tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19077083.post6323926707558248910..comments2023-07-01T07:00:39.337-04:00Comments on A Journeyman's Catalog: Style or Substance?Matt Lipanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17528815536523518798noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19077083.post-2444285525533257142009-12-27T22:26:24.840-05:002009-12-27T22:26:24.840-05:00DavidT: thanks for sharing your thoughts.
some re...<b>DavidT:</b> thanks for sharing your thoughts.<br /><br />some response...<br /><br />seems like a sad state of "being Methodist" if it simply comes down to being able to "outlast a minister". <br /><br />i'm not sure it's safe to assume that the majority of Jesus' audience were not "thinkers", though they may not have been formally trained, i can't help but believe they thought about all sorts of different things, including the implications of putting their faith in Jesus.<br /><br />i agree that if people are listening purely for the excitement and energy they won't pay that much attention to the theology but i'm sure you would agree that doesn't mean we should ignore sound theology all together. what i think we must do is turn the perception that learning about theology/faith is drudgery and help people see that it can be a meaningful act of joyful worship. <br /><br />thanks again for being willing to share some good points.Matt Lipanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17528815536523518798noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19077083.post-1954481092602972752009-12-23T21:02:07.147-05:002009-12-23T21:02:07.147-05:00Being Methodist, I see a spectrum of theologies an...Being Methodist, I see a spectrum of theologies and skill in oratory as Ministers move in and out of a church. Thankfully, I always know that I can outlast a Minister whose belief in God is lacking, and while (s)he is speaking, I get a fire in my belly and get prodded off my metaphorical comfy couch that I settle into.<br /><br />Something to consider, though: You and I tend to be thinkers; posing questions to ourselves and others. We want to reason out what the speakers are saying. The majority of Jesus' audiences listening to Him while He taught were not thinkers (even the disciples had to be trained into asking the right questions). They were like children, who were searching for Him, for Truth. It's not wrong to be passive in thought; it's just a different (largely common) learning style. Jesus never condemned the throngs as "stupid sheeple". They were His lambs, yes, but they were to be fed. <br /><br />Look at it this way, if they're going to listen to a vacuous speaker because he's energizing and exciting, they're not going to pay attention to his bad theology, because they wouldn't pay attention to the theology one way or the other. They're there to experience the joy of worship, not the drudgery of learning.DavidTnoreply@blogger.com