- Deism is a bad thing. Borderline-deism-that-doesn't-realize-it's-borderline-deism is a bad thing, too. I don't know exactly how radically 'interventionist' and involved in everyday life God actually is. But I'm pretty certain it's a lot more than whatever picture I had before.
- God is BIG -- too big to be contorted and smashed into my brain. (Or at least one hopes He would be, being the infinite God and all). :-)
- As much as you can help it, NEVER ask the questions "is Christianity true?" and "what is 'Christianity'?" and "am I really a Christian?" simultaneously. They spiral one another downwards most effectively. :-P
- Thankfully, God's promises are dependent upon Him, and not upon our understanding of them, or our swinging levels of certainty and confidence in them. (Thanks, Laura :))
- Angst is compounded 100-fold by four term papers hanging over one's head. :-)
Once my
- re-learn NT Greek. Or start picking up Hebrew.
- figure out why we have the books in our canon that we have in our canon. (Yes...this is immensely important. If you're going to be meditating on the word of God and shaping your life and thinking around them...you'd better make sure you've got the right words :-)).
- figure out how to not get defensive when I run up against stuff like this
- cry out for wisdom and understanding.
- remember that "wisdom" does not equal "knowledge"
- figure out how on earth to combine an insatiably curious and questioning mind with a quiet and humble and gentle spirit. (For I most certainly have the first, and most certainly lack (most of) the second).
- leave the tomorrows in God's hands. It's harder than it sounds.
- redirect any further entries here to more objective sorts of things. Or at least things I know I'm knowledgeable enough about and wise enough about to be talking about... :)
3 comments:
first of all
[HUG]
reading through your last couple of posts have brought back memories of some very... difficult times in college.
You're asking some insanely hard questions that get to the foundations of our Christian worldview, opening yourself up for some world rocking (in multiple sense of the word 'rock') from the foundations up.
"And this word, yet once more signifies the removing of those things that are shaken, those things that are made, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain... our God is a consuming fire." Heb 12:27, 29
[ooh... gives me goosebumps :)]
And that is my prayer for you. May He shake and consume you :)
And I very much like where your posts are going, btw.
It's hard... so hard.
But don't give up :)
One of my favorite hymns that we sang at every compline during lent resounds with the refrain 'God is with us' over and over and over again.... oh, it's such a beautiful hymn... I'll have to find some of the lyrics and post it on my blog for you. But I want to remind you in prayer, that 'God IS with us'; 'God is WITH us'; 'God is with US'; and most importantly, 'GOD is with us'!
Don't forget that :)
all else is secondary, tertiary, or... etc.
It's all about the Incarnation, baby!
YEAH!
[HUGS]
your stranger,
Jeremy
Okay, and I just skimmed that article you linked to about Lewis.
it was funny. Besides criticizing his views on historical-criticism, all they're really saying is "he's not a Calvinist". And say he's not Christian for believing the same things the vast majority of Christians over the millenia have confessed and lived.
That cracked me up.
And saddened me.
People really need to learn their Church History better.
Anywho.
To shake things up a bit more, here's a couple more links with some heavy philosophical stuff that might give you might find interesting to chew on if you follow it:
http://www.energeticprocession.com/ (an ex-calvinist)
and
Scroll down to the pic of the gorrilla
it's an archive in shambles. It may be too messed up to follow. But if you can follow it, and make it through, it's a pretty fascinating (although painfully boring at times) discussion
or if you prefer, I could email you a couple of shorter essays that can give you a more concise summary of what they're trying to discuss on those blogs.
AdonaiUplifts@gmail.com
Worthy goals...and important ones.
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