh? Why let go of things that never needed letting go of? Sure, I'll be the first one to encourage people to "question everything" - basically so they'll know why they believe what they believe, where it comes from, why it's important, etc. Yes to that! But don't find in that an excuse to lump in what you've always wished were true, just calling it so because now everything's all postmodern and liquid. Oh my, what a mistake. Unless we somehow come to recognize a Christian Orthodoxy that transcends our wants and feelings, what kind of real revolution can we have? I don't know that I want in on that. I'm not sure we want another out of hand protestant reformation. Things will spin off much faster now than they did then. We have a big head start on individual goofiness. We have to have some anchor to hold on to. And no, it's not "just" the Bible. That's way too quick an answer for many and they don't even know what they're saying. Who's Bible? Which books? What do they mean? Who decides? OK, not to get off on that - I believe the Bible. I think I'm a little emotional on this at the moment. Maybe I need to just make my list that will, in a very sketchy way, say a few things I'm talking about... I still believe...
Those things to me are in the category of "important." Some of them I look at as necessary. I mean, if you don't believe in the Resurrection, what's the point? I'm not a sola scriptura poster boy in anybody's book, but if you can't basically trust that the Bible is "true" in some way, then throw it in the trash can and stop trying to deal with it. Honestly, I'll take Communion with you, but if you're not celebrating it and receiving it as a Real transfer of Life, as taking Jesus into yourself, then why do it? To "remember" - OK, but I just don't get it. Of course I get back into another kind of trouble when I continue to insist that denominations are a passing and unnecessary thing that cause more problems than they do any good; that buildings and professional clergy have done and continue to do deep damage to the Body of Christ; that hierarchical pastoral authority structures are based in fear and need to give way to relational connections; and a few other things I could list. So, no worries, I'm still a freak in many special ways. But I also still believe orthodoxy is important (albeit a small set of necessaries), that good theology matters (therefore doctrine is not unimportant), and that there are a few structures and practices which should always remain and never change at their core. I guess that's my little rant for the day. It truly was that, and I meant every word. Don't read this, though, as a well thought out systematic treatise. If you want that, give me 10 more posts of this length at least. Aaagghh!! Peace be with you. technorati tags > emerging church, church, orthodoxy, theology, doctrine Labels: catholic, church, emerging church, theology :::
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three quotes |:: "Then, if we cannot as yet think alike in all things, at least we may love alike. Herein we cannot possibly do amiss." "Keep your eyes on the crucifix, for Jesus without the cross
is a man without a mission, and the cross without Jesus
is a burden without a reliever." "...I am deeply convinced that the Christian leader of the future is called to be
completely irrelevant and to stand in this world with nothing to offer but his or her own vulnerable self."
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