Since I began this blog, some people have axed me (little V-bonics there), “Frankie V., how come you don’t allow comments on your blog? You know, it’s not a REAL blog if you don’t allow comments . . . hint, hint.”
Here’s my response, “[Cough], comments are turned off because at this time in my life, I have ZERO time to *moderate* or *respond* to them — both of which I feel compelled to do. I suspect this is the reason why other bloggers who write books, such as Brian McLaren and John Eldredge, don’t allow comments on their blogs. My hat goes off to people like Scot McKnight who, I suspect, has the rare gift of not needing sleep.
But having said that … here’s what we’re going to do boys and girls.
‘Tis an experiment.
I have no idea who reads this blog since its debut in late June of this year. From the WordPress blog stats, this blog averages between 300 and 400 views a day. I have no earthly idea if that’s great, good, moderate, or bad. Perhaps someone who is blogger savvy can educate me.
But here’s what we’re going to do. We are going to allow comments from now until Sunday evening. That’s right . . . from the time that I hit the “save/publish” button on this post till Sunday evening, we’re going to try the Comments thing.
But . . . there is one rule that all commentators must abide by.
Editor’s Note: Long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, I was a public school teacher. And I’ve learned that no matter how clearly I gave my class directions, there were always those students who didn’t/couldn’t/wouldn’t/or perhaps shouldn’t (in their minds), follow the rules.
Perhaps the blogosphere is different. Perhaps not. We’ll find out, eh?
In the style of talk radio, I am your blog host. For your comment to be posted this weekend, you will have to answer two simple questions. Comments that do not answer these two questions will not be posted. Comments that veer off into other topics will not be posted. Example: Prayer requests for Aunt Matilda will not be posted. Comments that contain “flames” aimed at your gracious and loving blog host will not be posted. If you wish to discuss something “off topic”, feel free to write me at the email address posted on the “about Frank” tab. I promise I’ll read it . . . eventually.
Okay, I hope we’re clear on the rule.
Here are the two questions:
1. What, to your mind, is the most perplexing thing about God and/or the Christian life? Just give 1 please — the “most” perplexing.
2. What are your top two favorite blog posts on this blog?
Now, if only a small number of you comment, I don’t think I’ll do this little experiment again. But if the posts come rolling in, or to use the lingo from talk radio, if the Fanortner begins lighting up like crazy, we’ll make our little experiment a periodic event.
Comments are now open … it’s “open-phones” Friday 
54 Comments
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1. Most perplexing about the Christian Life for me was “The Church Matrix”, but thank God for the red pill.
2. My favorite post is hands down: Stripping Down to Christ Alone: Rethinking the Gifts of the Spirit -Brilliantly written and it hit a big nerve!
1. What, to your mind, is the most perplexing thing about God and/or the Christian life? Just give 1 please — the “most” perplexing.
The concept that a Jewish carpenter’s son, born over 2000 years ago, but well into the history of the world, is supposed to act as some kind of gatekeeper to divine favour.
2. What are your top two favorite blog posts on this blog?
http://frankviola.wordpress.com/2008/08/06/stripping-down-to-christ-alone-rethinking-the-gifts-of-the-spirit/
http://frankviola.wordpress.com/2008/08/13/surprised-by-hope-by-nt-wright/
1. What, to your mind, is the most perplexing thing about God and/or the Christian life? Just give 1 please — the “most” perplexing.
The fact that I live in this world with my 5 senses but I have to live by faith/believe in a God that I cannot see.
2. What are your top two favorite blog posts on this blog?
Throwing Out the Baby with the Bathwater?
Stripping Down to Christ Alone: Rethinking the Gifts of the Spirit
1. The most perplexing thing about the Christian life for me right now is the paradox between the Holy Spirit’s indwelling all Christians and the absolute stupidity that comes out of the Christian subculture. I really don’t see how the two can coexist. How can an indwelt people of God come up with so much junk?
2. http://frankviola.wordpress.com/2008/08/06/stripping-down-to-christ-alone-rethinking-the-gifts-of-the-spirit/
Having grown up charismatic, then attending a largely Baptist college, it nice to see a balanced position on the gifts of the Spirit.
“1. What, to your mind, is the most perplexing thing about God and/or the Christian life? Just give 1 please — the “most” perplexing.”
