I Haz Blog

kendrck · Post by **kendrck** » Thu Mar 13, 2014 5:50 pm

I've been writing here pretty consistently since last November. I think I've got inertia.

The Sinner's Gospel

Basically, the blog is an exploration of how the vertical realities of the gospel ought to play out on the horizontal between people. It's also an exploration of how much I suck at that, so there's quite a bit of personal confessional stuff.

I would love any feedback. I'll probably occasionally post here when I've got new blog entries.

SmokinGordon · Post by **SmokinGordon** » Thu Mar 13, 2014 7:23 pm

Where's the blog?

kendrck · Post by **kendrck** » Thu Mar 13, 2014 7:26 pm

SmokinGordon wrote:Where's the blog?

Por favor to click on "The Sinner's Gospel." Grazie.

SmokinGordon · Post by **SmokinGordon** » Thu Mar 13, 2014 7:39 pm

kendrck wrote:
SmokinGordon wrote:Where's the blog?
Por favor to click on "The Sinner's Gospel." Grazie.

Okay not showing as a link, but I'm on my iPad, which might be the problem.
Gracias, Señor.

kendrck · Post by **kendrck** » Thu Mar 13, 2014 7:47 pm

SmokinGordon wrote:
kendrck wrote:
SmokinGordon wrote:Where's the blog?
Por favor to click on "The Sinner's Gospel." Grazie.
Okay not showing as a link, but I'm on my iPad, which might be the problem.
Gracias, Señor.

you can find it at http://thesinnersgospel.com

SmokinGordon · Post by **SmokinGordon** » Thu Mar 13, 2014 7:48 pm

kendrck wrote:
SmokinGordon wrote:
kendrck wrote:
SmokinGordon wrote:Where's the blog?
Por favor to click on "The Sinner's Gospel." Grazie.
Okay not showing as a link, but I'm on my iPad, which might be the problem.
Gracias, Señor.
you can find it at http://thesinnersgospel.com

Thanks

Del · Post by **Del** » Thu Mar 13, 2014 8:29 pm

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

My name is Rick Sams. There are two things I know about myself:

I'm a really bad sinner.

I am loved with an everlasting love by my Father, Who cannot change.

There's an important something missing here.

Are we talking about a really bad repentant sinner, who accepts God's forgiveness and strives to be holy?

Or is this a really bad obstinate sinner, who blocks God's forgiveness and wallows in sin?

MacGuru · Post by **MacGuru** » Thu Mar 13, 2014 8:44 pm

Del wrote:
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

My name is Rick Sams. There are two things I know about myself:

I'm a really bad sinner.

I am loved with an everlasting love by my Father, Who cannot change.
There's an important something missing here.

Are we talking about a really bad repentant sinner, who accepts God's forgiveness and strives to be holy?

Or is this a really bad obstinate sinner, who blocks God's forgiveness and wallows in sin?

Is this a serious rhetorical question, or an obstinate, legalistic rhetorical question?

kendrck · Post by **kendrck** » Thu Mar 13, 2014 8:46 pm

Del wrote:Are we talking about a really bad repentant sinner, who accepts God's forgiveness and strives to be holy?

Or is this a really bad obstinate sinner, who blocks God's forgiveness and wallows in sin?

If I were the first option, would that make me less a sinner?

I left the qualifier off on purpose.

Jocose · Post by **Jocose** » Thu Mar 13, 2014 11:40 pm

I'm in the same canoe.

Del · Post by **Del** » Fri Mar 14, 2014 9:08 am

kendrck wrote:
Del wrote:Are we talking about a really bad repentant sinner, who accepts God's forgiveness and strives to be holy?

Or is this a really bad obstinate sinner, who blocks God's forgiveness and wallows in sin?
If I were the first option, would that make me less a sinner?

I left the qualifier off on purpose.

It's the difference between salvation and not. One cannot persist in sin and be saved.

In fact, that is the definition of sin: "Sin is that which causes us to separate from God's grace."

Hebrews 10:26-27 wrote:26If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.

1 John 3:9 wrote:9No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.

And all the times that Jesus said "Repent!" and "From now on, avoid this sin."

To be sure, sanctification doesn't happen all at once. But the goal is to stop sinning. "The only great tragedy in life is not to become a saint."

Del · Post by **Del** » Fri Mar 14, 2014 9:21 am

MacGuru wrote:
Del wrote:
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

My name is Rick Sams. There are two things I know about myself:

I'm a really bad sinner.

I am loved with an everlasting love by my Father, Who cannot change.
There's an important something missing here.

Are we talking about a really bad repentant sinner, who accepts God's forgiveness and strives to be holy?

Or is this a really bad obstinate sinner, who blocks God's forgiveness and wallows in sin?
Is this a serious rhetorical question, or an obstinate, legalistic rhetorical question?

It is neither rhetorical, nor is it legalistic.

It is the difference between a sinner who hopes to become a saint in Heaven.... and a sinner who is headed to Hell. Not that I doubt Rick's trajectory! But this batch of words jumped off the screen at me, and I was confused.

