Thoughts from my front lawn

So, I was sitting outside, on my front lawn, reading, and found myself no longer able to read because I was being plagued with thoughts of things that I have been reading and thinking about lately...ok, mostly just today, but things that were preventing me from my reading nonetheless. I should warn you before I begin, though, that this may be my most open and honest blog yet, not to worry though I am not feeling vulgar :)

Perhaps I start by stating that my thoughts here mainly revolve around theology and the "theological."

First of all let me wonder for a minute about the word "theology." I know that the two Greek words that make up this wors are theos (meaning "God") and logos (meaning "Word") (I must apologize to all Greek scholars at this time that I am not amongst your ranks and beg forgiveness for any ignorance in what I may state or have already stated). Maybe you Greek scholars could help me out in understanding the exact meaning and connotations of these words (and word), but in putting the two together I wonder "How are these two to go together?" What I mean by this is when we use the word "theology" are we talking about God's word, God's Word, God's words, words about God, the study of God, the study of God's words, the study of words from God, words by God, words about God or something I've completely missed??? (I know for sure at least one person reading is just thinking "yes" to all those "defifitions"...which is fine with me...you people just bug me sometimes :)

Now, getting on with what I'm actually getting at: recently my problem has been not so much theology but what academia has done with theology. I should first state that I am a huge fan of theology and supporter of academics; my issue comes when the academy (or academics) forget that theology has a purpose...theology without purpose is pointless and vain.

...sorry, I just got two phone calls and completely lost my train of thought/don't know if I was making any sense to begin with...hmmm...(oh, yes this is raw, unedited blogging)...maybe I'll just make a whole bunch of points and tie them altogether at the end (thought Josh)...

I remeber a little over a year ago thinking that while it would be nice to be back in my home church, participating in our church's life which I so longed for, I would quite miss the rigors and learning of college academia, specifically in the area of theology. Having been at college for four years part of me thought that once I got home any theological wanderings would come to a halt, and, in my great arrogance, that if country churches weren't the place where theology goes to die it at least gets some bad plastic surgery. Man has this past year been an entirely different type of school (namely the getting schooled type). I quickly found out that churches are not the place where theology goes to die, but are the places where theology lives and breathes. What I mean by this is that once the college student is forced to interact with the Church as it is outside of the academic world (with crying kids, burt out parents, expectant mothers, "old" people, grumpy people, professionals, blue collar workers, white collars workers, wish-they-wore-a-collar workers, and worship leaders :) theology must be put to action (and hopefully this was being practiced all along). The Church outside the academy is not where theology goes to die, but where it encounters the everday rigors of society that face everyone in the Church; one now has to understand Christology in the face of antichrists, pneumatology in unholy places, and preaching the eucharist to starving people.

In talking to people, who are/were still attending the college from which I graduated, I have definitely noted a certain tone of ivory tower syndrome at times (I don't feel bad for picking on you because I was there as well). However, I have heard from others that the first year of ministry is often the most humbling.

At times I find that the academy wants to develop theologies of everything and nothing. What do I mean by this??? What I mean is while we develop theologies of pain, suffering, hunger and war when does it push us to go to a hospital and visit someone at death's doorstep, comfort someone in need, feed the homeless guy on the corner, or love our neighbours more??? Theology cannot simply be a mental assent, but a life-changing encounter.

I find that too often we've forgotten that while theology is there to protect the sheep from the wolves and draw the sheep to the shepherd's voice, the sheep often forget that they need to get out of their pen for the best grazing (I know, TERRIBLE analogy, but I think you see my point).

Perhaps James says it best: "If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted from the world" (James 1:26-27, NIV).

When it comes to the study of theology I learned two very important things in my final year of college:
1) Right theology and right practice go hand in hand. This was something that I saw demonstrated by many professors time and again (especially those I was closest to).
2) Remember the basics, return to the basics, never forget the basics. I had a rather humbling experience in my last 6 weeks of college (after having been neck deep in Rahner all year) when I (in pride) pulled the "deep" theological/philosophical card on my exit paper and had my butt handed to me. Why??? Because I had forgotten the basics and opted for some "deep" stuff instead.

So, let's review (in case you want to string me up by this point);
- theology good
- academics good
- being smart about our faith in Christ good
- don't beat those who "don't know as much as you" (if you must instruct do it gently)
- don't become arrogant about what you know
- remeber Philippians 2:1-11

This has, perhaps, been my most scattered post yet as I am attempting to straddle a fine line (...and wrote this in three separate sittings, trying to keep it coherent).

I actually just finished reading a very interesting blog entry from my friend Colin (which you can read here). While it does not directly deal with the issue at hand I think it is an interesting read nonetheless. And I read this a while ago, but feel it is quite appropriate for this discussion.

In other news I've been reading some good stuff lately and may actually post some thoughts and quotes in the near future...along with all those other blog entries I keep promising...but then again I often say that and it doesn't happen...hence my self-loathing.
:)