- That whole concept of “spiritual progress” that religion portrays – as if we can “improve ourselves” albeit now through the help of the Holy Spirit
“2. What are your top two favorite blog posts on this blog?”
- Rethinking the Gifts of the Holy Spirit
- Feedback on the Shack
I am curious on any interaction you may have had with Wayne Jacobsen. I listen to his podcast quite a bit on thegodjourney.com.
1. At the moment, hell.
2. Your sharing on leaving the institutional church and pastors responses to pagan christianity…
1. Walking the line between freedom and obedience.
2. The first would be “Why I Left the Institutional Church” – it was great to hear some of your personal history on that.
The second would be this one, of course, because I get to leave a comment.
Blog comments can be very fruitful sometimes, but it really depends on the vast number of them. Sometimes when I comment on a blog it can lead to a discussion that deepens the original post, and can create a lot of interesting interaction. On some blogs, though, the sheer number of commenters makes that impossible. In those cases, it really allows you to know more about your audience.
Most perplexing? I think it is living a life in total submission. Maybe not the most perplexing, but certainly the one that consumes the most energy. I’ve been pursuing it, but each step shows how much more there is to go. To just trust Jesus and follow his lead as Lord.
Frank,
I have been daily visiting your blog for the past 6 months. I gain such wisdom from you, and my heart resonates with your words. Ok, answering your questions:
1. Instead of what is the most “perplexing” thing to me in Christianity, I’d rather replace that word with “fascinating.” And the answer to that is: “How BIG God’s love is for me and everyone in the world. My mind will never be able to wrap around how beautiful His love is.
2. I love so many. But my Top 2 are: Your post where you explain why you left the Institutional Church & gave a summary/brief bio. And the second, would be your Blog in which you included several former pastors who after reading “Pagan Christianity” listened to the Spirit, and thanked you for speaking the Truth through the book.
Keep up your Blog. And, quite honestly, I hope you will include a few more times when you keep the comments open.
By the way, I know you are a busy man, but if you ever get a chance to “drop by” my newly created Blogpage, please do!! I’d love to receive your input/comments on my posts.
~Amy
http://amyiswalkinginthespirit.blogspot.com
Most perplexing, why God heals some people who pray in faith and others He doesn’t.
Favorite blogs. The one about Jason Bourne, that was hilarious, and the joke about the advice to the young woman. Very clever.
I just finished your new book “Reimagining Church” and it’s a masterpiece. What a book! It’s better than Pagan Christianity. I’m ordering a case this weekend.
1. Why Christians have to be either focused on “staying true to the Bible” or on social justice? Shouldn’t it be both?
2. Forgotten words of Jesus
1) How to experience God in prayer — you know, have it be real and transforming. Being ’spirit-filled’ didn’t give me much help in this area. I tried all the ‘crutches’ and nothing worked for me.
2) Why I left the Institution… was great. Having heard a condensed version of it at one of your conferences I was enthralled to read the rest- as well as Don Francisco’s comments!
I want to know why God’s Ultimate Passion is unavailable! I loaned out my copy and want another! It was a profound spiritual experience reading that book, even though I was already familiar with most of the ‘revelation’ in there. Please don’t let that book die!
Most perplexing thing for me is hearing God’s voice accurately for direction in my own life
My favorite blog (seems it is a popular one looking at the other comments), is “Stripping down to Christ alone: rethinking the gifts of the Spirit.” I thought this quote was especially interesting:
“Let me pass on a word of advice. If you ever hit a fork in the road with the people with whom you church, there’s one sure way that the Lord will get what He wants. Drop whatever is causing the problem, and let it go into death.
“There is nothing that we must cling to except for the Lord Jesus Christ. Nothing! So let that other thing that your group is dividing over go into death. Give it up, and watch what the Lord can do.”
Thanks Frank for your wonderful insights into the Kingdom.
Soo, wait. You haven’t had comments open thus far because you don’t want to be inundated with too many comments, and yet you won’t keep comments open unless you get a decent amount of comments? Wouldn’t you hope for a very-manageable trickle at all times?
