What Was I Hoping For the After Reading This Book?

Loved the ending, the plot, and the characterization. However, Grits, did you think that Richard P. Belcher got us any closer to deciding on an eschatological viewpoint? I am not sure he did.

Belcher's Suspense

As important as Bible prophecy might be, it is not an essential and major doctrine of the church. . . . Believers must also learn to major on the major doctrines and minor on the minor doctrines, and never major on the minors nor minor on the majors.

This is what the lead character notes on page 31 as he has been asked to write a book about eschatology. The plot also includes a search for his birth parents. In the preface Belcher also calls for eschatological caution and "Christ-like humility towards others with whom we may not agree."

The discussion last January at the beginning of the blog left too many questions. Now I have wanted all year to be able to approach this subject with both humility and objectivity. All the vews claim to be biblical. Which one is right? Continuing to study with humility is right--of that I am certain.

I will be very curious to see what Rev. Ira Pointer, Jr., the lead character of Belcher's theological novels,  discovered along with finding out who is the real Ira Pointer, Sr., his absent father.

GRITS, you jumped ahead and finished the novel. You just couldn't put it down. I am half-way done and would have finished except I was waitng for you.

The Problem and Challenge of Studying Eschatology

So GRITS and I are going to travel Richard P. Belcher's theological novel, A Journey to Eschatology. It can be obtained from http://www.richbarrypress.com/ and is a JourneyBook Part One. Ira Pointer, who also was the main character in A Journey in Grace which we both have read, goes on a search for his real father and is forced to deal with the topic.

In the preface Belcher writes: "The study of eschatology (the doctrine of final things) may very well be the most difficult of the various areas of theological study! . . . Be assured that this is not a call for eschatological agnosticism, but a call for eschatological caution. This is that we study eschatology with a painstaking carefulness, a cautious deliberateness, a meticulous attentiveness to details, along with a Christ-like humility towards others with whom we may not agree." p. i and p. iii

Music and Styles of Worship

I long to hear an old fashioned TN gospel quartet. Maybe I will have to visit another church at a time when when my Reformed church doesn't meet. Maybe I can hear a men's quartet sing "I'm On the Battlefield for My Lord" or some other favorite of mine I rarely hear.

You know though, I don't always aprreciate an endless round of  praise choruses. We went to a relative's church and there was one hour of standing, moving, clapping and singing to the projected songs. People came forward to pray with men and women in the front during the praise singing. The pastor's wife who is also a pastor apparently led us in the singing. The prosperity gospel. Prophecy for the New Year, etc. No confession, communion, but lots of hype. I missed a solid hymn with solid theology. Some Scripture was in the husband-pastor's sermon but he also quipped "When was the last time you laid hands on someone?" For  fight???!  Not my kind of worship and church, but we loved being with this relative.