tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1632277302970738748.post1311857285914154729..comments2024-02-01T08:25:47.678-08:00Comments on Now and Not Yet: What's Wrong with the "Traditionalist" Plan - Part 3David Livingstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16824538078808156089noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1632277302970738748.post-50111095422805854722018-08-18T19:17:58.232-07:002018-08-18T19:17:58.232-07:00Hi Sean,
Let me clarify. My desire is to be a pas...Hi Sean,<br /><br />Let me clarify. My desire is to be a pastor for all people. In the instance I referenced, an individual made it clear that was not an option. Either this person would leave the church or we would have to change our approach to ministry. This was not a problem with progressive thinking. It was the choice of another person. <br /><br />I agree there is only one Gospel. I'm doing my best to live it out as best as I understand it.David Livingstonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16824538078808156089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1632277302970738748.post-83727839564999424502018-08-11T17:43:05.928-07:002018-08-11T17:43:05.928-07:00'So if I have to make a choice between being a...'So if I have to make a choice between being a pastor for someone who is gay or someone who does not welcome full inclusion it's an easy choice.'<br /><br />Your statement highlights one problem with progressive thinking. Why in the world would a pastor have to choose who to minister to? There is only one Gospel. We have come to this point because progressives have denied deci Gospel and begun to teach something else. Instead of surrendering our desires to Jesus, progressives expect Jesus to surrender His desires to them so they can live however they want to. You seem to feel entitled to change our denomination into whatever you want it to be.Seanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15451948537708732605noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1632277302970738748.post-51045450922167645842018-08-10T17:11:38.715-07:002018-08-10T17:11:38.715-07:00Having spent 4 long disheartening years cruising t...Having spent 4 long disheartening years cruising the internet, listening to every voice I could find, I sincerely doubt that there is any agreement as to what "common good" we are supposedly working towards! My listening started shortly before GC2012 and ended shortly after GC2016. By the time GC2012 was over my understanding of the church was that it was a gianourmous square raft with umpteen oars lining each side each paddling the best they each knew how. Somewhere between GC2012 and Gc2016 my view of the church was as water spilled on the floor going multiple directions at one time making effective leadership from the Bishops impossible beyond trying to keep all the theological balls in play. By the time we rolled into GC2016 the church had become cats with their tails tied together. I am apalled to discover that I am part of a denomination that collectively has no clue who it is and what it is it is supposed to be doing. Even the local church where I have been a long time member has started chasing down whatever rabbit trail of relevancy the current pastor deems acceptable. My support of the church has dwindled down to minimum pledge and Sunday morning worship attendance because I am no longer sure what it is I am supporting and I want to see what the other side of GC2019 and possibly GC2020 look like. One thing I do know for sure if the One Church Plan gets past General Conference I am done because all that will do is enshrine the conflict that is the result of the theological plurality that is behind this sexuality debacle at all levels of the church. No thank you! I am intrigued that you feel like you have some sort of Wesleyan theology to work from because as a rank and file adult lay person who was involved in the life of the church for 20 years I had no concrete understanding until the local church chased down its first rabbit trail of relevancy. That is when I wandered off and discovered a Wesleyan understanding of a triune God who is most definitely worth worshiping. For the first time in my life I finally found myself standing in the wide open space of God's amazing grace wondering why I had not been taught these things before. I am no longer surprised at the 50 years of uninterrupted numerical decline.Betsyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02853456707702224688noreply@blogger.com