I think I'm up to Romans 12 since I discussed the idea of God having a quasi-racist preference for Jews (he doesn't) but didn't get past that in Romans. I also discussed the entire of the Book of Judges, possibly the most nauseating and depressing book in the Bible, and also one that I find profoundly enlightening in exposing the human condition. I have some more recent posts where I seem to have completed a tiny series on Titus, but some posts refer to texts seemingly at random, I think it's time to get back to Romans from where I lost momentum and left off.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (Romans 12:1)
Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.
And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:14-15)
Already I can see that compared to my earlier posts I have a lot to do to get back to the place I once was in terms of my familiarity with the Bible. After a mere two years at Bible College (most seminarians have to endure at least 4), and a year as an associate pastor; I feel the spiritual and biblical brain drain that this causes. I'm not sure I can blame my college, and I can only blame myself for the last year. Although in the case of the college you would think I would learn about the Bible... but they had to make me think about things I wouldn't if left to my own resources, so I can hardly blame them. No, I should really blame myself, but I've strayed to far to do that without assigning some passive blame (i.e. towards God for making us human) to our (fallen?) nature that can only take so much of one thing before starting to become less efficient in processing it.
I guess what I am really thinking is that it is not really possible (or healthy?) for one person to spend such a ridiculous amount of time on religious things while most believers spend almost no time on it, and the lucky few (like me from the previous years' blog posts) have enough time to be spiritual activists while never spending so much time in such things that the spiritual might become mundane.
But I believe God has in fact called me to full-time ministry, and I believe that as I recapture the habits that once fueled me; replacing habits that have been wasting my time, recreation that does not re-create, I will be able to do the varied, interesting, and immersively important calling I have been handed by my Redeemer.
