Progressive Angst

Published: May 3, 2010, 6:09 a.m.

Geno Sisneros a staff member at St Matthew's and a student at Auckland University School of Theology explores the disturbing angst he has experienced as his beliefs shifted from those of his upbringing as a Pentecostal to being a card-carrying Progressive Christian.\n\n"I am reminded today of Jesus\u2019 words in Matthew\u2019s Gospel, \u201cAsk, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.\u201d[ii]\nIn the non-canonical Gospel of Thomas, Jesus adds this disclaimer, he says, "Those who seek should not stop seeking until they find. When they find, they will be disturbed [\u2026]\u201d[iii]\n \nAnd disturbed I was. I begin to strip away the layers of literalism that formed my understanding of the Jesus message."\n\nText and video links at http://www.stmatthews.org.nz/nav.php?sid=535&id=1063.