Great blog!!! Peace.

So, I apologise for that tone as it came across.

Perhaps i could better choose my words… the point in my thinking is not so much to bring this theological thought “down” but to more so, “work it out” to everyday life. so much theological reflection is done on an acedemic level that has little to do with real life.

my heart is that it does not stay acedemic, but rather is something that we can live out together as a community.

does this make sense?

At the same time, I think God definately has gifted some people with minds that the rest of us were meant to learn from. Notice this statement of mine that follows directly after the one you referenced:

“I have realized that I am not gifted to do think like find the missional heart and agenda in a Karl Barth. But, i sure can read the results of a study like that and bring it down to the ground, how this works out, level.”

The great minds of all eras are integral to the whole body of Chirst like you said. They are not better, just diffferent. but, they are different. At the same time, i do not believe that this giftedness is wrapped up in a position. I know many great thinkers who are not pastors, theologians or any kind of positional power, they are “lay people.” you make a great point though because anytime that pastors and lay people are talking up / down to each other there is a problem.

perhaps that is one of the unfortunate outcomes with professional clergy..the dicotomy that is created as a result…thanks for helping to lessen this!

We are all part of the body, and EVERY one of us is important…thanks!

Can I gently suggest this. I am a lay person. I feel that God has chosen me for what I do. I also beleive that He did not choose me to be a pastor. That does not mean that I lack the intelligence to understand what He has given us biblically only the time to pursue it as deeply as I would like. It means that in our community it is the pastors job the carry out this piece of our cummunal spiritual growth. My piece is different but not less. I am a layperson, a member of this spiritual body. I am an intellectual equal although I am gifted differently. You need not talk down to me, only communicate what God has graciously given you time to learn from Him to share with your fellow journeymen.