Methodist Blogger Profile: Joe Tiedemann

Joe Tiedemann of Pondering Perfection

A brief bio about me… I am an out of the box, idealistic, dreamer with a traditional flair that firmly believes God can do anything and provides perfect opportunities for each of us to become more than conquers through Christ. The title of my blog, Pondering Perfection, expresses my desire to understand and move toward Wesley’s concept of perfection. I have three wonderful children (all under the age of 5) and an awesome and beautiful wife, who are all helping me to rediscover laughter and fun in life. I find beauty in the challenge of discovering God’s grace in the steps I take as I journey through life with God.

Why do you blog?

As a spiritual discipline. I like to journal, but can’t seem to do it for extended periods of time. Blogging keeps me accountable to people in my church and elsewhere to daily journaling. Plus, it is a great exercise in public expression of theology.

What has been your best blogging experience?

There is not just one because I cherish every comment I get back. Every time I get a comment, I thank God for the opportunity to be read.

What would be your main advice to a novice blogger?

Stick with it and develop your own style, be safely transparent and minister through the web.

If you only had time to read three blogs a day, what would they be?

I only read Locusts & Honey, but I have heard that Will Willimon, Beth Quick, Untied Methodist are great. The amount of information (regardless of theological persuasion or agenda) is simply incredible.

Who are your spiritual heroes?

Aside from Christ – Thomas because he was honest enough to state his doubts and humble enough to receive correction. Paul because he was awesome in the way he articulated the gospel message in different cultural situations effectively. Dorothy Day because she had it all and gave it up to help the poor, not only help, but to boldly live with her daughter among those she was called to serve.

What are you reading at the moment?

The Life You’ve Always Wanted, John Ortberg
Re-reading - Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster
Re-reading to teach - Power Surge, Michael Foss

What is your favorite hymn and why?

It Is Well with My Soul because my life was (and at times continues to be) such a mess and I really connect with the words of comfort about God’s peace in the midst of storms.

Can you name a major moral, political, or intellectual issue on which you've ever changed your mind?

Monogamous lifelong homosexual relationships

What intellectual thesis do you think is most important to combat?

I think that the whole concept of credit and capitalism needs to be revisited. Interest bearing debts are causing poverty to explode. I am not economically savvy enough to even know the name of the intellectual terms, but in practical (theological terms are clear about interest and property in the Bible) the banks are able to get away with enticing people to spend and offering too high limits. Now with interest only 40 year home loans and 7 year car payments, it is becoming absurd and unless something changes in the near future many people will be enslaved to the corporations that own their debt. On a global scale it is obvious how interest is literally killing children and adults alike through the perpetuation of poverty..

If you could effect two major changes in the governing of your country, what would it be?

No more lobby money.
Balanced budgets for federal, state, and local governments.

If you could effect one major policy change in the United Methodist Church, what would it be?

Mandate Equal Compensation (including pension and health benefits) based on years of service and local cost-of-living at the global level. I don’t think it is fair to be a global, connectional church and allow socio-economic bias, among other things.

What would be your most important piece of advice about life?

You can never count God out!

What, if anything, do you worry about?

My childrens’ future.

If you were to relive your life to this point, is there anything that you'd do differently?

There is so much that I did that I regret, yet God has claimed what I have surrender for the glory of the Kingdom. Although, there was this instance when I bought my wife’s engagement ring and thought that the diamond was not set quite right. I took it back to the jeweler two times and it still looked off. So, I fixed it myself with a pair of pliers. I didn’t think you could crack a diamond… until that fateful moment. I had to get another one.

Where would you most like to live (other than where you do now)?

Norway, Iceland or Canada.

What do you like doing in your spare time?

Spare time? What’s that! When I am not in the Pastoral role, I make time to spend with my wife, play with my kids and train for triathlons.

What is your most treasured possession?

Aside from the second engagement ring – a 1973 Mike Schmidt rookie.

What talent would you most like to have?

I’d like to be a great inspirational speaker/preacher and team builder.

If you could have any three guests, past or present, to dinner, who would they be?

Past – just give me the group at the Transfiguration (oh, but that is more than three). Aside from them…
Past – Paul, Jeremiah, Augustine of Hippo (Dorothy Day, Thomas Merton, Martin Luther King, Jr., John Wesley (and his parents))
Present - Bill Hybels, Rick Warren, Adam Hamilton
It is just too hard to narrow my list down.