good by fundies :)

i was asked to join a "pastor forum" with fundermentalist and evangelical - the "kjv only" kind - i had been involved with them for a short period of time and recently pulled out - here is my "open" letter the the forum as to why i was pulling out - let me know what you think:

when i was asked to join this forum i thought it would be a great way to share what it is we as an emerging/postmodern people felt in our hearts about church, religion, our faith, our walk and our love and heart for christ. i knew that there would be some who would disagree with how we see the world around us, and that was cool with me - i was never seeking people to "change" their minds, only to see our point of view. sometimes, i would get notes from people encouraging that i stay and contribute to the forum - and i have - but as of late i have found that i just can't take the insults and the snippy remarks given by some - for any one, or group, to think they "got it right" is not my style - heck, even those of us in the postmodern/emerging conversation do not think "we got it right" - all we do is believe we are working it out the way we understand it.

i was speaking with a group of other emerging/postmodern pastors and they noticed a "funk" in me that was never there before - and i found that it centered on this forum - the inability for most, not all, on this forum to understand my point of view, to drag it out and to totally take my words out of context is so new to me i am at a lose of how to deal with it - it is impossible for me to discuss or defend things i never said - and then when i mention that fact i am insulted even more - and when i mention that i find it wrong, it is "my" fault - it's is so modern to blame the victim for the crime; "they would have never stolen your tv is you had not left the door unlocked."

when i have asked direct questions they have been ignored, made light of and twisted to become something i never intended - well, if you think about it realize that we are not living in a "shifting paradigm" we are in a "paradigm shifted" - the world has changed, and even if you do not like it - so has the church - and it is changing even more. the last post directed to me was proof that you are not hearing my words, most are trapped in maintaining the museum for the saints they currently serve, and have no desire to be a hospital for the sick.

i have all ready shared with you how we view the world (to which some decided it was better to insult then understand).

so, i have decided after prayer to leave and simply move on in my walk with christ - it is not your theology that caused me to move on - heck, if we look at the core we might find that we have a great deal in common - it is the inability for most, and again not all, to even try to understand another point of view. my prayer for this group is that each have an experience that will allow them to understand where we are coming from - and that God will grant the grace to express that in your ministry :)

peace
john o'keefe
"jok"

as i was sitting...

i was sitting at the computer the other day getting ready to update ginkworld - you know, checking over requests to be added to ginkworld, thinking about writing an article, reading poems of others - just having a great day - when i opened my email and was hit by an rather large influx of requests to be added - on a good month we get about 75 to 100 requests (some people request to be added to sell a product - not cool) but this week i got some 75 requests alone - it was crazy and i could not figure out why -

then, melissa at the warehouse in pasadena gave me the answer - the new your post wrote an article about the emerging church and they mentioned that we had a great data base of churches - so, we go the exposure - the requests - and long nights checking and adding sites :) very cool

pax

have you ever noticed that the process of life is somewhat limiting? i mean, your driving down the road of life and as you hit the gas, the clown on front of you slams on the brake - what gives? how do you handle that? should you shout, honk your horn, flip them off, ignore it all? i mean, what are you to do? not think of this -

your heading down your theological path of life - you hit your gas, and the clown in front of you hit's their brake - what do you do? some would say, "slow down as not to hit the poor guy" - but is that being honest to the speed God wants you to travel? others would say, "go around them" - but what if there is no room? still others might say, "smack into his back end, that might cause him to speed back up" - or it might cause him to spin-out and cause a pile-up.

for me, there have been times in my life where i have done all of the above - and sometimes it has failed - but i guess the best thing to do is just keep your eyes on the road, hands on the wheel and watch for any on coming traffic - and pray your insurance is up to date :)

pax

knock, knock ........