Videos present a Fresh Take on several Old, Old Stories

This morning I found three videos on YouTube that describe my experience and understanding of Christianity. I am not in any community where discussion of these ideas is common so I appreciate finding encouragement where ever I can. I sometimes daydream about this weird scene where I am on my deathbed and the pastor is trying to comfort me. I try to explain that I am fine that Jesus did NOT die for my sins. Since most people would accept the usual platitudes, the pastor is at a loss for words. In this post and throughout my blog, various speakers lament the divide between modern scholarship that Methodist, Lutheran, and other main line pastors learn in seminary and the weekly preaching from the pulpit.

The first two of these videos would be helpful to anyone trying to understand my faith and I have thought about including them in my final instructions. Another thought is just to leave instructions to check out this blog if they are interested in learning more about what Jesus means to me when I am gone. Who knows, maybe I will have the opportunity to "come out" before then.

I stumbled upon the video Time to Talk about Trinity, Monotheism and Panentheism by Dr. Roger Ray of the Community Christian Church of Springfield, MO. My search terms included the holy trinity: Marcus Borg, Karen Armstrong and Bishop John Spong, LOL. I find these three the most helpful in explaining how one can still be a Christian despite having these modern beliefs. Rev. Ray's sermon was great in explaining modern Christianity without rejecting and leaving the church.

We can love and cherish the concepts of trinity, atonement, substitutionary faith without taking them literally. God is too big for any one religion.

But Rev Ray's comment below his video embodies one of my fears of being more bold,

Well, this sermon got me removed as an administrator on The Christian Left site. Where do you go when you are too liberal for the left? 

My next find was a delightful take on John the Baptist and the Occupy Wall Street Movement: Prepare Ye The Way, Andrew William Smith preaching a pre-Advent sermon on Mark 1:1-11 on November 20, 2011. I want to come back an listen next year as Advent approaches.

This last one a Bush-era YouTube Video: "God in the 21st Century: Bishop John Shelby Spong at UO." Spong's phrase, a tribal religion, is more helpful then the false contrast of old testament Jewish religion with Christianity that I grew up with.