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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>J,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>You Wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Jesus is the true example of tolerance of those that Pharisees like
Doug are too busy putting down and looking down his nose at - such as the
Samaritan woman at the well, the tax collectors, lepers, etc. Seems to
me, it would bode Doug better if he'd just step down off of his high chair long
enough to understand that there are many different, yet just as honest and
devout ways to worship God.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Me:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>I was following you, but then you threw me off at the end a little
regarding the different ways to worship God. It is true that when God
became man and expressed his beauty, love, and gentleness like never before
that he was set in strong contrast with the religious leader’s scrupulous
concern about Mosaic death penalties, doctrinal fine points, self-righteous
taunting, and the like. Jesus indeed went and fellowshipped with a
Samaritan woman, tax gathers, lepers, and prostitutes. And he did so as a
loving instructor, not as a witty polemist or a worked up hell and fire
evangelist. However, the end result was always a challenge to follow him
or not. And what does it mean to follow him?: The prostitute poured her perfume
on Jesus, the lepers were healed, the Samaritan woman was instructed precisely
on what the true worship of God consists in—Spirit and truth. So
when you speak of different ways to worship God, are you referring to Jesus explaining
that the worship of the Father through him to the entire world? Or are
you suggesting that Jesus gives us no instruction in how to worship him?
I’m concerned we might sometimes confuse condemnation from conservatives (who
sometimes like to dream about how the civil penalty against adulteresses will
look like in the golden age) from a true gospel call to be healed, give your
finest perfume, take on his easy yoke. We can reject the Christian Right and
yet still distinguish what the true worship of God is. Does this make
sense? <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Michael Metzler<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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