Without class

It has been said of me more than once that I have no class. As well as tact, decorum or gentleness. However, I am a teacher without a class now. I have been in the role of a teacher/preacher for so long that I am now left with an uneasiness within me. I need to challenge and be challenged, I need to push the envelope of orthodox thought. I believe that if you want to truly understand who God is, you have to be prepared to push on the door of heresy. I once had the chance to do that with a good frequency. My congregation was wonderful about allowing me to challenge convention and pose questions that were difficult. They didn't back down either, they would try to answer or reason them out even when they had no clue. We walked through some thorny paths on our way to truth. It made for strong minded Christians. That is always a good thing.

Homer Simpson once pondered "Can God microwave a burrito so hot that he himself could not eat it?" Ok, perhaps not the most profound theological inquiry but it is more than what I see at Bible studies. Traditionally the average mid-week Bible study is a prepackaged study that is made to end in a nice pretty bow. I have never seen someone start a study unless they know everyone will leave with a theological consensus of approved doctrine. Why is this? Why have we made Bible study an indoctrination? Are we so afraid of original thought that we have to settle for this propaganda?

In John 5 Jesus heals a man and tells him to carry his mat. It was the Sabbath and it was unlawful to carry your mat, as it was considered working. I am sure this is what people were taught in their local Torah study on Wednesday nights. However, Jesus spoke against this and postulated a new thought. If we are to strive to be like Christ we must study past conventional thought. We can still study and know doctrine, but it should never replace what Scripture actually says. Scripture should never be subordinate to man.