Comments on: Sabbatical Journal 1/Peterson seminar (continued)

By: George C

George C — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 17:33:03 +0000

Is there honestly any example of Jesus giving a lecture/sermon where people were not expected to raise questions and comment?

I don’t think that His culture allowed for that, but it is intertesting that we accept the shut up and listen mode of teaching as the norm.

By: Matt P.

Matt P. — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 16:12:34 +0000

I’d add to ryan’s comment above that conversational speech respects the need and the right of the individual to arrive at his own beliefs. Truth which is forced on someone who is not ready to receive it usually ends with resentment and rejection (experience speaking here). To me, the ideal discussion is “This is the way I went; maybe you can go this way, too.”

Maybe our failure (one of them?) is reading our understanding of the Bible dogmatically, instead of letting it speak dogmatically when it wishes.

Sounds like I need to go find some of Peterson’s books…

By: Pastor M

Pastor M — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 16:04:05 +0000

Neat comments. I just spent 45 minutes with a woman who recently retired at 52 from a major pharmaceutical company because she felt God calling her elsewhere–to her children, to a deeper walk with Jesus, and perhaps to starting a group, or maybe even something else. After reading Peterson’s story about talking with her pastor for an hour, I am glad that I spent much of the time listening. You can learn a lot by doing so.

May the time in Louisville and at the seminary go well. I had a great experience there in the ’80s with Will Willimon.

By: David Babikow

David Babikow — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 16:00:51 +0000

“…using language to create contol and security.” Boy is that ever the truth. One positive aspect of getting to be an old guy is I’m not that good at it anymore.

By: ryan

ryan — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 23:50:06 +0000

Absolutely. If you spell everything out for someone in the most blatant language that person does not have to make a leap at all, does not have to try to understand the deeper meaning, the truth behind the words. The mysterious is where “bullet point theology” breaks down. That is not to say that it doesn’t have a place, but to disregard the third division of language strikes me as a terrible waste of our God-given imagination.