A new way of thinking

A few months ago I was sitting in my pastor's office and we were talking about some piece of theology that he was wrestling with and thinking through. I cannot remember exactly what we were discussing, but I do remember thinking to myself "Where did this come from?" during the conversation, he looked at me and asked if I ever thought about these things. To which, I quickly told him I did not. All the while, I was thinking "He is crazy. Doesn't he have anything else better to do?"

Well, what a difference a few months can make! I have found myself thinking about things that I previously took for granted. Part of this is because we are being taught in seminary to think differently, but also because we are being challenged to not only talk about what we believe but why we believe what we believe. This kind of reflection comes both inside and outside of the classroom. My good friend Tom is good at asking me why I believe what I believe. While this sometimes catches me off guard, it forces me to think about my beliefs in sometimes tweak those beliefs based on the current knowledge base I am working from.

Just to give a few examples of what I am talking about. Over the last few weeks I have thought about this notion of God as Father and why I believe that description is incomplete and about what constitutes worship and based on that definition of worship, how can we formulate a weekly service that enhances personal worship throughout the week.

I know this is just the beginning of this journey, but I am excited to see how God grows, stretches and uses me over the next few years.