Disoriented Beginnings

Today, I take a fresh swipe at the blogosphere. We’ll see how this goes.

Interacting with Scripture requires alot of humility, I think. We’ll probably understand a good bit, but we’ll probably be befuddled just as often. As much as we might come to the Bible to find answers, Scripture often leads us to a whole new slew of questions.

Yesterday, in church, another pastor and I were teaching via a shared conversation and opened the discussion up to everyone. One guy stood and said that he has been reading the Old Testament and is disturbed by what he has found. ”I’m having to ask myself: Do I like God?”

Good question. If we are honest with ourselves and with the God of Scripture, most of us will have to face this same question some time or another.

So, what I hope to do in the space I’m given here is to help us ponder a few good questions. Sometimes, we might find an answer. Sometimes, we won’t. Hopefully, we will always find more of Jesus.

Inevitably, though, Jesus will disorient us. I think my friend who expressed his bewilderment on Sunday is in a healthy place. If we always uncover the God we expect to find, we ought to be concerned: self-delusion is almost certain.

“By the end of a poem,” says poet Billy Collins, ”the reader should be in a different place from where he started. I would like him to be slightly disoriented at the end, like I drove him outside of town at night and dropped him in a cornfield.”

That’s what I hope for this space, to carve out a (perhaps at times) disorienting space that will offer us the strange grace of moving us to a different spot than we where when we started. Isn’t that a good description of spiritual formation, anyway? Taking us where we are, moving us beyond ourselves, flipping us upside down, and planting us smack in the middle of grace?

I hope to post every week or so, usually on Mondays, we’ll see how it goes. I might piece together some kind of schedule; but the usual fare will be short reflections, a few book reviews, certainly some random thoughts.

But have grace. I’m just beginning, and I’m quite sure to be disoriented.

peace,

Winn

2 Replies to “Disoriented Beginnings”

  1. morning, i wandered over here via the dirtyShame guy. i read your latest post and liked it, that says a lot. i'm a hard reader – let alone a hard read. of course, the only thing i came away with from your latest post was the mulberry Tree(reminds me of a book i read), Poppy(that's my 2nd favorite flower), and maybe i need a bigger view of God.

    i was searching for an answer to a proverbial question when i came in here, and i know between the other few 'latest' finds – i am on the ride rode to more grace!

    thanks for the blog, i look forward to finding wisdom along with paving my journey!

  2. Hey, Pounce, glad you sauntered over. The dirtyshame is one of the best blogs I know – glad you connect in both places.

    Hope you'll come by regularly.

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