I’m reposting this because first I had the link wrong… then my comments were broken for a few days. So here it is again:
A different kind of God… That’s what I’ve discovered over the past six or seven years. A different kind of God than I’d been taught about from my youngest of days.
It’s also the first chapter of a book I started a long time ago 
More correctly, a book proposal, as I don’t want to finish the manuscript just in time for a publisher to tell me to rewrite major portions of it!
I set the project aside for some time, because I couldn’t find the motivation to finish. The desire has come back to me, and so, I want to continue in the project.
Because I believe theology should be done in the Church and for the Church, I want to offer up the first chapter for critique. If you download the PDF, I ask that you post your comments here in this post. This way, the development of my proposal can have an aspect to it where the Church has helped form it, rather than just my thoughts.
I should note that an earlier version of this chapter were up on theooze forums for critique. The suggestions and criticisms I received were invaluable in a rewrite of this chapter. Because of this positive experience, I’m encouraged to continue in this method of writing my christology, a theology for the Church, by the Church, and in the Church.
Part 2:
“Jesus shows us not only perfect humanity but also gives us the clearest image of God we can conceive.”
I like how you bring out our lack of understanding and how God catered to that with Jesus.
I really enjoyed the section about God’s Vulnerability. It hasn’t been something I’ve thought much about, but I feel like my eyes have been opened to see a new side of God. (which is obviously the intent). It’s makes the idea of Christ’s death that much more powerful.
I don’t know if I agree with the last quote in the Vulnerable section. “…that to be weak, limited, and affected by others can actually be more powerful…” How is Jesus or God limited? I don’t think this was a point that was brought out during the rest of the section.
I agree with your point that God can be felt during suffering, but I am struggling in how much God interacts on an everyday basis. Has God set “rules” of how the world is, and then “intervenes” (or even dwells) when invited, or is he 100% active in all things in the world, good and bad?
Mike
October 17th, 2005
I liked that you included the story of your ex-wife calling. I’m a sucker for personal stories, and I think they work really well in todays “reality tv” society. I’m a lay youth leader at my church and have found personal stories grab attention quite well. “Although the outcome at times was uncertain, God’s presence was sure”. Great truth!
Mike
October 17th, 2005
“..that all of our descriptions, definitions, doctrines, etc. will always fall just short..”. It’s nice to hear someone else say that.
“The Jesus Factor”?! That’s just cheese all around!
I didn’t like the end of the chapter where Diane gets a boyfriend or whoever Lloyd was. It sounds like Diane just happens to have these different relationships that work with the points you are trying to make in the book. Obviously that’s the reason to make up a story like that…but it just sounds like you’re trying too hard! If Lloyd must come in, maybe save him for the second chapter and don’t make it so…story-bookish. Lloyd sounds like a prince riding in from nowhere. I have to pick on something…I enjoyed most of the rest of the chapter! =)
Mike
October 17th, 2005
Part 3:
“The heart of God must break daily with all the pain and suffering in this world” – I understand that God has emotions, displays them, suffers with us, and suffers because of us. But if God was 100% involved in the world today, why does he cause his own heart to break with all of the suffering in the world?
Again, good point that Jesus felt all of the emotions (anger specifically), but was in control of them. Damn, I wish I could be like that!
Mike
October 17th, 2005
Ok…here goes a “critique”. It’s more just a bunch of thoughts I had while running through the chapter. It’s also too big for one comment…so I’m spacing it out into three.
It’s nice that someone points out that the “un-changing” God does in fact change. I’m glad I’m not the only person to see that.
On pg 7 you talk about verses that provide a static view of God. I believe that God’s laws to not change. His honestly, trustworthiness (is that a word?) and infalibility does not change. But the fact that he extends his mercy is a change in itself. When he changed his mind with the number of believers in Sodom and Gomorrah he could do that because of his mercy. It may be worth pointing out certain traits that do not change in God.
It might be worth fully explaining your point with the remainder of the Malachi verses/chapter. From what I see, God is giving a promise that if we do one thing, he will do another. I don’t see how that relates to him changing.
Mike
October 17th, 2005