Three Things Sunday

As usual, I like the three thing format but feel moved to express myself on another day. Consider me to hold a liberal blogology

1) sorry for the typos in the post below; it was written in two pieces and I need to clean it up; since I've apologized I'll probably leave it with all its typos and lay weaknesses; lay apologists get their butt kicked sooner or later and my time will probably come; doesn't mean I won't get up and learn from the experience

2) I found an interesting article here on Intelligent Design; the way ID is described in the media I considered it a waste of time and insisted on the term teleological argument, bettter, teleological question (though I'd read Paul Davies years ago) but this link HERE reminds me the jury isn't in yet, if it ever will be

3) I am experiencing something which could be described two ways: the skeptic in me would say that I have innate abilities/characteristics which will only feel fulfilled with increased church ministry in some form; the believer in me thinks God is calling me into some greater ministry. I figure if the latter is true, he'll keep calling. Yes, I have tenure, a wife in grad school, a son, and I've never ever considered dumping my tenure for any thing. I don't know what form increased work in the church would take; I could stay a professor or not. But I know that something has been knocking for a while and is still knocking. My gifts as I see them: teaching the essentials, writing (sorry if my blog falls short), leading, empathy. Don't know what all that stacks up to mean. Appreciate prayers from those who pray. Life is short and death is long, eternity longer still.

Love to all


Comments

KMJ said…
#3 is pretty cool...either way you approach it. You are a great writer and apparently natural teacher - making complex ideas approachable. I'll be praying for you and for God's direction/tugging in your heart. You are right that he'll keep tugging if that's what He wants for/from you. Peace!

P.S. 'teleological' is a great word.
1:55 PM
Tenax said…
I feel love in your comment KMJ; that love is returned. Someday I will get north with my wife and a bunch of us will sit down and pray and talk.

t
3:28 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

First Step and the Consiliari

Wife and son have the bug and went out late to the midnight after thanksgiving sales...best of luck. I am far too old for that madness. I had my first meeting with my priest and formally announced my intention to enter discernment. Or, in the lingo, "articulated my call." I really don't like the "call" term. I mean, St. Paul, blinded for three days in Luke's account; now that's a call. Surely, Peter, fishing when Jesus shows up and says follow me; that's a call. My own complex process of discernment? Not sure if the term fits. I said a long time ago, right here on this blog, that I'd only enter ministry if 1) I had the desire 2) others had the desire for me and 3) circumstances permitted. I actually think number 2 has been the case, quietly the case, around me at my parish for some time; I'm sure I'll get the chance to explore that more deeply. Right now number 1 is pretty much still the case for me. I am trying to be very caref...
Read more

Hey Gang

Well, it's nice to be back. My life has changed to much since my last posts all I have time for is an update. Deep breath. I gave up the idea of the priesthood around the last time I wrote about it here, maybe a few months before. When I realized five years ago that my son would be starting his freshman year at college, and we'd be paying for half of it at least, splitting costs with his bio-dad, the same year I would start seminary I thought: this just cannot happen. My wife was still underpaid, working as an intern, and I had been the primary breadwinner all the years we've lived together and my son is, well, my son. It is my job to make his life as good as I can. It felt selfish, narcissistic, I am not sure of the word, but I knew I could not pay for both or was not willing to try. Maybe I should have, maybe I should have, but instead I began re inventing myself in other ways. First, anyone who actually reads this will be glad to know, my ocd symptoms, so jarring f...
Read more

On the Sacraments, Baptism (Christianity from the Inside 5.0)

This essay has sat on my hard drive for two weeks; it may not be done, but since I can't type well till my finger heals, here goes. I think I have almost an entirely evangelical audience (save romy, if she ever heads this way) so this may not seem very relevant. It is simply an issue I was working through for myself attending an Episcopal church and looking at church history. On the Sacraments: Baptism Salvation by faith alone, sola fide , is the absolute cornerstone of evangelical theology as I know it. Certainly that phrase as it's understood now has roots in the Reformation's reaction to medieval theology. Yet it's tough not to read Paul's arguments in Galatians, Romans, and elsewhere, and not see that he believes that what truly saves a person, what justifies a sinning soul before God, is faith. There are passages in the ot which seem to say the same thing (and Paul quotes them). In Paul's reading, sure Abraham was obedient to God, but befor...
Read more