Table of Contents | PROLOGUE: "In A Lively Voice" A professor of preaching once observed to a group of students, "On occasion, you may need to write in the margin of your sermon that passion trumps logic or AWYLH -- argument weak; yell like hell!" And many sermons have followed that maxim. Yes, and some religious claims. They are many decibels louder than what is essential for hearing. Even then, the perspective announced isn't always able to make itself heard in the marketplace of ideas. Thus, atttempts are made to seize turf by shouting down any other claim that is made. So it has always been because the outer voice tends to express and reflect the inner terrain. If there is doubt and uncertainty in the deep recesses of one's being then they can be displaced by an argument "in a loud voice" or "in una voce forte!" An old Arab proverb says that when you point your finger and scream at someone, there are three fingers pointing back at you! Translated into the image with which I began, this means that a question discussed "in una voce forte" is likely to be the agenda of the one shouting, maybe a struggle of conscience and values. The higher the volume, the more uncertain the trumpeter! This is the context for a concern that pervades the common life of the church today, namely, that an alternate voice must be expressed for those who find the screaming distracting, unacceptable and unbelievable. I have lived life long enough and have rubbed elbows with other viewpoints often enough to know that much of religion that is part of public discourse needs to be challenged, particularly the kind that contends for its elite agenda "in una voce forte." More often than not, it doesn't reflect life and faith as I have experienced them. It tends to paint every issue in some simplistic fashion that fails to permit the nuances of complicated questions that are difficult to resolve. Therefore this prologue is entitled "in una voce viva," translated as "in a lively voice." It indicates that questions discussed here will be expressed with passion and conviction. Yes, even "in una voce viva." Concerns are significant and humans tend to be animated at times. Yet, even then, there is no intent to be exclusive. With the volume of the voices around us and on television, this may seem like tilting at windmills and spitting in the wind. Martin E. Marty, emeritus professor of church history at the University of Chicago, claims that there must be "commitment with civility" and "conviction with openness." Passionate belief doesn't have to degenerate into dogmatism. These guidelines will shape the conversation. I intend to express a vision of life, God, church, Jesus, community, world, etc. that is faithful to the way I understand church and gospel. This vision is rooted in an unapologetic Christian perspective. Yet, it will be a voice that recognizes the best and most progressive elements of the historic heritage of American Baptists without being bound by it in a literal sense. It will contend for an understanding of faith that wants to enter into conversation with other voices. It will be done in a spirit of civility, humility and respect. The intent is for this to be a portal to the various subjects, found in "rooms" along the road of our "sacred journey," for discussion and civil discourse. For me, there is always "room to question" the issues that elicit your interest. Check out other entries if you wish. Some are found in the "room to question." Visit the one that stirs your curiosity. A "table of contents" seeks to arouse that curiosity with an interpretive sentence or two on each question raised. Click on any that claim your interest. Click on Inns Along the Way or Room to Question for the lists. The segment entitled On the Road Again contains opinion pieces I wrote after I designed this site. You can reach me at BobSueSand@aol.com if you wish to respond at length. |