LRC, Houston - the weekends-free church in Houston, Texas

How many “pat answers” do you have for your Christian walk?

Marcus Borg calls them ruts! Richard Rohr calls them ruts. For far too many decades I was stuck in a rut. Like many I know, I learned a few doctrinal concepts early in life. My denomination taught me what I knew, and they taught me how to answer those who were outside my band of believers.

How blessed and lucky I was. How did I get such favor of the Lord? I mean, I was a Baptist, male, American, and white! Could life be any better? Did I have life nailed or what?

Wrong!

The reality was I would not let anyone challenge me in my beliefs. I would accept no other ideas other than those of my band of brothers. I would read no books outside my right wing, fundamentalist, Protestant, literal interpreting mental contructs. I certainly would not step foot in a Catholic church. Catholics were heretics! They treated Mary as a god, they didn’t read the Bible, and they thougt one man was god on earth- the Pope! Can you believe such ignorance?

Can you believe I believed that? How arrogant and blind I was.

Looking back over the last two years, I have learned more about the true God, how to love people, the Kingdom, Jesus from five people” a non denominational mystic, a Trappist monk, a Franciscan monk, and two Episcopalian bishops! Wow, who could have ever believed they’d have anything to say to me of all people.

I am unstuck! I’m out of my self-made ruts! YES!

Most importantly I have been liberated and free to swim in the waters of the Spirit. Swim? Well, maybe just lie on my back and let the stream take me where it will. I am no longer into things like John Shelby Spong spoke of when he said, “More often than not Christians frame a question in such a way that the answer will strengthen or affirm what they already believe.” That was me years ago.

Now, I see myself in a similair situation as Socrates found himself, but hoping I don’t also experience the same end that he did. Socrates viewed the reality of God as much higher than the lesser gods that his generation had created. The ppular gods of Olympus were just no match for the God Socrates saw. While we only contend with one God and not many gods, we’ve trivialized Him greatly. He is so much greater than we’ve understood.

Some view my commentaries as challenging God. It’s just the opposite. I am challenging man’s view of God that makes Him so much less than He is. I am questioning our religious words, pat answers, glib superficial acceptance of a literal approach to all, and most importantly I am hoping to drive those that are locked into non-communion with strangers, into a love affair with the WORLD (can you say people?).

Didn’t God so love the WORLD (that the rapture minded want out of) that he sent Jesus to keep us here spreading the GOOD NEWS? That there is a God so loving, so powerful, so compassionate, so merciful, so forgiving that you can’t overestimate Him. You can only fall madly in love with Him.

You ARE aren’t you?”