Welcome to my new blog! I won't re-explain it, it's there on the right for you, as well as on tonight's post on my other blog, The Purple Needle.
Let me give you a little background on me. I became a Christian when I was 13 or 14. My friend invited me to the junior high youth group her church was starting and I've been going ever since. In fact, I still belong to the later incarnation of that same church!
My church has joined the United Reformed Churches of North America (their homepage is also linked on the right). Reformed churches have sort of a reputation, some good, some not so good. What I really like about my pastor, and the Reformed church, is their commitment to good theology and sound doctrine, and their commitment to teaching it to their congregations, even when it's technical and difficult. I don't like fluffy, sugary sermons on Sundays. I want substance and depth in a worship service, and that's what I appreciate most about my pastor. Perhaps I'll get into what I don't like about the Reformed church another time, although I imagine if you're at all familiar with it, you can guess.
Not to say that there isn't a place for fun and fluff. I enjoy that too! Just in a different time and place. Like talking to my friends. Or in a blog. Or something of that sort. I hope to have both in this blog - serious stuff and fun stuff.
But first, let's talk about why theology is important - after midnight or at any other time. Theology is what you believe about God, and what you believe about God determines what you do. It doesn't matter what you believe, either - if you believe, don't believe, if you believe in a vengeful angry God, if you believe in a loving grandfatherly God, if you believe in the cosmic vending machine who gives you what you want for the asking, if you believe in the God of the Bible, or whatever you believe - it affects the way you live, the way you think and the way you feel about things.
A set of core beliefs about God that are always true and always constant gives you an anchor to hold on to. You can always go back to those as being true no matter what and remind yourself of them. I was looking at the lyrics of an album that I love this weekend, and the songs often show the singer reviewing her theology. God never changes. God doesn't make mistakes, what He does is never wrong. God does things for a reason, and we aren't always privy to that information. When she's going through something hard or painful, she reminds herself of these things. "This is what I know to be true about God, and I will believe it even though I can't see it now."
Contrary to what some will say, theology really does matter. It's not just the basis to argue or judge or divide (although, again, there is a time and place for those things as well). It really does matter to your life what you believe.
Let me give you a little background on me. I became a Christian when I was 13 or 14. My friend invited me to the junior high youth group her church was starting and I've been going ever since. In fact, I still belong to the later incarnation of that same church!
My church has joined the United Reformed Churches of North America (their homepage is also linked on the right). Reformed churches have sort of a reputation, some good, some not so good. What I really like about my pastor, and the Reformed church, is their commitment to good theology and sound doctrine, and their commitment to teaching it to their congregations, even when it's technical and difficult. I don't like fluffy, sugary sermons on Sundays. I want substance and depth in a worship service, and that's what I appreciate most about my pastor. Perhaps I'll get into what I don't like about the Reformed church another time, although I imagine if you're at all familiar with it, you can guess.
Not to say that there isn't a place for fun and fluff. I enjoy that too! Just in a different time and place. Like talking to my friends. Or in a blog. Or something of that sort. I hope to have both in this blog - serious stuff and fun stuff.
But first, let's talk about why theology is important - after midnight or at any other time. Theology is what you believe about God, and what you believe about God determines what you do. It doesn't matter what you believe, either - if you believe, don't believe, if you believe in a vengeful angry God, if you believe in a loving grandfatherly God, if you believe in the cosmic vending machine who gives you what you want for the asking, if you believe in the God of the Bible, or whatever you believe - it affects the way you live, the way you think and the way you feel about things.
A set of core beliefs about God that are always true and always constant gives you an anchor to hold on to. You can always go back to those as being true no matter what and remind yourself of them. I was looking at the lyrics of an album that I love this weekend, and the songs often show the singer reviewing her theology. God never changes. God doesn't make mistakes, what He does is never wrong. God does things for a reason, and we aren't always privy to that information. When she's going through something hard or painful, she reminds herself of these things. "This is what I know to be true about God, and I will believe it even though I can't see it now."
Contrary to what some will say, theology really does matter. It's not just the basis to argue or judge or divide (although, again, there is a time and place for those things as well). It really does matter to your life what you believe.
posted by paculina at
10:17 PM
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