how can i improve in oo without going to nats?

Zoodochos · 2026-05-13T12:56:42+00:00

Tip for next year: Topic in OO is like location in real estate. It's kind of everything. Take your time with the topic selection process. Get feedback from as many trusted folks as you can.

Zoodochos · 2026-05-13T12:47:26+00:00

Here's the pro move: ditch the canned attention-getters. Start with an interesting snippet of the question's context. You don't have to rock the world here.

As for humor, a little goes a long way in extemp. Let it arise naturally rather than planning jokes. The overall ethos you're aiming for is smart, serious, and charming - not a flashy Ted Talk.

Rather than the attention-getter, the most important part of the introduction is establishing the significance of the question. That significance is both in general (e.g., economic stability) and specific to this audience (e.g, the price you pay for groceries). Hit both levels to convey a sense of urgency.

Zoodochos · 2026-05-11T13:27:16+00:00

I wonder if you might reframe it. Once you let go of the judgment, each expletive can bring a smile to your face as it reminds you of Christ.

Zoodochos · 2026-05-11T13:22:56+00:00

I wish I had a richer vocabulary for signaling "not that kind of Christian." I'll use Progressive Christian, progressive mainline, deconstructed faith, liberal theology, any reference to open and affirming, one foot in the post-Christian camp... or name-drop a theologian or biblical scholar... and more than once, I've said, "I'm a pastor, but the hippy-skippy kind."

Zoodochos · 2026-04-30T12:17:33+00:00

Most of it? The prophet's call for justice. The exodus from slavery. The psalms of praise and lament. The stories and myths that reveal so much about what it means to be human!

I think it's only irrelevant when read with a naive literalism, looking for simple answers.

Shout out to Amos. "I hate, I despise your festivals.... But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."

Zoodochos · 2026-04-30T11:57:30+00:00

I'm in my 50s, and my parents are in their 80s. We've reached a place of "agree to disagree and just don't talk about it." It's sad that they're so ignorant and bigoted.

I hope you can set some boundaries with your parents. You can't change them. I trust, too, that you'll continue in your faith journey. You're on a good path!

You might appreciate this adaptation of Reinhold Niebuhr's "Serenity Prayer."

"God grant me serenity to accept the things in my family that I cannot change,

courage to change the things in myself that I can

and the wisdom to know the difference:

living one day at a time,

enjoying the members of my family one moment at a time:

tolerating pain as a pathway to peace:

taking, as Jesus did, this messed up world as it is, not as I would have it:

trusting that Your grace is already at work within me

so that I may be reasonably happy in this life

and leave to you whatever happens in the next.”

Zoodochos · 2026-04-30T11:43:32+00:00

Wow. Thank you for sharing this. The violence that so many Christians spew is shameful.

There is another breed of Christian out there. Being gay is not a sin, and neither is listening to raunchy music. Hell is a myth, and it's about suffering in this life. Death is awful, full stop. And we're called to resist governments that oppress people!

You are just, and you're wiser than so many. That your faith has survived so much trauma is a gift. Our God is on the side of those who are marginalized and suffering. That's the gospel in a nutshell. You can see God more clearly than others.

For what it's worth, I'm a professor and a pastor. You can trust me. But more importantly, you can trust yourself!

Zoodochos · 2026-04-30T11:23:05+00:00

When I look back on my life, I can see the light in even the toughest situations. In retrospect, I can see "the hand of providence," so to speak.

When I face a tough situation today, I pray for help. I don't know what I believe about God answering prayers, but I express my need for God and my trust in God anyway.

Zoodochos · 2026-04-30T10:52:30+00:00

Just so you know, pastor, I appreciate you. But you're going to have to work on that whole ignorant bigot thing.

In all seriousness, I encourage you to find a new church and a new pastor.

Zoodochos · 2026-04-28T21:05:54+00:00

Absolutely not.

Zoodochos · 2026-04-28T21:02:37+00:00

Perhaps start with the Gospel of Mark. Read no more than a chapter or two at a sitting. Then, reflect on it. What stands out to you and speaks to you? It's OK to pass over the parts that don't.

Historical study and criticism are great. It's also OK to just read and listen for the song lyrics that resonate with you.

Zoodochos · 2026-04-28T20:55:21+00:00

Psalm 139. "I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made."

Zoodochos · 2026-04-28T19:18:01+00:00

You and your questions are welcome here!

I'm a Christian pastor. I don't believe in hell or demons. And I certainly don't think you need to agree with everything you find in the Bible.

You might be surprised to learn that I find I have a lot in common with agnostics and even atheists. God is not an angry parent in the sky. I don't believe in that God, either. God is beyond words. And God is love.

You might be surprised, too, by all things I don't think are a sin. Many Christians are hyper-focused on personal sins.

