We all have a unique way of looking at the world that is shaped by our culture, experiences, and whatever else we put in our brains. Your worldview shapes (and is shaped by) your understanding of who God is, who you are, and how those things relate.
If You Believe This Then…
If you believe God is good and wants to be in relationship with you, you’ll act differently than if you think he doesn’t exist or that he exists but hates you. You’ll live from a stable place of being known and loved, rather than questioning your value.
If you believe that God created the world, and people in general (and you specifically), with a purpose it will affect how you view your days. You’ll see yourself and others as valuable and have motivation to pursue making a difference in the world.
If you believe God is angry at you and waiting for you to mess up, you’ll carry anxiety about your “performance” and probably be a bit critical of others. You might look for others (your employees, your spouse, your kids) to mess up or hold them to higher than reasonable standards of performance.
If you believe that sinning will cause you to loose your salvation, then you’re likely either have a strict list of rules and work really hard not to do anything wrong, ever, …or give up and live like the failure that you believe that you are.
If you believe God created men and women equal in essence but with distinct roles you may be tempted to step back from a leadership role you feel called and equipped to fill.
Our beliefs about God (and ourselves and the world) have life-altering, world-changing consequences.
Everyone has ideas about who God is, who they are, and how those things relate even if they aren’t always aware of them.
Your life and your voice matter.
And the theology that informs what you say and how you act matters.
This Is Your Invitation
Wine and Milk is your invitation to discover and evaluate your beliefs. It’s your invitation to ask, “What do I believe?” “Do I like what I believe?” “Is it true?” “What does the Bible say?” “What do others believe?” Wine and Milk is your invitation to become a better theologian with life-altering and world-changing consequences.
Every week, sometimes twice a week, I’ll post about a different aspect of theology but I’ll begin with a few preliminary “about theology” posts, like this one. You can also join the discussion over on Facebook.
Are you ready to dive in?
(Wesleyan, but Also…)
Though my theology is distinctly Wesleyan-Arminian, I have more experience teaching at Baptist and Reformed schools and have an affinity for both traditional liturgy and bold movements of the Holy Spirit. So, while we’ll be following the Wesleyan Church’s Articles of Religion, and our conversations will have a distinct Wesleyan flair, I’ll be very intentional to make this a safe space for everyone to be part of the conversation.
I invite and encourage honest questions, reserve the right to ignore or delete trolls and rabbit trails, and will respect honor those with differing views.
Wine & Milk 