I’m confusulated. Nonetheless – onto your questions:
I. The “Good ol’ Days” post and the “Don’t jump to conclusions” one. The first was hilarious, the second made me think.
II. The most perplexing…wow. I would have had to pick from a dozen a few years ago, but these days I’m relatively at peace. I mean, except for the whole “Why does evil exist?” question, if all reality emanates from God. There’s just a lot of pain in the world. Since I don’t buy into an escapist eschatology or a classically interventionist god, I mostly see Jesus as the suffering image of God in our midst, and us as God’s hands and feet today. But because I believe our Triune God is all, and in all, I suppose I wish that God would emerge more fully in more people on planet earth, so that divine compassion would be more self-evident. I have a poster above my office desk: “A modest proposal for peace: Let the Christians of the world agree that they will not kill each other.”
Selah.
Amen?
PS: 400 a day is plenty decent. That’s me on a good day, but usually I have about half of that. Of course Scot McKnight probably has 4,000 a day…
1. What, to your mind, is the most perplexing thing about God and/or the Christian life? Just give 1 please — the “most” perplexing.
Answer: How to love unconditionally!
2. What are your top two favorite blog posts on this blog?
Answer: The Church as a Family: A touching example. ( A very interesting insight)
Comments and Experiment(I always love to hear what others are thinking)
Most perplexing thing: Why don’t we have (real) miracles today like when the original apostles were here? If they needed the show of God’s power, don’t we need it just as much?
Favorite posts: The one about the coin collectors and, as someone else said, this one because I finally get to ask a question (see above).
Cindy
1. I still have trouble comprehending the road that leads to life is narrow, and very few find it. Why would God keep His creation going if only a few find Him?
2. Stripping down to Christ alone, and your personal journey for leaving the institution church.
1. The most perplexing thing to me is the paradox of God’s will for our lives. “Was that a mistake, or was that just God working in my life?”
2. Rethinking the Gifts of the spirit and “Why I left the IC”
I can relate so much to rethinking the gifts of the spirit. Searching for the expression of authentic gifts has been a quest not discovered. Just find Jesus!
Most perplexing: How to live by faith and not “doing” whatever. I find it much easier for someone to tell me what to “do”.
Favorite blogs: I have just gotten started looking first time on.
The most perplexing thing about the Christian life for me is the ease with which I can lose focus on Christ and get caught up in other concerns.
My favorite blog post is “Stripping Down to Christ Alone.”
1) If we let “perplexity” be defined as what subject we would like to see Frank Viola or others tackle next, for me it would be addressing issues about how “we cannot say we love God and pass by our hungry neighbor.” With the normal definition of perplexity, I find myself not so much perplexed over spiritual issues but either disappointed or in awe. A disappointment I have is shared with a previous comment in the response section about “how can andindwelt
people of God come up with so much junk?” I’m in awe of the created universe where it is said that a grain of sand held at arm’s length covers a portion of the sky which contains 3,000 galaxies as observable by the most powerful telescope.
2) Regarding my top two favorite blog posts, I give both my votes to Frank’s entry from August 6, 2008 on “Stripping down to Christ alone: rethinnking the gifts of the Holy Spirit.” That blog post strikes me as an outline for a new chapter in a future revision of Frank’s book “Re-imagining the Church.”
This is a really cool idea. I hope a lot of people respond so that you do this again.
I’m perplexed about the problem of evil in the world. I’ve never heard a good answer to that.
I really like all your posts, but the one I loved most was the one about the missing coin. Things aren’t always as they seem, are they? I’ve been wrongly judged many times in my life by other Christians so I could identify with it. I really liked the joke about the Italian and the garden too.
My husband and I love your new book. I think it’s your best yet.
The most perplexing thing about this Christian life, to me, is that it all can pretty much be deduced down to two options. I can A) Live by the spirit or B) Live according to the flesh. If we all based every decision that we make and endeavor that we undertake on this reality alone, all we would do would be so cut and dry. Although it is complex in nature, it is really quite simple when it all boils down to the realities of Godly living.
What is my favorite blog post of yours thus far? This is my first time here. I’ll get back to ya.
My most perplexing thoughts right now about Christianity surround the idea of healing. I know it exists. I believe God can still raise from the dead and grow back limbs. But everyone with faith does not get healed. This has caused so much division within the churches and “Christians” judge other Christians based on this more than most other issues. How “healed” we are seems to be a measure of our “faith”…
My favorite blogposts are the Stripping Down to Christ Alone post and the one with all the Italian jokes… I love all the valuable information in your blog, but I also enjoyed getting a bit of your fun personality as well!
