Joe Carter of the Evangelical Outpost has had an ongoing series of posts called ‘Know Your Evangelicals.’ I’ve found it interesting because I have not heard of most of them and wouldn’t know some of the more ‘famous’ ones if I tripped over them. It is not a world I live in or am a part of.
I had to laugh when Lunar Skeltons made up a google/search formula that rates Joe’s evangelicals on a mathematical heresy scale. He went to a lot of work to seemingly make a point not to take ourselves or our supposed leaders too seriously.

Michael Spencer, the Internet Monk wrote a piece that also shows me how far out of the evangelical loop I really am. His post is both satirical and serious as he talks about the reform movement. The theology went right over my head. It is not a world I live in or am a part of. But I can understand his final point.

Now a real, non-parodied, real life suggestion. Let’s talk about the ideas. Let’s talk about the scriptures. Let’s talk about the matters that affect what scripture teaches and how we take hold of it. Let’s have an on-going conversation. Let’s take the confessions seriously, and let’s live in our churches with integrity to the Gospel, but let’s not convince ourselves that our opponents are an insidious conspiracy of knaves faking Calvinism to take over the “tent.” Let’s not stifle writing, scholarly pursuit or the intellectual/spiritual journeys of those who aren’t like us in every way. You may not like the phrase, but “generous orthodoxy” still sounds like a great idea to me.

If I learn anything from reading posts like the above, it is about human nature and how we want to fit, be important, be right, be known, be heard. A few hours of wandering around god-blogs will give you a fairly good indication of our needs. They don’t differ from anyone elses.
I think that is why I like Real Life Preacher and many of his counterparts that are in my blogroll. Faith by it’s very nature is tenuous, while the God in whom we place that faith is not. I think we manage to mix that up.
We have a tremendous opportunity online to tell the story.
And when debate comes up, we have even more of an opportunity to respond with kindness, gentleness, goodness and civility. I wonder why so often we chose not to.

connexions:

Sharing in honest, respectful conversation with another of different opinion, or even different faith, does not amount to concession or weakness. Put aside any thoughts about “thin ends of wedges” or slippery slopes. In the world as it is, we need more understanding not less. And the best way to gain that understanding is in dialogue.

Dr. Mark Byron has been posting on why the US will never be a theocracy. All his reasons and logic on why that can’t happen are sound. But as I read it I know the logic and reasoning will not sooth the fears of those (not just secularists or democrats or liberals) who see the shifts, feel the coldness of fanaticism, the clout of power, feverish patriotism, the crush of wealth and the public demanding that helps foster the fear in the first place.

How easily one can be dismissed or feel foreign when wandering around the god-blogs. If our faith isn’t right, if our logic isn’t strong, if our world-view seems simplistic, if our allegiance isn’t to certain leaders or ideologies…

That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection. May I love the Lord my God with all my heart, mind, strength and love my neighbour as myself. May I do justice, love mercy and walk humbly before my God.
That’s all I want. I don’t want to make a list of known evangelicals. I don’t want to be on the leading edge of a movement, or have a PhD in apologetics.
I don’t want to prove anything, win debates or participate in flame wars. I don’t want to feel stupid because I’ve never read the top 100 christian classics.
We talk a lot about community in the Christian world. And some of us that talk the loudest work the hardest at shutting others out.
I don’t want to do that. So that makes me what? Liberal? Naive? A middle school thinker? Biblically illiterate?
Doesn’t matter.
Jesus loves me and that knowing has changed my life.
There are a lot of places I don’t fit in. He still loves me and the knowing of that love and the gratitude for it softens life’s blows, whether self or other inflicted.
How about you? Do you ever think or feel you don’t belong in the tent either?