Saturday Morning Musings

Ah, Saturday.

The lovely lass with whom I wistfully wander this wilderness way has had to go into work today (don't ask), leaving me dangerously on my own. What's the plan?

Read some. Go for a run. Do some laundry. Read some more.

We've picked out another church to go to tomorrow. This one will be the first "Spirit filled" type since we've begun looking. By the way, I bracket the term in quotations to indicate my niggling dissatisfaction with it; it's more a reference to style than to actual Pentecost-like realities . . . as is usually the case, isn't it?

Does it seem like churches that emphasize the Bible neglect the Spirit? And vice versa? I'm not the first to make that observation, I know. Just thinking out loud.

The Rob Bell imbroglio--or maybe it should be called an evangelical rhubarb--Jesus Creed features some interesting responses. One of the quotes he features is from theologian Richard Mouw. Here's a snip from that:

A prominent evangelical had criticized those of us who have been in a sustained dialogue with Catholics for giving the impression that a person can be saved without having the right theology about justification by faith. My response to that: of course a person can be saved without having the right theology of justification by faith. A straightforward question: Did Mother Teresa go to hell? My guess is that she was a little confused about justification by faith alone. If you think that means she went to hell, I have only one response: shame on you.

And here is probably a good place to add this.

But enough about all that. I really just wanted to use the word "imbroglio."

I mentioned a few posts back I've been focused on the Sermon on the Mount lately. Just thinking and musing and journaling and picturing. And just now it reminds me of this: