“The truth (the seed) is simple and plenty. The problem is the lack of fertile soil. Jesus came to till the soil, to play the long game—not just to give us the truth, but to make sure the truth could go in.”
Our discussion highlighted the importance of patience and incremental growth in understanding and accepting the truth. We also touched on the limitations of light switch-like conversions and the need for a gradual journey of becoming. We are embodied and in time; we can’t have an angelic, aeviternal view of conversion.
In the second half of the conversation, Ross brought an Episcopalian challenge to mine and King Laugh’s ecclesiology. We discuss and debate the Donatist controversy, the sacred-secular divide, and whether episcopal church government might solve some things. Finally, we closed on what it means to be a “grandfather” and achieving a second naiveté, the journey from wonder to work and back to wonder again.
runs Surf Hatteras, a premier summer surfing camp for teens, and teaches theology for the Virginia Beach Fellows. He writes Patient Kingdom here on Substack; go give him a subscribe! He stepped back from being an associate pastor seven years ago to devote himself to these other callings full-time. He lives with his wife and four children in North Carolina.Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or watch on YouTube.
Ross’s Comment on my Jordan Peterson Article
Ross’s Article:
Sound Bites
"Jesus' ministry is almost more about soil-tilling than seed-planting."
"The truth itself is so simple. You miss it because it's simple, not because it's complicated."
"Conversion is not a moment, but a process of becoming."
"It wasn't going to be very easy to do that in the Episcopal Church."
"We're not just handing you the reins of the sermon. Why don't we just the priesthood of all believers for those things - until and unless you show spectacular competence."
"What is the validity of 20-somethings being given church office?"
"It's a holiness that has to do with the way that the Spirit moves upon His people and the way that Jesus promised that He would when two or three are gathered in His name."
Chapters
Part I: The Master Soil-Tiller
0:00 Introduction to Ross
1:21 Soil Tilling in Jesus' Ministry
07:51 Patient Preparation v. Truth-Bombs
15:53 The Role of Time and Embodiment in Conversion
24:50 Salvation by Information Alone
Part II: From the Pastorate to Surf-Camp
40:06 Ross’s Story: From the Pastorate to Surf-Camp
48:44 The Bourgeois-Boomer-Baptist Booby-trap
Part III: Ecclesiology: Episcopal or Egalitarian?
56:47 Ross Challenges Us on Ecclesiology
1:15:03 The Holy and the Common
Part IV: Maturity
1:39:26 The Grandfather and the Second Naiveté
Last Week’s Episode:
Don't Share the Gospel...Yet