THIS IS A START

I am not sure anyone is reading my remarks or cares much about them, but I shall continue ...hoping to make connection and community. Recently I attended one my largest churches. It is doing a good job reaching many people with the love of God. The sermon was good and I am sure God is using the theology presented to bring people both closer to God and more compassionate to humankind.(Borg's definition of faithful religion) I will call it "traditional theology." It is... Creation, the Fall of humankind, Justification through Christ, and Regeneration through the Spirit. Like I say, I know God is using this for goodness in the Kingdom, but it is really the only Christian theology openly presented to the world. I think my theology is something like...Creation; God loving us, teaching us, and disciplining us in the midst of our goodness as well as our frequent failures; Christ and the Spirit empowering and teaching us for the ways we are called to live and love for the sake of God's Kingdom on earth; and the Mystery and Hope of heaven for all of God's children.
I know I have to challenge the Bible in some places to claim this belief and understanding, and yet, as Matthew Fox said to me, not only can I do this but I must. And I believe my heritage as a United Methodist gives me permission to wrestle with my scriptural beliefs through other scriptures, the tradition, my experience, and my reason.

I see my theology as being more reasonable and like what I see in the human experience itself. I don't condemn my children because they mess up or need to kill something so I can forgive them. I just forgive them. And then I continue to love and teach them and believe in who they are meant to become through their growing up and through God's grace offered to them in so many ways.
The traditional theology seems to view things and people as basically bad. I think creation is basically good even though at times we are far from what God desires. And in the end, the tradtional thought leaves out a whole bunch of people who because of one reason or another will not be able to fit into this "saving relationship" with Christ while on this earth. The Jesus I know and see in the scripture was never about leaving people out but always seeking to bring them in.

My son once asked me if I was ever going to speak openly about what I believe and don't believe or just keep quiet about what I don't believe. Darn whippersnapper! Well boy, this is a start.