Friday, May 28, 2010

i blame Brian McLaren ... and i kind of credit him too

i've come a long way baby.

i'm a child of an evangelical circle, a fundamentalist mindset ... but i'm seeing things less and less the same way as time goes along.
what is the gospel? for all my life it has been about believing so that i can go to heaven when i die but more and more it's becoming about a redemptive story that plays itself out daily as i take part in the Kingdom story of God. Jesus preached a gospel that the Kingdom was near, not the Kingdom is your reward when you die and i'm still processing my need to be saved ... daily.

the Kingdom is at hand. God help us to live out peace and justice. God help me to work out my salvation with fear and trembling.

yes i am saved, don't hear me wrongly but i'm also BEING saved everyday.

PRAISE TO YOU LORD JESUS CHRIST!



h/t to Weary Pilgrim

Brian McLaren is the bald older guy with glasses in that video. he's just a guy that's helping me understand my own faith journey. i blame him for engaging me in conversation and i also credit him for helping me in the conversation. thank you brother.

4 comments:

Stainers said...

Just finished 'A New Kind of Christianity'. Mixed feelings on it all but gave me some good things to think on.

Jon Reid said...

I was in the midst of a host of conflicts with my pastor at the time, feeling my faith change, feeling confused, lost and alone… when I read A New Kind of Christian through tears. I haven't read his more recent books, but that one played a big part in saving my faith.

(For rethinking evangelism, I also recommend another oldie, More Ready than You Realize.)

Unknown said...

Growing up with an atheist father I became an agnostic, hell bent on proving there was NO god; I found God. Being a alcoholic hell bent on proving myself; I found shame, humble thoughts.

What would Heaven on Earth look like? What periscope or lens can I use to see/image/imagine it?

How does dying to the flesh and ALL Earthly pleasures work out??

Did Paul really say that in Romans 8:12?

I find solace in The Word. But then, I question which Word.

I am so Hellenistic that I cry sometimes.

You made a statement once that mr. dave wainscott must have really hurt me. I replied "run Forest, run".

The truth is we, as a family, supported wainscott when we felt he was wronged by the UMC (United Methodist Church). But, we found a man that we could not trust (in many, many ways). What God taught us is... it is NOT a man we need...or a group of men (elders) that lead but rather a way of life profound!

We left wainscott en masse.

I prefer pro/con, but look for a better way?

I support your search and add that when two or more ask/seek in His Name we find Him.

"i've come a long way baby."

may i add... we all have a ways to go!

Have you read Augustine of Hippo?

shallowfrozenwater said...

i don't mean this to sound like i'm crediting McLaren with creating a new faith for me, i'm just saying that he's asked some pertinent questions that are causing me to ask my own questions and think about it all a little more.
i've read only a cursory amount of Augustine. perhaps it's the stuff about "being saved daily" that makes you ask?
realize that i don't have anywhere near the history with a brother like Dave but i haven't seen anything to question him like you seemingly have. i have no desire to burn any bridges so that i might be able to minister to all if i can.
thanks for coming by the blog.