Comments on: A Hobbit’s Tale of the Soul http://wordslessspoken.com/2007/08/03/a-hobbits-tale-of-the-soul/ Musings on all things sacred and absurd Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:02:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: David http://wordslessspoken.com/2007/08/03/a-hobbits-tale-of-the-soul/#comment-301 Fri, 10 Aug 2007 03:32:48 +0000 http://wordslessspoken.com/2007/08/03/a-hobbits-tale-of-the-soul/#comment-301 Just caught up on your last week or so of posts. I was glad to read above that the Lord gave you the message of simplicity about being a Christian. I need community and at the same time I often feel like shunning it. Keep moving on the journey brother and don’t let others distract you and rob you of joy! For example, your post about the ark generated lots of reaction. Remember, you are not responsible to convince others. Psalm 16:1-2

]]> By: Lyndon http://wordslessspoken.com/2007/08/03/a-hobbits-tale-of-the-soul/#comment-252 Sun, 05 Aug 2007 21:12:28 +0000 http://wordslessspoken.com/2007/08/03/a-hobbits-tale-of-the-soul/#comment-252 beinghuman, I am truly fortunate. Life is good, if only for having been loved and the opportunity to love two little boys into this world.

jon, I recognize that there are different stages we go through on the journey. I know that we all don’t end up in the same place nor should we. I looked into a deep hole of cynicism and nothingness and opted for hope and for love. I am convinced that there is value yet in “Christianity,” though it has been marred by personalities, agendas, and time. I’m not ready to throw the baby out with the bath water just yet, but I approach everything with a new set of lens with which to view life. The pursuit for me is to know truth. To know and be known. To be available. To make the world a better place for having been here.

barry, your comment was so timely, I’m tempted to think it orchestrated. I had to preach at a church I formerly pastored today. I agonized over it long enough but the day finally came. I talked about the simplicity of being a Christian as found in Jesus call to “follow me” and talked about being part of authentic Biblical community to work out our salvation and engage the culture with sincerity. I love Barbara Brown Taylor’s book. I’ll definately check out the other. I like your vow not to “build forts around any of your beliefts.” I am convinced above all things that at the end of the day that I may be the one who is wrong and “it is me, O Lord, standing in the need of prayer.” Put on a pot of coffee. I’ll bring dessert.

]]> By: A Moment of Personal Indulgence, Please..? « The First Morning http://wordslessspoken.com/2007/08/03/a-hobbits-tale-of-the-soul/#comment-247 Sun, 05 Aug 2007 12:37:06 +0000 http://wordslessspoken.com/2007/08/03/a-hobbits-tale-of-the-soul/#comment-247 [...] a fellow blogger this morning- here - I am struck with a quote he uses from the movie “The Big [...]

]]> By: barryweber http://wordslessspoken.com/2007/08/03/a-hobbits-tale-of-the-soul/#comment-246 Sun, 05 Aug 2007 11:00:22 +0000 http://wordslessspoken.com/2007/08/03/a-hobbits-tale-of-the-soul/#comment-246 Lyndon..a stunningly good piece. We need a long conversation one day (a real one! but I think that would be easy for both of us!).

Two books, seemingly unrelated, but both of which have given real expression to my own wanderings/ wonderings:

Leaving Church, by Barbara Brown Taylor- my favorite preacher, about her move from ecclesia to academia.

The Universe is a Green Dragon, by Brian Swimme- a mathematician/poet who writes eloquently of the need for a new story in the face of overwhelming new truths.

Advice- Screw labels and the doctrine-diseased horses they rode in on. I feel more today like the Christian I was meant to always be becoming, than I ever have before. The essence of everything I believe about Jesus is found in his two words, “follow me.” I’m not building forts anymore around any of my beliefs; in a paraphrase of Ken Wilber, we’re all a little bit right. And in a paraphrase of you, we’ve all got something to learn about God from each other if we can listen without agenda..

Blessings..

]]> By: Jon http://wordslessspoken.com/2007/08/03/a-hobbits-tale-of-the-soul/#comment-240 Sat, 04 Aug 2007 22:15:31 +0000 http://wordslessspoken.com/2007/08/03/a-hobbits-tale-of-the-soul/#comment-240 Wow – what an amazing post. There are such a variety of responses to Christians leaving “vocational and institutional Christianity” as you call it. Some choose athiesm, some choose other “versions” of Christianity, and others move into completely other religious views. If we could really see clearly into ourselves, I wonder how many people that are leaving are actually leaving churches, Christians, doctrines, and the like rather than … ? What? A personal relationship with God …. er , no, tried that fad. What are we all searching/yearning for? Above ideas and doctrines are we looking for a resting place we are at ease and have found our place? I certainly don’t know.
Like you, I have found advances in quantun physics are opening up a whole new field of vision, and that as they look deeper and deeper into the heart of matter, they are finding that there is nothing hard down there at all! Energy? Thoughts? Mind? It leads me to believe (or at least very seriously consider) that maybe we really are living in the dawning of a “new age”, and that Christianity has served its purpose as a religion for mankind (along with the many others) but now we are moving onto the next step. Who knows?
Jon

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