Very good stuff gentlemen…Of course I find myself resonating very much with your hearts.

I like the podcast idea for several reasons.
1) The spoken word is far more defining than blog comments.
2) It allows more voices to be heard at once.
3) Rick if I were to imagine how you sounded; that was it.

My only complaint is that the audio sounds like you guys are speaking into a ’spitoon’ err…I mean tin can.

Tim made the comment something about “we like to clearly define where are boundaries are in the western church” (paraphrased) Execellent point. Recently I posted on the NakedPastors blog about that same idea. We sometimes paint ourselves into corners because our ideas of what makes you a “good” follower of Jesus.

My quote that I posted on Naked Pastor:

It also appears to me that some people find security in guidelines and structure while others (like myself) cringe under the idea of rules and rulebooks. I’ve gotten much benefit from reading, studying, and meditating on the word. I have found great freedom in the pages of scripture. But when I start to create a list of do’s and don’ts I become a slave to the law.

Unfortunately most of Christianity has designed the system in such a way that there is no alternative to following the list. Your a good christian if ___________ Your a bad christian if you don’t ____________. Before long we’re all doing mental check lists about how we measure up to the person next to us. And patting ourselves on the back because we’re not divorced, or a single parent, or a smoker, or a drinker, or struggling with porn, or an adulterer. The whole time the person who is struggling with any of those things dies under a mountain of guilt and shame. They don’t find grace in the church they find condemnation and judgement.

Anyways thanks for your thoughts. Can’t wait until the next one.

Sandman,
You need to come to Owosso and I’ll go there. We’ll eat at this little joint there (Big Ben’s sandwhich)!

Either one is good for me. I was thinking E. Lansing because I it was equidistant from me. And it’s a short hop for you.

I’m also in Michigan. Midland to be exact.

Let’s get together. E. Lansing would be good for the Grand Rapids person and not to far for me.

In a past life, I was at Horak and McKay Press all the time.

As a Sicilian, I was taught to hate Rome for totally different reasons. So we need to change that title for me personally.

Isn’t your town’s slogan “the middle of the mitten”?

Actually that’s St. Louis.

Midland’s motto is “The city of Modern Explorers” With Dow Chemical and Dow Corning being headquartered here.

I actually grow up in South Warren where the motto there is “If you make it out alive your doing good”

Peace

1. You erroneously assume that all “watchdoggies” do not practice their faith.
2. What about the “ivory tower minutae” of dissecting orthopraxy?

Chris P. –

#1 – I hope I did not give that impression. Case in point – you.

#2 – There is room for both, but by definition orthodoxy is within believers while orthopraxy is designed to walk among believers. Without the first you are liberal, without the second you’ve lost your salt.

And let me give a disclaimer right up front. I will use flowery and metaphoric language sometimes. Nothing personal, a Spurgeon complex.

We are. Let’s do this through email, though, so we don’t hijack the thread.

Okay…Tim you should have my email right? If you could carbon me in on time, place, and if wifes are allowed that would be great.

My wife will be pissed if I said “Hey honey you know those guys I spend all my time on the internet with…Well they live in Michigan and we’re getting together”. I’d have to move in with somebody.