Other Points of View
Since starting on this blogging adventure and all the leap-blogging that goes with it, I have discovered things I never knew were out there. One of the more interesting ones, among many, is to begin to find the significant differences between my Protestant and evangelical theological understandings and those of my brothers and sisters of the Orthodox understanding. Huw at Doxos:GenX@39 has a really thought provoking post on the Protestant and American understanding of a "practical Jesus. Here are some snips:
Erica has struck on something that, I think, marks the difference between the Jesus I see in Orthodoxy and the Jesus I've always expected to see (having been raise a Protestant and having been, for a time, a Neo-Pagan).
The practical Jesus of Erica's post is very much a Protestant. He uses what is to hand because that's what's there. He rides a foal of an ass because that's what's there, in town, and uses bread and wine for communion because that's what's there, in the culture. [snip]
The Jesus Erica talks about is the only one I've ever known.
Until becoming Orthodox.
The Orthodox worship a Jesus who never did anything by accident, who healed certain people in the Gospel stories not because those were the ones' brought to him, but to make certain points; where the foal of an ass and the bread and the wine were to hand not because they were cultural expectations but because Jesus, as God, made choices to put those things to hand. The Creator of the Universe in human flesh can do that. He can fulfill prophecies as a first-choice so that others may see the signs. [snip]
Only in America would we imagine a God who poured Himself out in Love for our salvation would be practical. Only in America would we think that practical god better than the Extravagant Gushing Fountain of Light that we're offered.
One of the important things some of these posts do is to give me whole new windows on the faith from a truly ancient perspective. The Orthodox theology, as Huw and Erica point out, has an understanding of God that is definitely prodigal, taking the prodigal son parable and going where it really needs to go- the awesome Prodigal Father who loves enough to let the son go- and return. How impractical. Huw, in the comments to the post, adds this great summary.
You get a God letting Himself be slain by His own creatures to pour Himself into them.
There is nothing logical about it.
It is, I think, only wasteful to our eyes. But God's ways are not ours. Thank God!
Figuring Out My New Life
With a new work schedule- and therefore a new evening schedule- I haven't been able to do what had become a discipline since beginning this blog. I am going to be earlier (since I have to get up a lot earlier) and that means I don't get that last hour of quiet after the news to leap blog and write.
So. How's It Going?
Well, the first week is almost over. It has been a lot of "orientation" and waiting for directions this first week. I have been able to use that time to ask questions, do some research, and do some preliminaries that won't get done once things get moving. It has been an interesting week, though, that is hard to explain. So I won't try at this point. I will keep working and watching. Looking forward to next week as I begin to get into the nitty-gritty of working with youth more of the time.
Here and There
Darryl Dash is in Cuba and sending us blogs to keep us up to date.
Andrew has a neat new blog design. Wow! The times are a-changin'.
It sure is cold up there in Canada. Just ask Little Bear and LT.
Andrew Jones, the Tall Skinny Kiwi, has moved to London and started a new Our Daily Blog.
And, finally for tonight, Doug Pagitt announces that his much awaited book, Reimagining Spiritual Formation, is due to be released January 23. You can order from Amazon.com now.
