Comments for Towards An Inclusive Christianity at http://www.johnsmulo.com , comment 1 to 39 out of 20 comments http://www.johnsmulo.com Fri, 29 Aug 2008 01:08:52 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.johnsmulo.com/towards-an-inclusive-christianity-7.html#comment-5537 Good addition Mike...thanks...just like you teach little kids to tell the truth...I know what you mean! - Carrie Fri, 17 Aug 2007 04:24:52 +0100 http://www.johnsmulo.com/towards-an-inclusive-christianity-7.html#comment-5534 Carrie, don't forget the good, the beautiful and the true (not really doctrinaire truth but ... you know truth, like life stuff truth.) - mikemurrow Thu, 16 Aug 2007 21:07:39 +0100 http://www.johnsmulo.com/towards-an-inclusive-christianity-7.html#comment-5533 Good comment, Carrie. - Agent B Thu, 16 Aug 2007 13:19:00 +0100 http://www.johnsmulo.com/towards-an-inclusive-christianity-7.html#comment-5532 Webb, I believe that is truely the long and short of it...sure we can say that if we know more about the Greek and Hebrew and the timing of when this book was placed and that book was written it MIGHT help a non-believer. But really what non-believers want most is Hope, Faith and Love. The greatest of these is Love. Notice information and wisdom and greatness are not listed. - Carrie Thu, 16 Aug 2007 12:40:15 +0100 http://www.johnsmulo.com/towards-an-inclusive-christianity-7.html#comment-5531 john, i have a confession to make. i find that my embrace is warm and welcoming to everyone BUT the pharisee. i am sorry for this and battle it deep within. i'm trying to find some balance. brad - brad grinnen Thu, 16 Aug 2007 06:55:25 +0100 http://www.johnsmulo.com/towards-an-inclusive-christianity-7.html#comment-5529 Carrie, did you find worms in that can when you just opened it? ;) Let's hope so. - Webb Thu, 16 Aug 2007 04:30:35 +0100 http://www.johnsmulo.com/towards-an-inclusive-christianity-7.html#comment-5527 Great post John....very thought provoking...inclusive Christianity is what it is SUPPOSED to be...Christian MEANS resembling Christ and since that IS what He did, we should do the same. "So...one must ponder--How much of our Christian ed. is really even relevant to learning to be the hands and feet of Jesus to the world around us? " It's not. Period. All the Bible Education, all the languages, all the theological garbage is so we can stand in the synagogue and say "Look at Me" - Carrie Wed, 15 Aug 2007 19:34:45 +0100 http://www.johnsmulo.com/towards-an-inclusive-christianity-7.html#comment-5521 Ouch Webb aks a huge question!! "How much of our Christian ed. is really even relevant to learning to be the hands and feet of Jesus to the world around us?" Who dare take that one up... John???? - sally Wed, 15 Aug 2007 07:36:08 +0100 http://www.johnsmulo.com/towards-an-inclusive-christianity-7.html#comment-5520 Sally's right-on. If we can't accept God's grace in our own life, it is hard to extend that grace to others. Think about this: We can memorize the Books of the Bible, even memorize the words. We can learn to exegete the Scriptures, learn Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic, and I know some churches where most of the congregation can do this. Yet, even with that knowledge we can remain faithless and incapable of even loving ourselves as God loves us let alone loving others that way. So...one must ponder--How much of our Christian ed. is really even relevant to learning to be the hands and feet of Jesus to the world around us? - Webb Wed, 15 Aug 2007 04:45:04 +0100 http://www.johnsmulo.com/towards-an-inclusive-christianity-7.html#comment-5519 God's embrace is wide and warm and welcoming- mine is all too often not what it should be, and I live with the ongoing struggle of that fact. But that is part of what it means to be becoming like Christ- we are on a journey and as long as we acknowledge that and learn not only to embrace others with the love of God but also ourselves we will get somewhere! Peace and blessings to all Sally :) - sally Tue, 14 Aug 2007 14:09:49 +0100 http://www.johnsmulo.com/towards-an-inclusive-christianity-7.html#comment-5510 Nameless, Faceless Love, Erin and Jamie sure do. Barnabas was a great example of this. But you know, as I think of it, Jesus actually seemed to give the hardest time to those who were arrogant religious legalistic fundamentalists. I don't think I have an excuse to act like Jesus on this one though because I have so many faults myself. Thanks for the encouragement with the blog and post :) - John Tue, 14 Aug 2007 12:33:03 +0100 http://www.johnsmulo.com/towards-an-inclusive-christianity-7.html#comment-5509 Interesting stuff, John. Erin and Jamie do indeed have a compelling point about our ability, while seeking to become inclusive, to deal with those who exclude us and others the most. Obviously, Jesus had no problem with this, but you who else is a great example we might all learn from? Barnabas. Now there was a guy who was inclusive, even when it was almost universally unpopular to accept and support Paul. I'm trying, too, Erin. Some day I fail miserably and act just like those with whom I profess to have such a challenge. Other days, and hopefully more and more days as time goes on, I am finding His grace and mercy causing me to have great compassion for those who are exactly like me. Love the blog and this post, John. - Nameless, Faceless Love Tue, 14 Aug 2007 12:29:49 +0100 http://www.johnsmulo.com/towards-an-inclusive-christianity-7.html#comment-5508 Jonathan, I haven't seen that yet. Will have to put it on my "to read" list. - John Tue, 14 Aug 2007 12:28:43 +0100 http://www.johnsmulo.com/towards-an-inclusive-christianity-7.html#comment-5507 Erin, I totally related to that too. God help us to be consistent and non-hypocritical. - John Tue, 14 Aug 2007 12:28:19 +0100 http://www.johnsmulo.com/towards-an-inclusive-christianity-7.html#comment-5506 Brad B, Thanks for your thoughts. Good list. Very true that Jesus wasn't into those things. How have we become, so often, so different from Jesus in how we relate to others? - John Tue, 14 Aug 2007 12:27:39 +0100 http://www.johnsmulo.com/towards-an-inclusive-christianity-7.html#comment-5505 JP Manzi, Thanks for your thoughts. You asked me to explain further what I meant by the statement, "Embraces people regardless of how "good" or "bad" they are". I just mean that we should welcome and love people regardless of their background. I don't think we should try and make people who aren't Jesus-followers live as if they were. And I also think we need a lot more grace and humility among each other, realizing that we all sin. What do you think? - John Tue, 14 Aug 2007 12:26:44 +0100 http://www.johnsmulo.com/towards-an-inclusive-christianity-7.html#comment-5504 Rob, I had forgot that story, I'm glad you raised it! Those are moments that bring hope and joy to me. I really appreciate it when people feel comfortable totally being themselves around us as believers--and when we just people be themselves. - John Tue, 14 Aug 2007 12:24:50 +0100 http://www.johnsmulo.com/towards-an-inclusive-christianity-7.html#comment-5503 Jamie A-R, That is probably the hardest group for me to embrace too, though I need more humility, particularly in light of me having lived that life. - John Tue, 14 Aug 2007 12:23:01 +0100 http://www.johnsmulo.com/towards-an-inclusive-christianity-7.html#comment-5502 Webb, I almost never know how to respond to your comments. I just enjoy drinking it all in. Thanks for sharing such a personal story. - John Tue, 14 Aug 2007 12:22:00 +0100 http://www.johnsmulo.com/towards-an-inclusive-christianity-7.html#comment-5501 Jenelle, I like how you spoke of our Family's disfunction. I can relate to that, and hadn't thought of it that way before. - John Tue, 14 Aug 2007 12:18:36 +0100