A Communion of Bloggers

Introduction
I suppose this first entry should be something by way of an introduction, though if you are reading this, my hunch is that you were prompted by an email of mine and already know me quite well. But for all you careless typers who were actually searching for Janet Jackson or Debra Lafave and got me instead (my sincere apologies), allow me an introduction . . .

My name is Jackson Lashier and I live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with my beautiful wife Julie (who may be asked to contribute from time to time - people generally find her more interesting). I was born and raised in Iowa and did not consider leaving until a call to ministry brought me to Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. It was there that, among other things, I met my future wife, some amazing friends and mentors, and felt a change in my calling, one to teaching. So it is that we now find ourselves in Milwaukee (from the tobacco and gambling capital to the beer capital) where I am currently attending Marquette University pursuing a PhD in religious studies, with an emphasis in historical theology. Julie is a hospital chaplain at St. Luke's (which has more employees than the entire town of Wilmore) serving patients on the neurological floors. Though these positions might seem hellish to some, we feel that we are exactly where God has called us to be and are quite excited as we stand on the precipice of this journey.

I begin this blog at the prompting of JD Walt, my friend and pastor, who thought that it might be interesting to log my experiences as a fledgling PhD student. While my first reaction was no, thinking my experiences would be interesting to no one - at times not even interesting to myself - it did strike me that the material I am learning and the thoughts they are provoking in me might be of interest to a few, particularly to those who, like me, are struggling to navigate faithfulness in surroundings that seem increasingly unfaithful (this comment is not directed at Marquette, but in general the world at large). So it is that I begin.

The Inspiration of the Name
The content of our Creed is fascinating to me. The Fathers were obviously selective at what they chose to include for they left out many articles of faith that we might deem crucial today - the role of Israel, the inspiration of the Scriptures, and the manner of atonement come immediately to mind. But what they did include, alongside belief in the Triune God, was this phrase: "I believe in the communion of saints." What this suggests to me is that, equally important to belief in a God who is three-in-one is belief in a living community of followers. We do not, in other words, come to saving and sanctifying knowledge of God outside of a community.

For those, like me, who seem to stumble more often than not, Christ in this community is really our only hope to becoming more like the God who created us. But too often, I think, we limit that community to the people we see, that is those we see every Sunday (or whenever your Christian community meets). This is unfortunate because, not only is our true community spread across all nations of this earth, but it is spread across the last 2000 years. And there are countless ones who have gone before us, struggling to live the faithful life in much the same conditions which now face us, whose wisdom is invaluable for our growth.

The Intent of this Blog
The hope that I have in establishing this blog is to begin a conversation with my fellow bloggers about the "Holy Mysteries," a term which covers, not only all theological and doctrinal truths, in other words, "orthodoxy", but also how we live faithfully in response to these beliefs, in other words, "orthopraxis." I hope to bring in conversation partners from the early centuries of the church and I invite others to do the same. I will do my best to be a regular poster, as schoolwork will often dictate, and I look forward to any comments I may receive. May we experience communion, not only with each other, but with the saints through the ages, who knew what it was to truly see God.