Can We Make God Too Nice? (Podcast)

[Paige]

Hello all,

Here is a podcast from The God Journey. Wayne Jacobsen and Brad Cummings (who run that site, and also helped publish "The Shack") interview Darin Hufford.


Darin Hufford, the author of "The God's Honest Truth" joins Wayne and Brad in a discussion about the character of God and whether or not we can ever comprehend just how good he is. In his book, Darin takes the statement "God is love" and holds it against God's description of love in I Corinthians 13. In doing so, it becomes painfully clear that the God religion teaches us about is exactly the opposite of the God Paul wanted us to know.

http://www.thegodjourney.com/audio/2008/0530h.mp3

Again, the eschatological views of these people may not mirror those of our own, yet that really has no bearing on what is being discussed in this podcast. If you have 45 minutes to listen to some conversation that is eye-opening on the nature of God, I highly recommend giving this a listen. After listening, I'd be interested in what resonated with you. We could even discuss objections if it goes against the grain.

Paige

P.S. The link is for a faster connection. Send me a PM if you'd like a link for a dial-up connection.

[Me Again]

Another eye-opening experience is to realize that, if we are to be like god, we should place our names in the place of love in 1 Cor 134-8a: e.g.,

Ed Burley is patient, Ed Burley is kind. He does not envy, he does not boast, he is not proud. 5 He does not dishonor others, he is not self-seeking, he is not easily angered, he keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Ed Burley does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 He always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Ed Burley never fails.

It makes a good confession...a mantra so to speak for our times of meditation. Perhaps if our brain hears our mouth say it enough, it'll be convinced.

lol

[Paige]

I think that sounds really helpful :) I'll try and remember that.

Paige

[Lauri]

Page,
I found this podcast really encouraging! It seems more and more people are coming to the conclusion on fullfilled grace by many other means than preterism or pantilism. I'm seeing it more and more in the emergent movement and through people like Mike Williams, Glen Kline and these fellows on the podcast. And isn't the bottom line fullfilled Grace no matter how you get there? I was so excited when I got the book "The Shack" for my birthday and my daughter said "oh my gosh my roommate just got that book from a friend, and she said you have to read this book!" She wants to read it after I'm done. This is the first time she has wanted to read one of our books. She and her friends are very much evangelical Christians and are trying to save the world from the fires of Hell. So if this book has crossed the bounderies of fullfilled grace and evangelical Christiandom then maybe the crack will widen until there is no more us and them.

Lauri

P.S. Has anyone noticed who has read the book "The Shack" that our good friend Mike Morrell who was at the Presence conference in Atlanta endorsed it on the back?

[Paige]

I found it encouraging also. People are really seeming to re-think and question some long standing perceptions as to the nature and character of God. I find more and more out there are abandoning the concept of hell. Careful examination has forced them to the place where they realize it makes absolutely no sense with agape.

What I found so profound was when Darrin talked about (can't quote it verbatim) the concept of glorifying God. The misconception as to how that is accomplished in relationship with God is easy to see if we imagined doing the same with another person.

Paige