I don’t see how any Believer can have a view on Creation besides Genesis 1 and it’s CLEAR explanation of the 6-day account of creation. The Sabbath is for rest on the 7th day, when God rested, as outlined in Exodus 20.

All opposing theories will fall flat on their face – our God created man from the dust of the earth – He breathed life into us and not another. Let the truth resound!

Your stated that you were “overzealous and so excited that I came off arrogant and proud.”

So was your last posting.

Dan

I encourage you get in contact with Mr. Lenhart and follows Matthew 18. Go to a brother!

YOU WROTE “Though we may not agree on whether it is Biblical, it seems we can agree that the haughty manner in which its ideas were presented made it even more difficult for some readers to swallow.”

I ACTUALLY WROTE “Is it possible that the teaching is Modeling God are biblical but how it was communicated came off arrogant and heretical? Maybe it was the terminology?”

I never stated nor am I stating now that I agree or believe that Modeling God is presented in a “haughty” manner nor “difficult to swallow.” I asked a question if Modeling God “CAME OFF” arrogant and heretical…meaning that’s how you felt when reading it? Have you ever been rebuked by someone when you were wrong, but at first you defended and justified yourself? Did you feel like they were arrogant for rebuking you? Do you think that just as you took my words and twisted them that maybe you have done the same while reading Modeling God. It’s interesting to see how people’s brains work…especially when it’s in writing.

Do you believe God told you to write this post? And if so do you believe he would have you write it before going to Lenhart? Matthew 18. Because the book is published does that make it ok to not do the Matthew 18 process of going to a brother first?

-nathaniel

Still, I am convinced that “Modeling God” contradicts tried and true understandings of Biblical faith, which is why I wrote this review. Since it’s a published, freely available book, I felt it was appropriate for me to respond in this manner. Of course, my critiques can themselves be critiqued, and I am certainly open to further discussion with you or even Mr. Lenhart himself.

I agree most of all with your concluding sentiment: that it isn’t only about whether one’s ideas are correct, but also the way we present those ideas to others. You ask if it’s possible that the real problem with Modeling God isn’t that it’s un-Biblical, but that it was written in an arrogant way. Though we may not agree on whether it is Biblical, it seems we can agree that the haughty manner in which its ideas were presented made it even more difficult for some readers to swallow.

Again, thanks for writing, and may we all be blessed as we seek to know God more fully.

He was clearly apart of the Jesus movement and has taught me a lot about how important our “story” is and how important relationships are…I realized in the same way he, and many people in his generation, are touched by emotional connections and hearing about the weakness and humbleness of christians, that that has caused my generation to grow up questioning who was acting and who was for real. In the same way that he had felt God in a very real way through talking about the pain in someone’s story and how the story of Jesus brought them through to be redeemed, I realized that me, and much of my generation, are also touched in a very real way, but in much more through God making sense. We as humans are more than just emotional and more than just Intellectual, we’re actually, mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical. No one part of use should be more or less…shouldn’t we be pushing into God in all of those areas? If the pendulum continues to swing, then my children will wonder if christians are ever emotional and gravitate towards and emotional connection with God.

My questions to you is HOW? HOW do you balance?

It’s interesting seeing the connect between a Manhattan Blog and a Wisconsin Pastor. In some way I almost feel responsible. I had lived in Brooklyn, NY, for about a year and learned a lot about what I believe and why. Much of what I learned was through trying to teach a few friends of mine what I had learned in Modeling God. It was an exciting time to feel like God could make sense…i wanted to tell everyone! The hard part was HOW i attempted telling others what I had discovered. I was overzealous and so excited that I came off arrogant and proud. To this day I wish I could go back and change HOW i tried to explain what I believed. I ended up getting “removed from my community” the day before I left the city. Unfortunately my best friend that I had been teaching what I believe was left to feel the displaced pain. She lost all of her friends and was removed from the community as well. I fear that HOW i communicated what i believed may have been part of the cause.

Is it possible that the teaching is Modeling God are biblical but how it was communicated came off arrogant and heretical? Maybe it was the terminology?

Have either of you (Tim and Author of Post) approached Lenhart via Matthew 18?

Sincerely

Nathaniel W. Swokowski