My day getting caught up on the blog world.

I'm not really good at this blogging thing, as noted by the frequency of my posts. But after spending the day yesterday with Emergent guru and urban ministry extraordinaire Rudy Carrasco (if he read that characterization, he would likely wince a little) I have become inspired to read up. Actually, I've been stalling from getting my classwork done. I'm convinced the "blog-world" wouldn't exist if it wasn't for college and grad students procrastinating on their papers and projects.

I really enjoyed my time with Rudy. Always cool to meet leaders who are honest with themselves and others. And the work going down at Harambee in Pasadena is first-rate incarnational ministry and discipleship. I'm excited to see where my community goes as a result of their work. It'll also be cool to see him again in Yale in February, since he's also planning to see Miroslav Volf and company at the Emergent Conversation.

So, check out Rudy's blog at http://urbanonramps.com/ ...his page has more links than a sausage factory, so this can keep you busy... ya know, if you have a paper due or something.

He posted yesterday on an article regarding evolution, creation, and theistic evolutionary theories . A good synopsis of the current debate. I particularly enjoyed the quote by St. Augustine at the very end of the article:

"'If we come to read anything in Holy Scripture,' he wrote 16 centuries ago, 'that is in keeping with the faith in which we are steeped, capable of several meanings, we must not by obstinately rushing in, so commit ourselves to any one of them that, when perhaps the truth is more thoroughly investigated, it rightly falls to the ground and we with it.'"

See? Even Augustine was postmodern!

(Btw... why is it so hard for people to admit that they don't understanding everything? Seems to me that if God were God, there might be some things which He understands that we are not meant to understand, or at least are incapable of grasping. Why do we have a need to control God, packaging Him in such a way so as to confine Him to our own limited understandings? This is surely reductionism at its most insidious. To fundies I say, Let God be free, damnit. Let him bowl you over with His radical love and grace. Let him confront you in the dark corners of your heart which you have felt comfortable in distinguishing from your life of faith.

Augh. This point has been run into the dirt by others already. I digress.)

I also found on Emergent Village an article which gives a great summary of "neo-evangelicalism" or "progressive evangelicalism" or whatever you want to call it. This is a simple description of the shifting of views taking place in the church and in seminaries in the US. If if resonates with you, congratulations. You're well on your way to becoming labeled as a flaming liberal by ill-informed people.

This is more rambling than anything else. I guess that means I'm becoming a dime-a-dozen, crazy, hot-headed emergent blogger.

Or, I'm just really not wanting to do my homework.