Skip this one... I'm just ranting about doctrinal statements.

The First Doctrinal Statement John 16 Ok, my mind isn't focusing well this moarning, so I'm going to keep this brief. If your big on doctrinal statements, you might not like my opinion on this one. Near the end of this chapter, the disciples suddenly declare, "Ah! Now we get it! You know everything! And that tells us you come from God!" Jesus: "Sigh... you finally get it, eh?" This just struck me because it is so much like us to do this. We have some "aha" moment and THEN we're ready to make the commitments and believe. We then so often draw up our ideas into nice, well worded phrases which we then teach as doctrine, because we're such gracious people that we won't to make sure no one else has to think this stuff through or, God forbid, listen to God for themselves! Ok, that came down harsher than I ment, so I shall slowly back away. I have a grudge against doctrine. "NOOOO!!!!" Yes, yes, I do. I find it very difficult to respect any group of people who try to summerize and simplify the bible into tasty little bites to be digested by masses of people who are perfectly able to eat meat. And perhaps that is not even my main misgiving. It's the lack of THOUGHT this promotes. "Oh thank you pastor! Now I don't have to read the bible for myself or learn about God through prayer, meditation, and walking with him daily! I don't have to try! I can just take home your easily digestable, nicely packaged comments, put them in the freezer, and SIT ON EM." Hmm... I totally failed to back away slowly... Obviosly this has become a rant, not a bible study. Well GOOOOD! Maybe it will force you to THANK FOR YOURSELF YOU LAZY PEW WARMER! YEAH YOU! YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKIN ABOUT! DON'T LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT! End of rant.