Thanks for what you’re doing!
The most perplexing or frustrating thing for me is how two can walk together unless they are agreed. For instance, in a marriage it is a blessing if the two can share one vision and one purpose although that is not usually the case. I understand in the Church the enemy and self is the source of confusion, disunity and contrary interests (same in a marriage)but how can we come together as one without sharing the same vision and purpose. It seems impossible. And perhaps that is just it we need to come together as one sharing the same focus. What is impossible with man is possible with God.
Stripping down to Christ Alone and the Italian Joke.
Hi Frank. I just want to say that I really love your blog. So many of your posts have ministered to me and touched my heart.
What I find most confusing is how Christians can gossip about one another and tear each other down so easily. It’s like they really don’t love each other even though Jesus taught us to love. Your blogs “Anyway” and “Forgotten Words of Jesus” were my favorites because they deal with the root of this I think. I just finished the first part of your new book and I’m lovin’ it. Please keep writing.
1. How a person can hunger for real community, have God show him so many deep spiritual truths about Himself and His Kingdom and that person still misses authentic church year after year after year…until recently! I could not see why so many churches who claimed to love God and follow God were not producing people who acted like Jesus. Now I’m beginning to understand.
2. You don’t blog as much as some other bloggers (I can’t imagine how busy you must be!) My favorite blog was the one about Stripping down to Christ. As someone who is coming from the other side of the gift issue, we are meeting in the middle and arriving at the same conclusion. Finished “Reimagining Church” 2 weeks ago. Keep writing books (Even if you can’t allow comments on your blog). You’re an encoragement to many.
Most Perplexing: why the Bible can be interpreted so many ways by so many different Christians. Why wasn’t it written in a way that everyone could understand it the same?
Favorite Posts: The Dangers of God’s Favor Part 1 and 2.
I’m trying to order your new book Reimagining Church, but Amazon says it’s out of stock. That’s strange if it’s a new book release. Do you know when they’ll have it in stock?
My most perplexing issue is Christians with questions who when answered correctly (and there are right answers) want to argue or prove some point they secretly hold.
I guess another is Christians with answers that have never pursued God with all their heart and soul for more than day.
Most perplexing thing? Is how God can shower so much grace on so many people who are continually getting it wrong and haven’t a clue…ie. the institutional church. I can’t currently stand to go–I see the paganism (haven’t even read your book yet, but I’m ordering it) and the methods and it makes me nauseous…yet, I know God still shows up there Sunday after Sunday and moves and works and touches lives because that is where people are at on their journey..and most ready to hear God I guess. It baffles me though. I’m such a crusader–if I were God–I’d totally ignore them so they’d get a clue. But God’s grace with all that over the centuries, blows my mind. I’m just longing for the day when Yeshua sets it all right.
The blog-tries I enjoyed the most were the Pastors Weigh in on Pagan Christianity letters. I find it pretty amazing how so many pastors are saying that they knew in their hearts that the book was right on. This surprised me.
I look forward to reading your new book. Pagan Christianity left me wanting more.
I’m not sure if I can follow the rules. I’ll try. I am not accustomed to blogs with rules.
1. Unanswered prayer, the problem of suffering, the lack signs and wonders in the lives of believers are all topics that continue to perplex me.
2. I have enjoyed each of your post and can only imagine how interesting it would have been to read the responses to the specific topics. For example, it sounds like there would have been great discussion on the Stripping Down post.
Wherever your time is best spent, you are a gift to the Body. Blessings to you.
I want to thank you for making that rule. I’ve been on so many blogs where I get tired of reading the comments because they just go in every direction except on the topic. So it’s a good idea that you’ve got here. I was just reading your article on leaving the legacy church over at the Ooze and got sick of reading the comments because they’re now talking about everything except the article.
I’m perplexed by cancer. What causes it and how do we treat it? All your posts were great to read because they are so untypical. I like the mixture of humor and spiritual topics. Always makes me think. Keep it coming.
The two things that constantly perplex me about God and the Christian Life are 1) God and 2) Christians. That may be cheating in coming up with an answer, but it’s absolutely true!
