Not much opportunity to blog my thoughts recently. Pastoral pressures have been really intense and certain demands have been extremely time consuming.
Add in an extremely frustrating bout with a recurring malady that leaves me limping and unable to stand up for long periods, and that makes for few visits to the town of 'Little Blogging'. It has also resulted in my needing to cancel two consecutive preaching engagements - not helpful.
Still, now that I am here I feel compelled to leave you with a couple of extended quotes dealing with the study of theology. Guess the source, and you might win a prize.
Then again, you might not.
"... every Christian as such is called to be a theologian. How much more so those who are specially commissioned in the community, whose service is pre-eminently concerned with speech in the narrower sense of the term!
It is always a suspicious phenomenon when leading churchmen (whether or not they are adorned with a bishop's silver cross), along with certain fiery evangelists, preachers, or well-meaning warriors for this or that practical cause, are heard to affirm, cheerfully and no doubt also a bit disdainfully, that theology is not their business.
'I am not a theologian; I am an administrator!' a high ranking English churchman once said to me. And just as bad is the fact that not a few preachers, after they have exchanged their student years for the routine of practical service, seem to think that they are allowed to leave theology behind them as the butterfly does its caterpillar existence, as if it were an exertion over and done with for them. This will not do at all.
Christian witness must always be forged anew in the fire of the question of truth. Otherwise it can in no case and in no time be a witness that is substantial and responsible, and consequently trustworthy and forceful. Theology is no undertaking that can be blithely surrendered to others by anyone engaged in the ministry of God's Word. It is no hobby of some especially interested and gifted individuals... This holds true in still greater measure for those members of the community who are specially commissioned".
Any takers?
Posted by pencils at March 17, 2004 11:28 PM | TrackBackI confess... i only wrote it after you revealed the hidden identity.
Many apologies and I will face the consequences of my actions.
Hmmm. Methinks you may have read my most recent post...
10 out of 10 if you haven't. Face the corner for being a big cheat if you have...
Posted by: pencils at March 20, 2004 11:50 PMKarl Barth?
Posted by: James at March 20, 2004 09:58 PM