My anabaptist leanings are strong, yet tempered by the concern that the ethic of discipleship tends to remove folks from society, particularly when they're infused with a strong holiness ethos (prominent in both charismatic and evangelical Christianity). Jesus didn't disengage from his society, so following him shouldn't necessarily lead to such disengagement, but this tends to happen, and frequently. As such, I appreciate the counter-example of Pilgrim Marpeck, both for his life and his theological approach.
One extension of Marpeck's incarnational logic that i found helpful was his extension of the sacramental character of the Christian life. The entirety of life is related to the following of Jesus, and God isn't absent from the mundane, yet vital, elements of life. When we take this into consideration, spiritual direction becomes a viable approach to everyday life, and the enacted barriers between 'christian' activity and 'the stuff of life' begin to dissolve. We then can begin to make the connections between our daily activities and God's activity in our lives, and mundane conversation can take on meaning. Here's where I'm guilty of missing the point; i tend to make those connections internally, and assume the same on all counts, but don't articulate as much. As such, none of life appears to be infused with divine energy, when the reality is that all of it is, and that 'hanging out with a friend' is actually an extension of discipleship. Got a story behind this, but little time to spare, so i may expand on this in the comments if there's sufficient interest.
For now, my adieu to the blog comes alongside a resolve to be more diligent with my mid-week postings, so as not to have a long stretch of inactivity followed by a burst of creative energy. That's not the rhythm i want to cultivate, but the ever-present 'deadline-driven' mindset. After twenty years of education, i have yet to shake it...
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