I laughed harder at your paizon garden-digging joke than anything ever online.
And I thought your story about the *two* rare coins was a practical gem for the ages. That one I deeply appreciated.
If God created us to commune with Him and with one another, and one day we will be in heaven and/or the new earth in that perfect communion, why do we need the intervening “now” with competing religions, wars, struggles, diseases, etc.? If the eternity-future is without pain and suffering and crying and shame (like the eternity-past was), then why do we have to go through all this crap now?
I am one of those pastors who left the institutional church because I could not stomach taking a salary. Was bi-vocational for a while, but now I own a business and am working through the adjustment from the institutional church to the new testament church.
Best blog was the one on spiritual gifts.
May God
1.) How something so important to me that is encapsulated by love and leads to an obviously better lifestyle than how most people live can seem insignificant and undesirable in the eyes of non-believers.
2) This is the first thing I have read on this website…but I’m definitely going to look up some of the blogs mentioned by Viola’s dedicated readers =0)
I’m most perplexed by the reality of God’s Spirit and the flesh coexisting in a saint. What vile evil next to extraordinary love I see within myself.
You’re an encouragement brother!
Okay…I’ll play by the rules.
I am most perplexed by His goodness…, especially in the midst of my ‘not so goodness’.
My two favorite posts of yours are this one, and the one about N.T. Wright.
1) The most perplexing thing about Christian Life, to me, is how some can be engaged with others who are seeking Jesus Christ, agree that He is their center, say that they would “Die for Him” and then leave the Body of Jesus Christ with a letter that does not explain anything but tells you not to contact them about why they are leaving.
2) Two favorite blog posts, on your site, are:
Comments are Open This Weekend – An Experiement (good idea)
&
Things Aren’t Always What They Seem (Truth)
Thank you for allowing the comments. I am a member of a portion of the Body that meets in Arlington, Texas. We would love to hear from you and have you out at some point.
Although I had trouble reading your more scholastical writings, in the past, your blog is terrific.
Hope to meet you in this realm, Annette of Jesus
Thanks for opening up the lines this weekend. I just heard the interviews with you and George Barna and you guys are hilarious. This doesn’t come through in Pagan Christianity? at all so it surprised me.
I’m perplexed by how Christians can be so insensitive to one another and not care about hurting them.
I really liked the blog about God’s favor. I know several ministers that used to have it but it left them. I also liked the joke about seasoned advice.
1. Most perplexing thing about the Christian life is how we can be so afraid of sharing the Lord, sharing Jesus together in all we do! I can regrettably count deep conversations centred on Jesus’ awesome love on my two hands – most of them with myself (work in progress)! Lord – help us to know and trust You together.
2. What are your top two favorite blog posts on this blog?
Stripping Down to Christ, and all your blogs that reveal Christ supreme, central and provide practical advice on how to share Him together – so we will all be built up into Him!
Be richly blessed! Thank you Frank
Hey Frank, thanks for being so available. Your question and answers page has been such a great asset for me and my friends who are reading your books. It’s uncommon for an author to do this, so thanks on behalf of all of us who read your books.
I’m glad you allowed comments this weekend and hope you’ll do it in the future. It’s cool seeing what other people have to say who are reading your work.
What bothers me about being a Christian is how followers of Jesus can be so unkind to each other. I don’t like religious judgmental Christians. It’s so unlike Jesus. My favorite posts were the one’s on God’s favor and the book review on The Shack was the best I’ve seen so far. Short and to the point.
Thanks for opening up comments.
The most perplexing thing in Christianity for me is how such blatant hypocrisy and mind-numbingly bleak darkness can pervade what God has began, and how God has allowed it to continue this far. I know that through the darkness God will reveal Himself and all, but in the meantime the extent to which we humans are capable of twisting divine truth and/or manipulating God’s presence is inconcievable.
My favorite blog post of yours (the others are all equally good!) was the one about the book by NT Wright called Surprised by Hope. I will definitely have to buy that now.
Thank you for all that you do.
Justin Jas. Fowler
1. The most perplexing thing for me is that I have somewhat of an understanding that I had nothing to offer Jesus Christ when I answered his heart desire for me to turn to Him, and that He wanted me anyway. That is unlike myself. Perplexing, but I receive it!
