"progressive Christian" May Come Closest To My Beliefs

[Randall Wehler]

I have been a "member" of a Christian church all of my life, growing up in a Presbyterian congregation, then affiliating with the ELCA denonination, then allying with a community bible-based church (awfully fundamentalistic), then returning to an ELCA church where I am a member. Sometime after my father's death in 2011, I wrote a 14,000 word expressive essay or short book (3 addenda not yet completed) just before hearing Bishop Spong on 11-22-11 for the first time on Minnesota Public Radio. After that radio experience, I went to the Progressive Christianity web site for the first time, not having heard of it before. I later explored where, on-line, I could maybe send my personal essay to share with others. I decided ultimately to have it printed in booklet form by Lakeside Press of Willmar, Minnesota. It is titled, "Personal Spirituality and Biblical Christianity: Complementary, Conflictual, or Otherwise?" and given out to family, friends, some pastors I've known, and interested others. I see many parallels in comparing the basics of Progressive Christianity with my printed words. I'm wondering if certain others on this message board may be interested (I do have it available to send on-line at no cost). I know I'm only one voice in the spiritual choir of God-seeking people.

 

Randall W.

[AnnieG]

Randall,

 

Welcome to the forum. Your essay sounds interesting. I also grew up attending a conservative Presbyterian church. If you want to share your writing, you could maybe put a link in the 'resources' section, or excerpts in the 'personal stories/ journeys' area.

 

Annie

[PaulS]

Welcome Randall,

 

I hope you enjoy and participate in the forum here.

 

I would appreciate a link to your essay if that is possible.

 

Cheers

Paul

[GeorgeW]

Randall, Welcome. I too hope you will join the discussions in our forum.

 

George

[JosephM]

Welcome Randall,

 

You are not among strangers to your experience. Glad you found us and a link to your writing if you have it on the web, would be fine under the "General Resources and Links" forum section of this site.

 

Joseph

[Randall Wehler]

My appreciation to Annie G, Paul S, George W, and Joseph M for responding. I am new to the discussions/forums format (haven't even used one before). Don't know if about 14,000 words in a single file can be posted for those who may be interested (I see something about a 25K limit and I don't know what that translates into). I may be able to get a neighbor's help down the road here to upload the entire booklet file if that is permitted. I am a computer non-sophisticate, so please excuse me if things take awhile to figure out. My essay says, in large part, who I am and I am most interested in engaging in future discussions. I see I must have "signed up" in May, but my mother's health went downhill after that and she died this summer. After a large number of post-death matters, I am now in a better position to become engaged on line with others. First things first -- does anyone have information to offer on the file uploading concern?

 

Randall W

[Randall Wehler]

Welcome Randall,

 

You are not among strangers to your experience. Glad you found us and a link to your writing if you have it on the web, would be fine under the "General Resources and Links" forum section of this site.

 

Joseph

[Randall Wehler]

The cyber world is a learning experience. My thanks to JosephM (11/14 Resources and Links response). I don't have a web site to access, so I may be left with asking those interested in my thoughts (in essay form) to send me a U.S. Mail note and if there's an email address listed that I can send the booklet to, I will certainly obligue. If you folks see that as O.K., I could place my home address in a posting (but I don't know how acceptable that would be). I read something about not giving an email address on a site such as this. My essay is certainly not the "beat all, end all" pieces of work, but I have been encouraged by one of the Progressive Christianity Honorary Advisers (to whom I U.S.-mailed a printed book) to make mention of it.

 

Randall W.

[JosephM]

Randall,

 

You can create a free website easily for storage of your essays or writings HERE. You will have to sign up for a free gmail email account first but it is really not that difficult.. Then all you have to do is give the link out to those you wish to access for download or to print or view your files..

Its really quite easy if all you want is storage for your writings.

Joseph

[Randall Wehler]

Randall,

 

You can create a free website easily for storage of your essays or writings HERE. You will have to sign up for a free gmail email account first but it is really not that difficult.. Then all you have to do is give the link out to those you wish to access for download or to print or view your files..

Its really quite easy if all you want is storage for your writings.

Joseph

 

Joseph,

 

Thanks for the information. I've tried a handful of times to get into what is offered, by my computer experience deficiency remains a barrier to me. It's gonna be awhile on this matter -- if I get there at all and if I can enlist the help of someone.

 

Randall W

[Randall Wehler]

I'm working at getting the essay available and have contacted a local computer consultation group -- no response from them yet. That way, readers may get to know some of my thoughts and some dialogue may occur.

 

Randall W

[Randall Wehler]

Have not had any luck getting a local computer consultation/project group to take on a small project like posting an essay on a free google web site. I don't have the skills, but I've called a neighbor down the road who works daily with computers at his job site and I told his wife I'd set up a time after the holiday season to hopefully accomplish this.

 

Randall W

[Randall Wehler]

I think my essay-to-share is now available for others who have an interest in reading it (and perhaps responding). I can find it by clicking on HERE (in blue) per #9/Joseph M above, clicking on Spirit and Person (blue color), then clicking on PSBC (blue color), then finally clicking on View (blue color). I am informed by my computer that the web address is https://sites.google.com/site/spiritandperson/

 

Now, I hope I've done it correctly!!

 

My regards -- Randall W

[Randall Wehler]

I found out that clicking on the first address may get you there -- not the case for the second attempt to list the full address. Admittedly, computers are a big baffle to me --why I cannot get the full address listed perplexes me!!!

 

Randall W

 

P.S. 'Nuf said.

[PaulS]

Thanks Randall,

 

I look forward to reading your essay.

 

Cheers

Paul