iMonk 101: The Humility Zone + Alex Arnold on Theological Skepticism

I’ve always liked this essay, and I don’t want to lose track of it.

The Humility Zone is rarer and rarer among Christians these days. Defending the authority of scripture has come to mean asserting the impossibility of our own fallibility. Scripture is true, has authority and, of course, my interpretation of scripture just happens to be 100% accurate, even if I’m 23.

The Humility Zone was never so needed among Christians, and as Christians speak about their faith to the world.

This isn’t about postmodern epistemology. It’s about understanding what it means to be human as well as Christian.

READ: The Humility Zone.Continue reading “iMonk 101: The Humility Zone + Alex Arnold on Theological Skepticism”

Enough Courage to Go Around

UPDATE: Here’s a suggestion by Ray Ortland that fits with this post.

If the truth about Christianity turned out to be very different from what we’d been taught as young Christians by people we look up to as mentors and authorities, would we stand up and tell the truth? Would we make the turn and go the other way?

Every so often, this situation occurs. Take, for example, the infamous inter-racial dating rule at Bob Jones University. Through whatever process- enlightenment, epiphany, embarrassment- it became obvious that the school’s prohibition on interracial dating was wrong, even though it had been taught as part of a “godly Christian witness” for decades.Continue reading “Enough Courage to Go Around”

Sabbatical Journal: Departure

In fifteen minutes, I’ll be on the road to sabbatical week 1 on the campus of Southern seminary.

Look for occasional reports here. Look for some of the fruit of my time away at the temporary home of Jesus Shaped Spirituality.

Thanks for all the Louisville advice. I’m loaded for bea…..books and coffee.

God bless all of you and have a great summer. If you miss me, listen to The God Journey podcast archive.

William Paul Young (author of “The Shack”) on Steve Brown, Etc.

UPDATE: Here’s an example of what Young is writing at his own blog these days.

I cannot tell you how important it is for you to go listen to this interview. If you’ve read The Shack and wondered how the story expresses the faith journey of the author, this is the interview you are waiting for.

William Paul Young on SBE.

Absolutely amazing story, with the beauty of the Gospel everywhere. That a bunch of the TR community will hate on this book because, as Steve says, their underwear is too tight, is a real shame. Those of you who read and thought, “I am reading a journey inside someone’s own experience of The Great Sadness,” will be doubly rewarded.

Steve also has Paul Young’s web site linked, and there is more material on Young’s journey there.

Please, listen to this story. It will change completely the way you hear the idea of going to “The Shack” and it will make Mark Driscoll’s ridicule of that image truly sad.

Internet Monk Radio Podcast #96

podcast_logo.gifWhat’s happening to the IM website? Dragged down front and made to dance.

Jake Colsen.com
So You Don’t Want To Go To Church?
The God Journey. An absolute must for IM readers. Go to “Recent Episodes” and listen to “Who Is This God?”

You all need to buy “The Gospel for Those Broken by the Church” and more Reformation theology gifts from New Reformation Press.

The God of Job’s Complaints

Job 10:1 “I loathe my life; I will give free utterance to my complaint;
I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
2 I will say to God, Do not condemn me;
let me know why you contend against me.
3 Does it seem good to you to oppress,
to despise the work of your hands
and favor the designs of the wicked?
4 Have you eyes of flesh?
Do you see as man sees?
5 Are your days as the days of man,
or your years as a man’s years, Continue reading “The God of Job’s Complaints”

Open Thread Question: Church and Kingdom- What’s the Relationship?

UPDATE: Winner so far: Thinkling Jared. Esp for saying whom he copied from.

I think we need to open a window at this little stop on the web. It’s been a bit stuffy in here lately.

Here’s a question that’s right at the heart of all kinds of important things going on in my life right now, and maybe yours, too.

What is the relationship (or distinction) between the Church (visible) and the Kingdom of God?

Keep your answers/discussion on topic and please don’t copy and paste large excerpts of other sources. Link them.

Can A Christian Sing The Blues?

***sigh***

When someone says I’ve written something I shouldn’t have written, you can be almost certain that I’ve written something using the language of lament. L-A-M-E-N-T.

All of you that just said “huh?” please step into the side room. If you came in a bus, they’ll wait. It’s time for a lesson on some of the most important parts of the Bible that you won’t be hearing in church.

Lament is a form of language used THROUGHOUT THE BIBLE (excuse the shouting) when human beings respond to their experience of God seeming to not keep his covenant promises to them. Lament is “Where are you Lord? What are you doing? Why are you against me? How could you let this happen? I did what you commanded, and now this? My life is miserable. Where is God?” If you’re like most Christians, you know this stuff is in the Bible, but your pastor never gets near it at the risk of a deacons meeting to ask why he’s lost his faith.Continue reading “Can A Christian Sing The Blues?”

Jesus Shaped Spirituality: What does Jesus Shaped Integrity Look Like?

I was sitting in a middle school classroom today and noticed a poster on the wall. It said, in a highly decorative way, “Integrity: Hold On To Your Beliefs!”

Public and private schools are full of this sort of thing these days. There are catalogs of this kind of rhetoric for schools, touting various values like integrity, respect, hard work, tolerance, excellence and so forth. They look nice.

While being commendable, I’m not so sure how some of them fit in with being a follower of Jesus.

“Integrity: Hold On To Your Beliefs,” for example seems to carry some presuppositions.Continue reading “Jesus Shaped Spirituality: What does Jesus Shaped Integrity Look Like?”