As someone who grew up in a strong institutionalized religious culture, this interpretation was shocking to me. (A priest *of a church* telling us that the church is helpful, but ultimately not sufficient, to get us to where God is!) I still think about that homily. /4

but ultimately, God doesn't live in the boat, he's out on the water. The boat can bring us close to where God is, but ultimately we need to be able to take the leap of faith to jump off the boat in order to experience God most fully. /3

Jesus is specifically *outside* the boat (the institutional Church, calling us *out* of the boat, so that we can commune more fully and purely with God directly instead of from the confines of the boat (institutional Church). It's scary because the boat offers security, /2

our security blankets of ideas, communities, institutions, etc.), trusting that can lead us to greater peace and freedom by placing our trust in God rather than our favorite security blankets. It's terribly frightening, but can result in greater peace and abundant life. /2

Since then my theological needle has moved back a notch or two from where #johnshelbyspong and some others are BUT it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that I likely would not be a Christian today if it weren't for them. RIP Bishop Spong. /2

"What is the 'program for change'? Given that change is unlikely, how can individual Christians behave ethically in a capitalist economic system?" /2

http://hazelnutnotes.com/2021/06/07/christianity-and-the-new-spirit-of-capitalism-by-kathryn-tanner-an-argument-for-a-wholesale-reorganization-of-economic-life/