So I have been blogging about my relationship with books and reading. My present office which may be my last, has overflowed into a walkin closet. I need to find a young minister to give books to, as was done to me long ago.
I have made the claim that I read and study what I believe is more than the average minister. (Crowns in heaven Im sure?????) But there was a specific incident, shrouded in shame and ugliness, that triggered by mid life blossoming into a person loving the search for understanding. And forgive me if this sounds all pompous.
19 years ago when I moved west, though the little church called me, there was opposition on the pulpit committee. Long story short, there was division on the pulpit committee between wanting someone who would be popular and grow the church and someone who would be scholarly and deepen the churches already deep dedication to the truth.
One scholarly type guy thought I was not smart or theological enough. He asked me during the weekend I was visiting if I was a Van Tillian Presuppositionalist?.....
and for the life of me, I remembered the arguements between evidentialists like R.C. Sproul and Van Till.....are you following me????? But I sounded dumb and felt dumb.
And from that moment on this turkey was after me, and did many ugly things in the name of God, and the church would fall apart, and he and his family would keep looking for purer churches until I think he joined a denomination with only a couple thousand pure theologs.
At first I wanted to prove to myself I was not dumb, and I started reading scholarly and serious books. And I enjoyed them, and I began to do my own studies in the subjects of controversy or cloudiness.....and what a journey it has been. I have been blessed and changed by the efforts, which became a joy, and like I was told way back in seminary.....reading makes the full man. Thank you Lord. I am not brilliant but I am steady.
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