Comment by Forrest Curo on 2nd mo. 15, 2012 at 11:25am

"Then I said, 'Oh Lord God, surely thou hast utterly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying "It shall be well with you;" whereas the sword has reached their very life." '

Isn't this half the truth about Quakers, so embedded-in and captive-to the secular mind of whichever particular times and places?...

But there is always likely to be a word or a phrase that applies... And that is a grave flaw in this kind of approach to the Bible.

Someone chooses the texts to be read, arranges and selects to suit his mind... and there's no place for adequate attention either to detail or to the larger difficulties.

One can't read the Bible together in a year. The Jews barely make it through the five books. When we try to go through our whole Bible in a similar way, we receive something like the view in a fragment of other people's cloudy mirror...

Taking it chunk by chunk, as long as this may take, as quickly or haltingly as I'm led (or driven!) I find that approach also failing to draw adequate participation. (Though some wonderful people do show up from time to time.)

The strongest interest of the inhabitants of this site, I fear, is: "How can I best justify my politics, invoking my theology if it happens to prove helpful?" Okay, that's a universal interest; I can't claim to be free of it-- but the only way a cart can pull a horse is downhill!

Is this "rude" of me? What are people most eagerly discussing here? From what ink-tank clouds do they select their points of departure? What guides Friends to worship either NPR or the Heritage Foundation? If God is truly involved in teaching us (as He necessarily must be) how and when will people follow further, through and past any such idols?

Comment by Irene Lape on 2nd mo. 16, 2012 at 12:54pm

I can't tell you how thankful I am with how consistently you come to my blog and make comments. I don't always understand what you are saying. Specifically, I didn't understand what you were saying about Quakers and their being embedded in and captive to the secular mind of their time - wish you would elaborate a bit.

Also, I agree that blog visitors -- and readers -- and listeners  -- and attenders at whatever -- are all seeking "confirmation" of their ideas rather than the challenge of different ideas; but that's just what we are - a little tribal by nature.  And I am not sure if you meant to challenge the usefulness of a blog that tracks Bible readings over the course of time. I don't personally seek them out as I go through the Scripture myself. The particular readings I am discussing or merely recording are part of a reading schedule I have been following for years - at least twenty years now. I have made many notes [now handily stored in my computer] and looked things up as I needed to and reflected on a good many over a long period of time. I think what I am trying to do here is just get the piles of work and inquiry and reflection out into the world a little bit to see if anything in it is helpful to others who may be trying to understand it or relate to it. The schedule is a two-year schedule for the Old Testament and a one-year schedule for the New. So if it's helpful, great. If you have a different "take" on anything, I am very interested. 

Comment by Forrest Curo on 2nd mo. 16, 2012 at 11:11pm

Unsure what I meant? Try something I wrote awhile back...

"To face the situation squarely, we'd need to follow some of Paul's advice: "to offer your very selves to God: a living sacrifice, dedicated and fit for his acceptance, the worship offered by mind and heart. Adapt yourselves no longer to the patterns of this present world, but let your minds be remade and your whole nature thus transformed. Then you will be able to discern the will of God, and to know what is good, acceptable, and perfect.

"So far as we have not let our minds be remade, we are unavoidably duped by the Powers of this world."

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The whole piece (starting with the second post on the page) is here.

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