Equipping

We had some questions about an "atypical" book list. Our reasons for pushing for an “atypical” book is this: it is vital to the health of our church that we pursue deep biblical grounding rather than settle for superficial. This is how we see the difference. Deep Biblical Grounding Shallow Biblical Grounding Self-awareness of assumptions allows the text to exercise proper authority Eisegesis, finding your own ideas in the text Historical, literary, and grammatical awareness Commonsense reading without resources Aim: Pursue wisdom over a lifetime Aim: Read for the daily nugget Read widely to develop discernment Read only the Bible Embraces tough questions as opportunities for pursuing deeper wisdom Avoids tough questions Longstanding questions Quick and easy answers Macro applications: ...

An article from Matthew LaPine was posted on Mere Orthodoxy this week. A sample: "It’s no surprise that I’ve not encountered a church like Vanier’s community. With increased mental capacities comes an increased ability to compete in cultural games, to self-deceive about motives, and to hide internal pain. The churches that I’ve been a part of have been full of people who, to varying degrees, are twisted by their own fears and anguish into unconscious patterns of negotiating status and hiding weakness. Even my own life is full of habits of being that pursue prominence and push away vulnerability. The church is a profoundly painful place because we all have ways of hurting each other by our very ways of ...