The family small group I’m in at church recently decided to work through a book on parenting over several weeks. Before I opened the book, I decided I would wait and see if how long it took for the word “unfortunately” to show up. Answer: The second paragraph of the introduction.<\/p>\n
That’s pretty normal really. The book actually isn’t too bad, but it follows the usual pattern of Christian self-help:<\/p>\n
God really wants Christians to do ___________________.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, we all stink at this. Good thing you’ve got this book! Now I’ll tell you how to fix it.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
a slightly improved option is the “appearance of humility” introduction:<\/p>\n
Don’t you want this great thing the Lord has for you? We’ll I’m going to help you do just that.<\/p>\n
Disclaimer: I don’t know all the answers, so God help me. I probably know more than you though, so listen up.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
It’s refreshing to find something seriously different. I just cracked open another book by N.T. Wright and found this in the introduction:<\/p>\n
I make many mistakes in moral and practical manners, so why should I imagine my thinking to be mysteriously exempt? But whereas if I hurt someone, or take a wrong turn in the road, I am usually confronted quite soon with my error, if I expound erratic views within the world of academic theology I am less likely to be convinced by contradiction. We all have ways of coping with adverse comment without changing our minds.<\/p>\n
-N.T. Wright, The New Testament and the People of God, p.xvii<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Oooooo. We all have ways of coping and not changing our minds when we’re wrong.<\/p>\n
I’m so sick of hearing about how “great leaders use self-deprecating humor”. Most of the time it seems forced or faked actually. There is no mistake on this into to one of Thomas Merton’s journals:<\/p>\n
In any case, the careless style, the callow opinions and all the other defects are those of writer much younger and even more unwise that I am at the present.<\/p>\n
-Thomas Merton, Secular Journals, preface<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
We could all use a bit more authentic humility in our religious discorse if you ask me. And you don’t have to compromise your beliefs to do it either.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The family small group I’m in at church recently decided to work through a book on parenting over several weeks. Before I opened the book, I decided I would wait and see if how long it took for the word “unfortunately” to show up. Answer: The second paragraph of the introduction. That’s pretty normal really. … <\/p>\n