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What is inerrancy? What do people mean when they say the word? Does it mean the Bible is an instruction manual? What can we say about a specific text’s application to our lives? Does submitting to the Bible as the only authority lead to an unreasonable doctrinal subjectivism? Do we all become our own popes? Is it good to have one authority (a pope)? Why do we trust the Scripture? Why should we? Is it possible to believe in a Great Tradition of Christian Orthodoxy while holding Scripture paramount? Is there healthy, responsible non-Catholicism out there, or should we all just submit to the Vicar of Christ, and repent for following the man who ‘trampled the Lord’s vineyard’? Am I scaring anyone yet? Am I scaring myself? Yes. Why do “restorationist” (or New Testament) churches scare me more than the Roman Catholic? Why do I feel as though I will never preach or teach anything good that hasn’t already been said? Am I OK with that? Absolutely. Why do I love authority, legitimately constituted? Why do I love creeds? Why do I love history? Why is the history of bold confessions for the sake of Christ also the history of vain, destructive division? Why do I feel like a member of every Christian communion on Earth, yet I’m part of only one? Am I happy in that place? Yes. Why? Why am I a mystic, and a passionate defender of orthodoxy at the same time? Why does the phrase ‘Bible-believing’ fill me with dread? Why does setting Scripture aside or explaining it away fill me with equal dread? Why didn’t anyone tell me that purity and peace were so hard to fight for? Why were some of the great theologians of the past two centuries socialists? Why doesn’t that make me mad? Why does that make me curious, yet dismissive at the same time? Is it OK to love President Bush, even knowing I’d do things differently? Is it possible to be a Christian and a Republican (or a libertarian) at the same time without confusing the two? Should I vote in the next election? On what basis should I vote? Why am I impressed with Barack Obama? Is it because he’s good-looking? Is it because he’s black? Is it because he’s a living, breathing episode of The Cosby Show? Is he for real? Do I love my country too much?
Why do I love the Eucharist? Why does it seem cooler to call it that? How do I worship Christ in the sacrament? What was Ulrich Zwingli thinking? Why am I feeling Lutheran right about now? Why is Psalm 45 even in the Bible? Have you read that before? Did it bother you?
Am I supposed to preach? How do I know? If I’m not a pastor, why do I think like one? Why do I feel like one? Why do I teach things without even trying, like it’s a part of me? Why am I happy when I do that? Is that a calling, or simple vanity? Why are my heroes preachers, or Brett Favre? Does Brett Favre love Jesus? Does he want to? Will he play again? Why does that make me sad if he doesn’t? Why did I write this? Was it a waste? No.

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