| Well, I think it's time I started anew. I'm probably not going to be hangin out much on xanga anymore. I'm now at www.to-recreate-us.blogspot.com. Check it out friends. Love All Drewbie |
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| It's good to be back in school. I forgot how much I enjoy the classroom. |
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| I am learning a lot about the God I worship, the God of Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob. On a daily basis I am confronted with a Being in such great
pursuit of humanity that He (She/It) has presented Himself to us in
different ways and at different times (whether on Mount Sinai [Exodus
34] or the Cross [Matthew 27]), desiring that we would find Him and
relate with Him (I like how one Jewish author described YHWH in the
title of his book "God in Search of Man"). The funny thing is, I am
discovering that this YHWH may not be who I originally believed Him to
be - or at least function in the way I originally believed Him to
function.
I know this writing may sound like "emergent" thought, but I believe
its roots to run much earlier than the post modern age in which we find
ourselves. I think this story of God and humanity begins, interestingly
enough, in the beginning.
When I first began seriously reading scripture (at age 16/17), I was
insulted by anyone who attempted to take "THE Creation" by any other
means than literal. It was if questioning it's intention was to
question it's validity. While I don't think the story we find in
Genesis 1 to be impossible for God, I think it gravely misses the point
to argue whether it was a literal 6 day creation, how old the earth is,
and whether a serpent really tricked Eve into eat the fruit of the tree
of knowledge. Instead, if we look beyond the words, we find a God whose
creation peaks with humanity. If we take a look at the early Babylonian
/ Mesopotamian writings on creation, we may find Genesis 1 was intended
to be taken more as a polemic (response) text. The prevalent
understanding of creation surrounding the early Jewish people likely
that of Enuma Elish. Within this Babylonian story of creation, humanity
was not a prized creation, but instead the spawn of blood of warring
gods, made not for worship, but to do the work of the gods. Maybe we
should see Genesis 1 not as a definitive statement of how things
happened, but as insight into YHWH nature being for humanity, not
against. There is a story emerging here. A story of God's pursuit of humanity and our attempts (or lack there of) to respond. It's a story we and God are still active in contributing. It's not over, it's continuous. It brings hope beyond despair and gracious love beyond our ability to understand.
(More to come dealing with Deuteronomy [among other OT texts] as
song/poetry/liturgy and a God who is actively responding to humanity). |
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| I'm realizing that maybe I need to be a bit more generous in my theological position. I get very passionate about challenging people to coherency, but that may not be everyone's highest priority. I need to be more conversant. |
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| Often times I feel relegated to a life of questions. I don't think that I can conjure or provide absolute answers, only my thoughts, which often times lead to more questions. It isn't uncommon for these thoughts to ebb and flow with time. I really enjoy questions. I don't know that I can provide a systematic answer that is without question or doubt. I love and hate this position at the same time. I find peace and, yet, am disturbed by it simultaneously. I think my faith in Christ is found in a question, not an answer. It is not, "Lord, you are_______." but Who are you Lord? Who, then, should I be? Love all... Drewbie |
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