Why am I here?

No, this isn't some sort of existential question seeking the Meaning of Life (for that see Monty Python). The real question is "Why am I bothering to write a blog?" The answer is that I think I have something to say. Or at least when I'm thinking out loud I'd like someone else to listen and maybe let me know when I'm full of it.

Much of what I will talk about stems from discussions that come out of my adult Sunday school class at First Presbyterian Church in Oak Ridge (FPCOR). Currently we are reading the book "Christianity for the Rest of Us" by Diana Butler Bass. This book has been generating many interesting discussions but in 30 - 45 minutes we can't cover everything, and often thoughts occur to me after the class is over. I hope to put something up after every class so that participants can post comments that occur to them after the fact.

One of the goals of this class is to possible directions for the future of FPCOR. Therefore I plan to post my views on the current state of our Church and where I hope we will head in our collective journey of faith. While much of this will relate to topics discussed in class, I will also throw things out as they occur to me, prompted by events or things I've read in other places.

In that regard, I also tend to surf the web a lot looking for items related to faith, theology and the state of the church. Some of my favorite locations include God's Politics on Beliefnet, On Faith (an interfaith forum hosted by Newsweek and the Washington Post), The Presbyterian Outlook and Presbyterians Today. Often I just see items and links in random locations and I'll bring these to your attention along with my take on their relevance to my life and church.

For years I've been sending out my musings by email to a select group of friends. I hope this blog will reach a wider audience and for my friends who have been too polite to say "give it a rest" you can now opt in or out as you wish.

Of course the purpose of this exercise is to facilitate discussion and hopefully growth by all participants. Toward that end I'll initially open the opportunity to comment to everyone without registration for participants or censorship on my part. Please respect all participants and think twice before you hit send. Since I am a scientist by profession and we are known to be only marginally literate, please refrain from commenting on my grammar and spelling.

God's Peace and Blessings on you all.