Do you ever have so many thoughts and questions that fill your mind that you need to get them out? This is my attempt to at least do a partial cranial core dump.
I've been listening to John McArthur's Charismatic Chaos series. Why are we drawn to extra-Biblical experiences? What is the lure of finding something new or its counterpart, the discovery of some ancient hidden truth hitherto unknown? Are we gnostics at heart?
A week ago at small group, I noticed that I was the oldest person there, theoretically old enough to be the mother of almost everyone in the room. I don't feel old. It was just a weird realization. My daughter kindly said to me, "You're not old. You're middle aged." Thank you, my dear, for making that clear distinction.
My daughter is reading Out of the Silent Planet by C. S. Lewis. I told her that I read the novel for a college class on Lewis' writings. When she asked me how long ago that was, it was 29 years ago. Oh my! No wonder I only remembered fragments of the story. Perelandra is next on the list. I'm not sure about the 3rd book. I found it very depressing and dark. Of course, I did read it 29 years ago, and my memory may not be that accurate.
In regard to school, my daughter is a bit of a reluctant writer. She has great grammar skills, vocabulary, and can verbalize her thoughts clearly, but the process and discipline of putting her thoughts on paper does not come as easily. I realized that she was not reading as much as she had in the past. It seems that writing well is a result of reading well and reading good books. Therefore we are going to "add something more substantial, in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading."
I have been thinking about straw man arguments, particularly the typical caricatures or generalizations about "organized Christian religion". I was swayed to the point that I would never in my life have thought of going to, let alone joining, a traditional organized church. Famous last words. Never.Ever.Say.Never. Another straw man is that anyone who is standing for truth and doctrine and confronting sin=unloving pharisee. Since Jesus always spoke against the pharisees, therefore it is better to be loving and kind than to have a standard for truth and righteousness. There was a once popular Christian book that used this argument very well. I was so swayed that I would bend over backwards to be nice and not confront sin because I didn't want to be like the straw man pharisee. It also supports the myth that sheer niceness alone will win people for the kingdom of God. Looking back, why was I swayed? Was it the emotional appeal of wanting to not be like the caricature? Wanting to believe that mankind deep down wanted to seek after God? Whatever the reason, do we fall for these ploys because we're reacting emotionally and not using minds to see what God's word says?
Well, that should clear out some space to be filled with more thoughts tomorrow.
I've been listening to John McArthur's Charismatic Chaos series. Why are we drawn to extra-Biblical experiences? What is the lure of finding something new or its counterpart, the discovery of some ancient hidden truth hitherto unknown? Are we gnostics at heart?
A week ago at small group, I noticed that I was the oldest person there, theoretically old enough to be the mother of almost everyone in the room. I don't feel old. It was just a weird realization. My daughter kindly said to me, "You're not old. You're middle aged." Thank you, my dear, for making that clear distinction.
My daughter is reading Out of the Silent Planet by C. S. Lewis. I told her that I read the novel for a college class on Lewis' writings. When she asked me how long ago that was, it was 29 years ago. Oh my! No wonder I only remembered fragments of the story. Perelandra is next on the list. I'm not sure about the 3rd book. I found it very depressing and dark. Of course, I did read it 29 years ago, and my memory may not be that accurate.
In regard to school, my daughter is a bit of a reluctant writer. She has great grammar skills, vocabulary, and can verbalize her thoughts clearly, but the process and discipline of putting her thoughts on paper does not come as easily. I realized that she was not reading as much as she had in the past. It seems that writing well is a result of reading well and reading good books. Therefore we are going to "add something more substantial, in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading."
I have been thinking about straw man arguments, particularly the typical caricatures or generalizations about "organized Christian religion". I was swayed to the point that I would never in my life have thought of going to, let alone joining, a traditional organized church. Famous last words. Never.Ever.Say.Never. Another straw man is that anyone who is standing for truth and doctrine and confronting sin=unloving pharisee. Since Jesus always spoke against the pharisees, therefore it is better to be loving and kind than to have a standard for truth and righteousness. There was a once popular Christian book that used this argument very well. I was so swayed that I would bend over backwards to be nice and not confront sin because I didn't want to be like the straw man pharisee. It also supports the myth that sheer niceness alone will win people for the kingdom of God. Looking back, why was I swayed? Was it the emotional appeal of wanting to not be like the caricature? Wanting to believe that mankind deep down wanted to seek after God? Whatever the reason, do we fall for these ploys because we're reacting emotionally and not using minds to see what God's word says?
Well, that should clear out some space to be filled with more thoughts tomorrow.
Great post. Thanks for your kind comments. I wonder if more us need cranial core dumps? I think I will schedule one for tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteThere is middle-aged, there is old, and there is ancient. My 88 yr old mother was miffed last week when an "old" friend in her 60s told Mom that Mom was not "old" but was "ancient". She was a little ticked about that. LOL
ReplyDeleteI enjoy reading your thoughts. (I'm in the old category. smile)
Whitestone:
ReplyDeleteAccording to my daughter, old begins in the 70's, so you're not old yet. :-)