If I never read another word of scripture again (which won't be the case) I will still have probably read and studied more than most people would in two lifetimes. I was an avid student and teacher of scripture for many years and even have a lot of scripture memorized (even the whole book of Philippians). I think scripture is valuable and still read it at times but not on a regular schedule. There came a point where I had made an idol out of scripture and was turning it into something that it wasn't meant to be. In addition I think most people read scripture without taking original language and historical context into consideration and end up doing a lot of damage to themselves and others by not understanding the message.

Carol - Thank you for writing this. Following Jesus is difficult and very costly and yet it remains so compelling and attractive to me that I continue to attempt to live into the way of Jesus. You said: "I start here: I am a fallen, broken person, jealously loyal to my own ideas, selfishly committed to my own ways of seeing, in need of a hand of grace to help me stand free of the misguided assumptions that hold me hostage, that whisper I’m somehow of more value than those others not like me." I think that is a great place to start each day and so I am going to print that out and put it where I can see it and read it each morning.

Jeremy - This IS beautiful. I have never thought about Jesus and his impact in just this way and yet I have often thought that there is something universal about the work and activity of Christ. Is there someone (author?, theologian?, speaker?) that led you to this idea? I would love to delve into this concept deeper.

I'm just now getting around to reading the posts for the synchroblog. Like you my perspective of what it means to follow Jesus has changed over the years and like you I assume it will continue to evolve. I particularly liked the way you emphasized that as good and right and helpful as Christian practices can be they themselves or the practice of them is not "following Jesus"

Travis - I was guilty of putting Jesus on the backburner for years - it was what was modeled for me and I followed. I think if we ever manage to keep Jesus at the top of our list the other stuff pretty much falls into place.