Just I in case you were wondering.

Yes I’ve read The Da Vinci Code. Loved the book. It’s a great story and it’s not even his best work in my opinion. This is a work of pure fiction and should be understood as such. What I would like to see is Christians who are better versed in History so they know what’s right and what’s not when they read it.

Yes I’ll be seeing the movie. Ron Howard and Tom Hanks working together almost guarantee a good show.

No I don’t think Christianity will be affected in any form or fashion by the hysteria. The idea of sending a message to Hollywood by seeing or not seeing a movie is laughable. The last message Christians supposedly sent was by flocking to see the Passion of Christ. Have you noticed any changes in what Hollywood is putting out? Didn’t think so.

If you have chosen to abstain from the movie, book or both that’s fine, I respect your choice. This may be the classic application of Romans 14. What ever we do we need to do it with a heart that glorifies God.

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. A very true observation but names do mean something. In the religious family I’m a part of we call the folks who run the church Elders. You might call them Pastors or Shepherds. Whatever name we use we know what these people do. They care for the souls that make up the church.

Here’s a suggestion. Why not call them Soul Practitioners? Just as a doctor practices medicine those of us who follow Christ practice the care of souls. We have professional soul practitioners and non-professional but were all about the same work. If you want to designated a certain group of these people as being in a primary servant role you could call them Head Soul Practitioners.

Just an idea.

Doctrine III

This is going to be pretty simple. If in my study of scripture I come to an understanding do I have the right to make that understanding a test of faith? Again I will remind you I was raised and continue to be a part of a heritage that puts a great deal of emphasis on believing and doing the right thing. This tends to have more effect on how our people worship, understand salvation and organize the church then how we live.

Here is the rub. I can be wrong. For my children who occasionally read this blog I know this comes as a shock. If, as the past has proved, I can be wrong, any position I take on scripture is possibly wrong, so how can I demand another accept my position in order to be right with God? My inherit ability to be wrong seems to demand that I give a little slack to those who disagree with me no matter what the subject unless being right on certain doctrinal issues is the foundation of salvation.

I believe Jesus is the foundation, beginning and end of salvation. This allows me to hold very dearly to certain doctrinal positions and allow for differences with those who might disagree. Since salvation is relational in nature rather then intellectual or formulistic I think this works.

Feel free to punch holes in this theory

Balance is one of those things that are hard to come by yet so important. Balancing a job and family, multiple relationships, things I enjoy, things I don’t enjoy but have to do, health food and fried stuff, exercise and leisure (translated laziness) is no easy task. What really pulls at me today is trying to balance a belief system.

In so many areas today I find myself pulled in two, if not more directions. Part of me is dedicated to a pacifist approach to live and part of me is not. I can see both arguments and have trouble landing totally on one side. This bleeds over to many theological ideas. I have a certain understanding of scripture but I can see another argument as well.

All of this makes for a very confusing existence and I tend to say, “I don’t know” a lot. I would love to say this is where we all need to be because it makes us depend on God rather then our own understanding but that’s not how I feel. I feel like I’m cheating or rather trying to ride the fence.

I assume others find themselves in the same place I do. Being raised in a religious movement that valued knowing the right thing above all else this uncertainty is hard to live with. I can argue either side of some cases with equal fervor. This tends to make me come across as argumentative. Truth is I like a good argument most of the time but I would also like some solid ground once in a while.