The moving to a new place has been interesting. On the one hand I walk the halls of Duke Divinity and can hear conversations about eschatology or Christological debates. Before every class starts the teachers lead us in prayer. I can go to a chapel worship service three times a week (I try and go once a week). I am preaching about once a month at St. Paul.
On the other hand. I have been in some very interesting conversations. Last night I talked with one guy that said he couldn’t buy into the idea that a man was God and made some comments about how things like the division and infighting he sees among all the Christian denominations is why he doesn’t believe there is a God. I posted an invitation to our church’s Marriage Course on the neighborhood listserv and it immediately became a discussion of about gays and lesbians being welcome in the church. I also posted an invitation to our church’s Ash Wednesday service and ended up in a conversation with comments like this:
“For an example of proselytizing, see below. It’s very plain to see that
this message isn’t germane to everyone in the neighborhood — which makes
it a poor listserv post. This is not a community event, this is an invitation to a religious
service — and I personally don’t think it has a place on our listserv.”
Then my 8 year old son ends up having an argument with a kid on the bus about God been real or not.
Despite my experiences on the one hand I have in school and church, I find myself living closer to the diversity of the world than I did when I was in Ruston. This is not a complaint. This is challenging, but I think this is exactly where I am supposed to be.
God, let your light shine bright. Let your kingdom come and will be done. Amen.
(Now, I have to get back to reading some sermons about the prophets, either read that or some Luther, Calvin, and Zwingli.)
