The Theologian's Table

The Camp Leader and the Cudgel Introduction If you've read any of these posts, you'll know that I've been inspired by a dream to discuss issues around reading the Bible. So far, each post has addressed some surface-level roadblocks when picking up God's word. This post will not be like the previous ones. It will be more of a theological reflection on how the big C church uses the Bible. So, if theology is not your thing, please feel free to tune out, but if you're interested and are daring to read anyway, hang on to your butt because we're going for a ride! The Nebulous Nature of Dreams The truth is, none of the entries I've written so far have really accomplished what I've tried to set out to communicate. They are, after all, based on a dream. We like to say our dreams could be sharing a more profound message, but in the end, they could just be plain old dreams. After I initially awoke from it, my first sense was that it wasn't directed at new Chris...

No, this is not about a Lifetime Channel rom-com. It may not enter the minds of the general public, but seminary students often face a stigma in the church. Sometimes they are viewed as out-of-touch, or as intellectual snobs who think they know what’s best for everyone. I was very aware of this and wrote a memo to myself before I entered seminary so that I would stay down to earth. The people who run seminaries seem to be aware of the stereotypes surrounding them too. To prevent this they offer courses that help the spiritual formation of the student, which can encompass most parts of life, but to make sure that the student knows that they too need to progress spiritually, not just the average church goer. Even though I had written a memo to myself reminding me that there are real-world problems still happening in the midst of my studies there were and still are areas of my life that need to be addressed spiritually. Though there are more than I’d care to count, ...

I'm not sure what it is with my generation, the millennials, and anxiety. It seems every time I get onto social media I see some post about it. In fact, since there is so much about it out there now, the temptation is to wonder if people aren't confusing it for something else, or are just trying to seek attention. The latter part could be true, but we as a people have already become so dismissive of each other that I do not want to add to that problem. And then, of course, there is the fact that I myself publicly admitted last week that I've experienced several anxiety attacks within the last month or so. My attacks have interfered with everything, work, faith, family, and self-worth. They didn't just come out of nowhere. Since these recent episodes happened I have had to look back through my life and see if I had anything similar happen. I remember around the age of 19 that, at times, before I would work, I would lay in bed until the last possible second trying to ...

People in the ministry are always in someway under the microscope. I often have loved ones coming to me and saying, "Should you be saying things like this, or that?" and "Should a pastor be into those types of things considering this, or that?" I understand their concerns, however, I have always tried to be unflinchingly honest with both where I am and where I've been, especially in regards to my Christian faith. I don't want people thinking they have to sort out any baloney in what I say, or that the past of those who serve in the ministry are squeaky clean. With that said, the chapter in my life right now seems to be about reflection and revelation. In a previous post I had mentioned that for a time in my early twenties I had walked a way from God. During that time I had a brief flirtation with Scientology, in fact it was right around the time Tom Cruise was being criticized for what he said about Psychology and medication for psychological conditions....