Misplaced Childhood

I am having no small difficulty with this Spiritual Timeline assignment from my EfM class. I am having to go back and remember details from my childhood that I would really rather leave locked in my precious Chinese box. I But, will chop wood and carry water, and get through it, and perhaps when it is done, I will have gleaned something positive from it.

Lament

I am remorseful that I cannot seem to find the time or the quiet space to meditate, and cannot seem to find the focus for prayer. Thoughts flash like lightning, swift and powerful through my mind, but then are gone and leave me saddened that I could not hold on to them longer. I am distracted by the world, as good of a world that it is, but I need my time in the desert.

EfM Week 2

Very interesting and exciting subject matter this week. We... (okay, "I") studied the JEDP Documentary Hypothesis ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Documentary_hypothesis ) and the difference and relationships between myth, legend, saga, and history as they pertain to the Old Testament ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_mythology ).
Hopefully I will find time to expound upon this sometime this week. Right now, I am off to bed.

Overwhelmed

Working on my EfM studies tonight and am feeling completely overwhelmed. And it's only the first week. I was so proud of all of the hand written notes that I took on the first lesson, but as I go back and try to answer the questions in the Study Guide, I find that my notes are nearly incomprehensible. Here it is Wednesday already, and I have not even started on my lesson two material. I hope that I am not in over my head. It makes the idea of going back to actual college classes very discouraging.

Forgiveness

Had a conversation this evening about "forgiveness." The question raised was; is forgiving someone who has done you wrong, without their admitting (or even being willing to acknowledge) their wrong doing the same as letting them be right?
Discuss.

On Responsible Christianity: Part 1

I have been thinking a lot lately on the concept of what I call "responsible Christianity." What does that mean? What does it mean to me? Or you? Or Bob?
I can only answer the question of what it means to me.

Part 1: Know your History and the History of your Religion
There is a lot of talk about the infallibility of the bible. That it is the original and true Word of God, as set down  thousands of years ago. We now know this to simply not be true. We know that the Old Testament is a compilation of stories, histories, and legends, and mythologies, handed down by word of mouth by the Hebrew people for centuries upon centuries before finally being collected and compiled into its present form. Mind you, a great deal of care was taken in the early centuries of the Common Era to ensure that the existing texts were copied accurately, but careful examination of surviving historic texts show countless errors in copy, translation, and interpretation.
Now, this is not to say that the Old Testament is not worthy of being considered important or even Sacred scripture. It is an excellent account of the moral and sociological history of the Hebrews/Israelites. It encompasses the traditions of the people and their relationship with God, and is their ultimate handbook for good living.
But it would be irresponsible to say that the OT as we have it is as it has always been and shall always be. Just look at the differences in the English translations that we have. The King James Version, the Standard Revised Version, the International Version, the Standard English Version, and the list goes on and on, etc., ad nauseum... So if the Word is the Final Word on the subject, which version of The Word is it?
(There is also the issue of the number of books and sties that were ultimately left out of the canon, but we will save that for a different post.)
The MESSAGE of the book is what is enduring. But even that is open to interpretation. Do you interpret the text literally, or do you read the metaphor behind the message? Or both? Do you take The Word at face value, regardless of archeological support or explanation, or do you look at the physical evidence and find the balance between the two.
The Book is a Good Book. But it is a work of Man, inspired by God. But a work of Man none the less.
These are the kinds of things that I look at when I consider the idea of Practicing Responsible Christianity.