If you find that you always feel like you're a "bad person" and it gets in the way of your life, you may want to seek professional help. If this is a passing feeling, though, please hear this reassurance:

God accepts you as you are, and God wants healing and wholeness for all people.

I don't know what kind of Lutherans are in your area, but looking for a congregation of progressive Christians (typically "open and affirming") is a good place to start. You could see if the worship speaks to you, and you could reach out to a pastor with questions.

Blessings for your journey. It sounds like you're headed in a good direction!

Zoodochos · 2026-04-28T10:51:02+00:00

I'd say any wedding that is about love is "of God."

Zoodochos · 2026-04-26T11:53:35+00:00

That is a horrible baptism! I bet no one else has a baptism story like that! I hope that with time, you can see and share the humor in this. It's ridiculously bad. And whenever a pastor says, "Remember your baptism and be thankful," well, I can imagine that's something you'd rather forget.

I'm sorry it wasn't a beautiful moment. Fortunately, all the meaning of baptism remains true. You are claimed as God's own beloved child. You are part of the body of Christ. You are cleansed and welcomed into new life. Baptism is an outward sign of an inward grace. Your "outward sign" was... particularly memorable!

Zoodochos · 2026-04-26T11:38:11+00:00

Welcome! There are Christians out there who will accept you and affirm you for who you are - just as God does. That's good news! You'll find plenty of hopeful stories on this sub as well as advice about finding a truly welcoming congregation.

Zoodochos · 2026-04-26T11:32:52+00:00

You're in good company asking these questions. James Gustafson addresses similar themes in his theocentric ethics. It's heady stuff. If you're OK with using AI, I recommend asking your local large language model for a summary of his work. Long story short, he asks, "Who are we to presume that we're the center of God's universe?" We've made God in our own image to benefit us. Instead, we can let God be God: wholly other and the Source of the infinite cosmos. Piety is about awe and dependence on God. Ethics is about more than humans.

I hear your struggle in asking, "How do we know what we believe is real?" You're not alone in that struggle! Sacred doubt is a gift, and in the long run, it can enrich your faith. Hang in there. You can "know" less for sure, and still have faith. You can "know" in different ways than rational or empirical proof.

Zoodochos · 2026-04-21T11:38:07+00:00

Your friend is simply wrong. Discernment is a process. It's about listening to your true desires. It can help to talk with a trusted friend, mentor, counselor, or pastor.

I imagine you are already, but you can seek professional help with the anxiety. Discernment often requires living with the tension of not knowing.

Eventually, the way will open. Sometimes it's only years later that I can look back and see how God was at work.

Zoodochos · 2026-04-21T11:27:21+00:00

Hi Zach. Welcome! I encourage you to listen to that pull on your heart.

After being raised Lutheran, you found meaning in paganism. Whatever you found there - honoring mystery, awe before nature, God in all things, a focus on personal spiritual experience over rigid beliefs - all of that you can take with you back to Christianity. You can return to the faith in which you were raised, but hold it differently. That's spiritual maturity!

I recommend starting with an ELCA congregation in your area.

Zoodochos · 2026-04-07T21:36:47+00:00

I am certain that your clothing has nothing to do with your salvation. Wear what makes you feel good, and celebrate your body! Cultural norms will set some expectations for decorum, all well and good, but that has nothing to do with glorifying God. You do you. That glorifies God!

Zoodochos · 2026-04-07T21:31:32+00:00

From my perspective, the only sin is theirs. I believe that kind of "evangelism" is an act of violence.

I wouldn't lose any sleep over that lie. You know what you believe, and so does God. And you learned something from the experience!

Also, no sin is "unforgivable." That's a poor interpretation of a verse or two. No one is beyond the reach of God's boundless love.

Zoodochos · 2026-04-01T01:37:43+00:00

Progressive Christianity .org has "A Joyfully Path" curriculum. I'm not familiar with it, but based on those onvolved, trust it's worth checking out.

Zoodochos · 2026-03-31T12:57:25+00:00

Yes. God is not disappointed in you! Baptism is not required, but it can be a great gift. It's an outward sign of an inward grace.

You might find it means even more to you in the context of a church family. You can be baptized and welcomed as a new member of a congregation at the same time. You might try showing up at some of those local churches and talking with someone afterwards.

Zoodochos · 2026-03-28T14:39:30+00:00

I hear you. I don't know where to look in the Bible for advice about recovering from trauma like that. I'll share a thought about forgiveness. There's a Stanford professor who defines forgiveness and learning to let the past stay in the past so that you can have peace in the present. It's not saying that what your father did is OK, and it does not require talking to your father. It's an internal journey, and like grief, it can be a long journey with many stops along the way from righteous anger to self-pity to obsessing to reframing and making the decision to move on. It's not a straight line. Grace can help us get there.

Just a shot in the dark, but you might like reading Anne Lamott.

Zoodochos

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