One of the problems of formal, prescriptive Bible studies is that, frequently, they mooooooooooove

soooooooooooo

slooooooooooowly

“I Do It My Way,” based upon the Steve Henderson original painting, Cadence. Cadence also available as a licensed print at Great Big Canvas, iCanvasART, and Framed Canvas Art.

through the Scriptures, focusing on one or two verses at a time and haranguing the poor words until they collapse, exhausted, and pant out,

“That’s all I’ve got to say. Honestly. Please read the next sentence.”

And while some of the Apostle Paul’s written creations, which translated into English appear to incorporate every preposition available, do bear reading, and re-reading, and re-re-reading, this doesn’t mean that we have to approach the entire Bible this way.

Questioning conventionality, and the way things are generally done, doesn’t necessarily mean that we’re being obstreperous and difficult. After all, Jesus’s whole ministry involved going against societal — and man made — norms. If you find yourself questioning things and being made to feel guilty about it, please read the rest at Questioning Convention: It’s Part of Growth at my Commonsense Christianity blog, BeliefNet.