2. I loved ‘Why I left the institutional church’ because it was a good part of your personal story, and I enjoyed the blog about the Italian mafia…from my family background, I was able to have a good chuckle myself from that.
1. Most perplexing thing about the Christian life?
Hands down, the most perplexing thing about Christian life is Life in Christ. It is so deep and amazing and mysterious and so I just don’t see the point in any conception which tames and domesticates Christ and the Eucharistic Life of Praise and Thanksgiving hid with Christ inside of God. What more initmate relationship can one conceive of than to be plunged into the Body of Christ and then to be given that Body to take into your own body. There is no relationship deeper and closer that being inside of being inside of you, Being which is Life itself, which heals the deteriorated brokenness of the fabric of the cosmos threatened by the power of sin and death.
2. What are your top two favorite blog posts on this blog?
http://frankviola.wordpress.com/2008/08/06/stripping-down-to-christ-alone-rethinking-the-gifts-of-the-spirit/
http://frankviola.wordpress.com/2008/08/13/surprised-by-hope-by-nt-wright/
1) The most perplexing thing about the Christian life to me at the moment is how difficult it is to find a church who functions as described in your books/conferences.
2) Just discovered your blog, so I don’t have an anwser to question 2 yet. I plan to check out your blog perdiodically though.
Have been tremendously encouraged by you (conference) and 2 of your books (pagan christianity? and God’s ultimate plassion). Plan to read your latest book soon.
Most perplexing: How can God possibly put up with us? I know the answer; his love for us, and his end goal of creating a family (his pearl of great price) who he can share himself with. But it still blows my mind.
Favorite posts are:
(#1) Your take on rethinking the gifts of the spirit. Reading it made me wonder if you were channeling my musings/ frustrations/ concerns, and I didn’t have to do any of the heavy lifting. Now when I want to let someone know what I’ve concluded on this topic, I can simply point to it and say, “What he said.” That’s always a good sign to me of a fellow traveler.
(#2) Your “identification” with Jason Bourne and the songs you like, because you were candid and somewhat vulnerable in an area many people have strong negative opinions. I know something about you now that I didn’t know before (or at lease I think I do), and it’s not that you’re brain-damaged or like music by Moby or Kendall Payne. It’s that you have a sense of humor and probably look at then entirety of God’s creation as something that’s fundamentally good, something we can and should enjoy. If I’m right, it’s another common thread between us.
Pax,
Andy
Most perplexing is the contradictions in the Bible. Favorites blogs are the interesting exchange and the Sweet Music glory days one.
Loved “Reimagining Church.” It was a lot better than I anticipated.
Hey Frank,
Long time no see.
The most perplexing thing(s) about Christianity, sorry I’m gonna cheat. Kind of.
The most perplexing thing about Christianity to me are the contradictions that are held within god. In the old testament we are presented with an irascible and often violent god, in the New (and sometimes old) Testament we are presented with the patience of Jesus and titled like Prince of Peace. We are presented with a God who cannot be known or seen face to face, but who also walks with Adam and eats dinner with Abraham. We are presented with a God who refuses to tell Abraham his name and doesn’t like to be defined, yet he came as a man who cared for and had compassion for the sick and the outcast.. who touched lepers with his very hands. A god who is n/ever present. This is perplexing, fascinating, frustrating and sometimes beautiful.
I liked the post about the guys in the country club and the coin.
Micah
Most perplexing thing about the Christian Life/God…..Jesus could ask the Father to raise the dead but His prayer for us to be one like They are one is yet to be seen. Dead corpses are easier for him to deal with than our live egos.
Favorite Blogs: Why I left the institutional Church and Seasoned Advice
I have just been discovering organic/simple church in the last 4 months or so. I have been devouring everything I can read, listen to or people to talk with. Thank you! I am sure you are satisfying many other hungry hearts with fresh bread.
1. How will we be able to be happy in heaven knowing that so many people we knew and loved are in hell for eternity?
2. Stripping Down to Christ Alone; Rethinking the Gifts of the Spirit and Why I left the Institutional Church
Hey Frank,
This is an ideal use for comments. It makes having comments open special. My suggestion…do exactly what you’re doing now. Leave comments closed, then occasionally open them when you want feedback.
Jon
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