Everything is upside down from a few months ago. I lived on the East Coast a few months ago, now I live on the West Coast. I cheered for a team that I thought was heading to the playoffs (the Mets) a few months ago, now I still do not know how they failed to make it. I was an "everyday" person in the church without any expectations a few months ago, now I feel the need to be "on" all the time.
One other area is upside down - my reading life. In seminary, I found myself tired after a long day of theological reading and I drifted toward "practical" books in the evening - leadership, small group ministry, world movements, culture. Now, I swim in real life situations all day as a small groups pastor and I drift toward deep theological reading in the evening.
In the past few days, I returned to a theologian who challenged me during my time at Princeton - Karl Barth. I do not agree with all of Barth's theological starting points but I definitely agree with how he starts (and stays) with Jesus Christ in all of his theological reflections. I am reminded over and over (over and over and over) of God's fulfilled promises in Christ through reading Barth.
I am verbose and I oftentimes use more words than necessary to explain a concept or my feelings. Barth definitely fits that description and I actually enjoy reading his long long long descriptions and insights.
One of my closest friends at seminary challenged me to do an independent study on Barth in order for us to learn how to read him and be able to return to him in future chapters of life. I am in a new chapter of life and I feel like I am still able to read and understand Barth.
Everything is upside down but that is not such a bad thing...
6 comments:
Is it 2.2 that you are reading now?
Give Barth's letters a try - I know that there is a volume of letters from his earlier days between he and Thurnysen, his pastor friend from a few towns over, that is in English. Also, some of his letters from late in life are in English.
Also, try some of his sermons. There are a couple volumes in English - "Deliverance from the Captives" is one title.
Getting into his letters and sermons may give you some more practical insights while retaining the theological depth, and may teach you how to integrate them better in your own ministry.
Keep up the good work, Jeff!
*Chuckle
"Deliverance For the Captives"
Wow dude, within hours of posting on Barth, you've had more comments than you've gotten in weeks!
I'm thinking I either need to pick up another volume or hit up his Romans commentary...
I am reading 2.2 in order to remember God's movement towards humanity (those represented in Christ) during this Christmas season. The picture shows 2.3 but I am reading 2.2.
More to come...
If you enlarge the picture, you will see that it shows 2.2. Besides, there is no such thing as CD 2.3. :-)
Hi Jeff,
Nice post. I was just inspired by a sermon here at UPC to read the 2nd article of the Creed in Dogmatics in Outline to prepare for the Christmas season. I hope you guys are doing well. We really should hang out and play nerts or foosball. December is pretty busy for us already, but January is wide open. Let's get a date on the calendar.
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