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Into Orthodoxy: Into Eternity

By Karissa Knox Sorrell

 

Photo by Maria Mayo
Photo by Maria Mayo

“We grew up with the Jesus story, until we outgrew it,” Frederica Mathewes-Green says in her book At the Corner of East and Now. What a perfect description for how I felt when as an adult I became disenchanted with the church I’d grown up in. Jesus had always been enough for me. I’d grown up as a Nazarene preacher’s kid and missionary’s kid. I attended church three times a week, read the Bible and prayed every day, memorized hundreds of verses, and evangelized all my friends.

But toward the end of my college career, I began feeling a disconnect between my faith and my “real life.” I remember spending an hour at chapel three days a week, fervently singing, lifting my hands, and praying. Afterwards, when I walked out of the church doors, I completely forgot about God for the rest of the day. Worship, while emotionally touching, seemed momentary. I knew I had to find a way to bridge the chasm that had become apparent in my own life. The Jesus story was simply not enough for me anymore. Continue reading “Into Orthodoxy: Into Eternity”

Into Orthodoxy

Via Wikimedia Commons
Via Wikimedia Commons

“I became Orthodox because…”

How would you finish that thought? That is the challenge of this new blog series titled, “Into Orthodoxy.” Many come to the Orthodox Church from other traditions. This series asks, “Why?” Several guest authors have agreed to answer that question in about 500 words. Authors include poets and priests, scientists and broadcasters. Some have been Orthodox for many years; others are just beginning their journey. So starting April 1, look for posts from guest authors, including…

Why 500 words? Because truth reveals itself in brevity. The greater the word-count, the greater potential to obfuscate, not necessarily to others, but (most importantly) to ourselves. Lent is a time of self-reflection. It demands we take a long, hard look at ourselves, and that we be compassionate towards others. That means we have to listen to each other and learn from each other. We need to tell stories and hear stories, and we need to embrace each other in our differences, especially during Lent. Listening becomes a means of grace, a path toward theosis, because God is love. So when we embrace others in love, we embrace God.

Benefits of #Doctrine: Theology in 140 Characters or Less

The following concludes a series I had intended to end last week, but my laptop needed to be repaired. Rather than delay any longer, I have decided to go ahead and conclude this series so that I can move on to a new series of lenten posts I am very excited about (mostly because I get to read a bunch of great guest posts). I am typing this on my iPad, so I apologize in advance for any formatting issues. WordPress for the iPad is great, but not as good as it is on my laptop.

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There are some “perks” to public theology. Warm fuzzies from online readers really strokes the ego. My heart is strangely warmed whenever I get a new Twitter follower. But if I let who I am and why I do this get mixed up with what other people say about me, then I’ve got a problem, because a lot of what people say about me is not very nice. There are other benefits to doing this. I do make a difference: Continue reading “Benefits of #Doctrine: Theology in 140 Characters or Less”

Why #Doctrine: Theology in #140 Characters or Less

My weekend was not very relaxing. I got home from work Friday to prepare to teach my SAVY students on Saturday morning (where I sometimes stand on chairs). On Saturday afternoon, I was in a rental car, driving to the annual conference for the Southeastern Commission for the Study of Religion (SECSOR). I was invited to present on the topic “Theology 2.0,” which was about the role of public theology in the age of social media. After filling up on some Indian food on Main Street in Greenville, SC, I drove back home again. I got in at about 9:00 last night. I am both tired from the trip and energized at the great conversation with other scholars trying to figure out how to be theologians in this new digital landscape.

Oddly enough, actually brings me to the topic of my paper itself, which was titled, “#Doctrine: Theology in 140 Characters or Less.” Rather than tell you what I said, I think I’d rather just say it. So over the next few posts, I will break up the manuscript of my talk, which I hope will help generate some discussion about what public theology actually is, why it matters, and how to do it in a way that is both effective and faithfully Christian. The first part of my presentation dealt with “Why #Doctrine?” Continue reading “Why #Doctrine: Theology in #140 Characters or Less”

Make Your Own Note-Taking “App” in Three Easy Steps

Screen Shot 2013-03-12 at 4.36.35 AMHave you ever been working feverishly to finish a paper only to be held up by that one quote you read on that one page in some book? I do not normally ever do “productivity” type posts, but I think this is relevant to anyone out there who considers herself a scholar (paid or otherwise). I have experimented with different note-taking systems over the years, with varying degrees of success. I am not talking about detailed reactions to a passage. I have used word processors, and now Evernote, for that. But Evernote is too clunky to be a quick-reference system. What I wanted was a way to search and sort by particular words, phrases, and topics when I write. Most importantly, I want to be able to find them in the book later.

Enter Google Forms! It allows you to create an online form, like a survey. But I have used it a bit like an “app” on my smartphone. That way, I take quick notes on the go and (because I am anal retentive) keep track of my reading each day. All of my entries are recorded on a spreadsheet that I can export, search, and sort for writing.

Google has upgraded some features on its Forms to look better on a smartphone. I have also decided to improve my own “app” to incorporate some new fields experience has taught me I needed. So I thought I would share the process. It’s pretty easy. Here’s how you do it: Continue reading “Make Your Own Note-Taking “App” in Three Easy Steps”