Open Thoughts:

So, I've had a bunch of different ideas floating around in my head for the last few days/weeks and I figure that it is about time that I get them down in written form, and what better forum than my blog. So, in no particular order:

1. If Hank Langknect is right then the basis of faith is not the Bible, it is the experience of the love of God as revealed in Word and sacrament and testified to by the community of faith.
   
1. The Bible then is to be valued, not because it is infallible, but because it is a written record of how our ancestors in the faith experienced the faithfulness and love of God
2. The way to meaningful evangelism is through "spiritual friendships."
1. Conversions by the four spiritual laws might produce a one time high, but the high soon wears off and the new believer is left without much direction
2. Believers would do well to leave their "holy huddles" and make friends in secular society.
3. It is the Spirit who does the converting, not us.
4. We are called to live IN the world.
3. Instead of thinking of faith as a building, on a foundation. It might be better to think of faith as a spiderweb.
   
1. The main parts of the web are anchored onto things which last
2. There is an understanding that even things which we expect to last will some times fade away. Instead of an entire building falling because the foundation has a crack, a web could be easily fixed by anchoring to something new.
4. Jesus spoke often about ordinary people being "entrusted" with the kingdom of God. We are all given the ministry of reconciliation, not only announcing that we have been reconciled to God through Christ Jesus, but also that we are to be reconciled to one another.

There you have it, the things which have been swirling around in my mind and may eventually make it out into some sort of theologically sound, well reasoned form. Until then, what you see is what you get.