Matt noticed that he sometimes has been bored re-reading familiar passages of the Bible. If it's the Word of God, why do we sometimes get bored?

Getting bored is common and not necessarily wrong.

Evangelical, charismatic churches emphasize experience.

How do we reconcile the benefit of reading scripture with the reality that many people will read scripture and make theological errors?

The goal of life is to live well. To live well is to be fully human.

At least part of being human is "made in the image of God".

Sin is uncreation, failing to live up to fully human, failing to live as an image-bearer.

Suffering undoes the effects of failing to be human.

Humans are not primarily rational creatures.

Archetypes are super-rational. Stories are super-rational. Political campaigns are not contests of reason, they are competing stories.

No one can apprehend all the facts. You can't be informed enough to vote rationally.

Humans desire the transcendent, above the rational. Religion is about find the transcendent. Dante's Comedy is about going up to the transcendent.

Upcoming project from Ben: "Dante: The Prophet of the West" - a prophet to the post-moderns

Encountering the transcendent turns your life inside out.

Steps to living well

1. Take responsibility
2. Live a life of ritual fulfillment
3. Transcend beyond yourself
4. Care for what has been given you
5. Make the world a better place

Humans are liturgical creatures. Everyone is liturgical; evangelical Christians have set orders for church services--liturgy.

You don't need to be blown away when reading God's Word, just like you don't need to be blown away every day by your husband or wife. Love is instead a daily faithfulness.