I mean to respect Rick's tradition. And it could be that within his tradition, the admission that "I am a sinner" already carries the implied message that "and I have repented and I sin no more, for I have accepted the forgiveness of Christ." I hadn't thought of that.... and if all I need is a little education in the code, I would appreciate it. The Lord knows, we Catholics swim in an ocean of jargon -- often unintelligible to outsiders!

At the core: There are a great many Christians who want to accept Christ, but we cling to favorite addiction. And at our judgment, Christ would be just to admit that "You chose that thing over Me." Mary warned the children at Fatima that Christian souls are falling into Hell like snowflakes. So this really does matter.

kendrck · Post by **kendrck** » Fri Mar 14, 2014 9:25 am

Del wrote:It's the difference between salvation and not. One cannot persist in sin and be saved.

In fact, that is the definition of sin: "Sin is that which causes us to separate from God's grace."

I'm one of those people who try to pry things out of my soul and put it out there. To be sure, it's therapy, but it's my hope that it's more. It's my hope that other people will be touched by it.

There's a frustration, though, that comes when someone has clearly read none of your writing, and yet tackles you on a point of order that occurred to him from a skimming of the dust jacket content. That's kinda what yer doing right now.

I love being challenged. But an even cursory reading of the blog would have answered the question you're raising.

*Addendum*
Not trying to arm-wrestle you into reading the blog. It's stupid long!

However, I would request that you do one or the other. Either read the blog before tackling my basic theology, or refrain from tackling my basic theology based on a tag line.

AFRS · Post by **AFRS** » Fri Mar 14, 2014 9:29 am

Jocose wrote:I'm in the same canoe.

The douche canoe?

I still don't get it.

Nor can I relate.

kendrck · Post by **kendrck** » Fri Mar 14, 2014 9:40 am

AFRS wrote:The douche canoe?

I still don't get it.

Nor can I relate.

Not that it's necessarily indicative, but unawareness of "douche canoe" status is always a symptom of those so afflicted.

Del · Post by **Del** » Fri Mar 14, 2014 9:43 am

kendrck wrote:
Del wrote:It's the difference between salvation and not. One cannot persist in sin and be saved.

In fact, that is the definition of sin: "Sin is that which causes us to separate from God's grace."
I'm one of those people who try to pry things out of my soul and put it out there. To be sure, it's therapy, but it's my hope that it's more. It's my hope that other people will be touched by it.

There's a frustration, though, that comes when someone has clearly read none of your writing, and yet tackles you on a point of order that occurred to him from a skimming of the dust jacket content. That's kinda what yer doing right now.

I love being challenged. But an even cursory reading of the blog would have answered the question you're raising.

It's about managing first impressions. A stranger pulls up a web page and is challenged to decide if this is something that he wants to read.

If you think that an ambiguous statement is just the sort of thing that will intrigue a person into thinking about it.... then *PING!* you rang my bell!

I don't mean to get feisty. I'm just saying that the Bible is very clear about this: Sinning is not an option.

kendrck · Post by **kendrck** » Fri Mar 14, 2014 9:46 am

Pretty clear yer not my target demographic, Del. (Though all the focus groups and panels really thought you would be! It's weird!

)

Please feel free to ignore my blog.

Del · Post by **Del** » Fri Mar 14, 2014 10:08 am

kendrck wrote:*Addendum*
Not trying to arm-wrestle you into reading the blog. It's stupid long! However, I would request that you do one or the other. Either read the blog before tackling my basic theology, or refrain from tackling my basic theology based on a tag line.

I just read your essay on "I Don't Get Mercy." It is astoundingly beautiful, a heartfelt sharing of pain and longing for hope. You are right: I should have spent more time with your blog first.

I didn't mean to "tackle your basic theology." I no longer have the stomach for that sort of thing.

But alas, as a disciple of Christ I must offer a therapeutic message of hope: Jesus gave a place to confess our sins and receive healing, so we don't have to confess our sins to a blog.

'Nuff said. You are a gifted writer, and I shall spend more time with your work.

Del · Post by **Del** » Fri Mar 14, 2014 10:15 am

kendrck wrote:Pretty clear yer not my target demographic, Del. (Though all the focus groups and panels really thought you would be! It's weird! )

Please feel free to ignore my blog.

No! It's good!

But if I feel like I have anything worth your time to talk about, I'll send you a PM.

You had focus groups and panels? Tell me that's just Rick-silliness. PLEASE!!!

kendrck · Post by **kendrck** » Fri Mar 14, 2014 10:23 am

Del wrote:You had focus groups and panels? Tell me that's just Rick-silliness. PLEASE!!!

Pfft! I don't have money for lunch today. Of course it was silliness!

One of the points of the blog is that it's a workshop for a book that I'm writing, but the gazillions of dollars I'll make from that are probably down the road a ways.

Thanks for taking the time with it, Del. I really do appreciate that. And while I have no idea why you picked that post to start with, it's one of the ones I would have suggested.

P.S. - I do think I'll start referring to them as "essays" from here on out. Much more apt description, given their lack of brevity.