tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403232.post113720662408410333..comments2024-02-10T08:46:51.419-05:00Comments on Rude Armchair Theology: Both/andMike Croghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18099387827886541138noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403232.post-1137598694700268132006-01-18T10:38:00.000-05:002006-01-18T10:38:00.000-05:00Oh, no no no!!! No apology necessary - that was c...Oh, no no no!!! No apology necessary - that was completely intended to be a grateful compliment! I want - I really, really want - someone to point out, as you sometimes do, when I may have constructed some nice-smelling idea that is of little or no apparent practical value to anyone. Sonja, I *cherish* that feedback, from you and others. Please don't ever change. (Well, of course, change for the better - that's what Christians do - but don't ever suppress your gift for pointing out naked emperors. If you didn't do it in a loving way, that'd be one thing, but you do, and it's *so* valuable.)<BR/><BR/>Thankfully,<BR/>MikeMike Croghanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18099387827886541138noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403232.post-1137597933750770582006-01-18T10:25:00.000-05:002006-01-18T10:25:00.000-05:00Sonja's good at noticing thisOuch!! Sorry about t...<I>Sonja's good at noticing this</I><BR/><BR/>Ouch!! Sorry about that ... it's the result of my family of origin ... endless (friendly) debates. The true sign of love is finding the hole in someone's argument in my family. In the larger world, not so many people appreciate that ;-) I grew up in an environment of "iron sharpening iron" in all the ways that you can imagine ... but none of them had God at the center. Bizarre, but true.Sonja Andrewshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13164796660137641599noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403232.post-1137595601297398932006-01-18T09:46:00.000-05:002006-01-18T09:46:00.000-05:00Yes! Definitely.Yes! Definitely.Mike Croghanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18099387827886541138noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403232.post-1137594502817064062006-01-18T09:28:00.000-05:002006-01-18T09:28:00.000-05:00Wow ... I'm behind reading your blog. Sorry about...Wow ... I'm behind reading your blog. Sorry about that.<BR/><BR/>Here's something I would add, because of a conversation between Ross and I the other night.<BR/><BR/>How about grace AND accountability? Grace alone leads to co-dependence. Accoutability all by itself becomes a bludgeon. And there is necessarily tension between the two ... how much of one or the other do you need in any given situation? What is the right mix?Sonja Andrewshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13164796660137641599noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403232.post-1137286238762811592006-01-14T19:50:00.000-05:002006-01-14T19:50:00.000-05:00I think you're right about the static thing. It o...I think you're right about the static thing. It occurs to me that part of it's just politeness. If I lay out a carefully constructed argument, the only way you can respond to it is to criticize it: either you disagree with something in it, or if you add to it you imply that my lovingly engineered baby doesn't go far enough. Nobody (well, nobody who hangs out here, anyway) wants to be needlessly critical, so politeness dictates just leaving these architectural marvels alone. Which is all well and good, because often they're at best useless (Sonja's good at noticing this) and at worst sinful attempts to reduce and control God.<BR/><BR/>So I like it: predictable knowledge AND unpredictable mystery.<BR/><BR/>And it's funny - I think of you guys and gals at MHC as a model of "communal" for me! :-) A lot of people think Tina and I have a weird relationship. :-) Maybe it is weird, but I like it.Mike Croghanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18099387827886541138noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403232.post-1137231723081810622006-01-14T04:42:00.000-05:002006-01-14T04:42:00.000-05:00yea, Mike... not sure who these on balance bloggin...yea, Mike... not sure who these on balance blogging friends are, but I notice when you don't get many comments on a blog it's more fixed topics with static questions like "what is" or "how does" or "where can". Rather than "what if" "who could" or "how about" or "where would." Perhaps your blogger community is fascinated with the possible rather than the safe? <BR/><BR/>I think when you statically reduce stuff into a systematic theology level, you take the mystery, unpredictability and frankly the FUN out of God. <BR/><BR/>I really tried for years to get into systematic theology but my soul kept screaming for more mystery. Now I do believe in balance so maybe I'm trying to add one to your list... predictable knowledge AND unpredictable mystery... <BR/><BR/>now for the one I appreciate you for living more than me: individual AND communal... that's one that you model to me. (and you call me on my imbalance toward the individual) thanks! And I've enjoyed watching you and Tina relate as a married couple. You're teaching me things and I don't know what... it's a beingness... and I don't want to figure it out. But it's affecting me in a good way.WMShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02728323420072862807noreply@blogger.com