Doug:

Denise and I enjoy talking after services about what we heard. You are absolutely right. There are a ton of people out there who fill their heads with Biblical knowledge, but do not apply it. There are scholars who can wax eloquently about the verses in the Bible, explain the contextual origins, and quote things word for word, and yet have no charity, no repentance, and no action. Excellent call.

At the same time, what we often do not talk about are people who focus on action, warmth, and the experience in Christ, but lack foundational scriptural knowledge. I spoke with a young girl last week, for instance, who was convinced that she had the gift of tongues. I asked her if she compared her experiences with what the Word of God had to say about tongues. She asked, “Why would I need to do that?” I explained that just like a pilot that cannot rely on feelings to navigate an airplane, we need our own instrumentation through the Bible.

Both of these have to be in harmony for a Christian to be truly following the Will of God. Great preaching.

Erin:

It is great to see someone with the zeal you have in our church. I know that my wife would like to be in a women’s group to learn more about the Bible, and good leaders like you, who are willing to step forward, are always needed.

As an aside, I recommend against books like The Secret Message of Jesus by Brian McLaren. He is a false teacher of Christianity, and his messages, although sounding good, are scripturally devoid. You can look up his quotes on our faith, where he calls the cross, “A cosmic form of child abuse,” and denies the literal existence of Hell as proof of that.

God Bless.

–

Christian

Yes, that is his name: Christian. Sighhhhhh. I have been feeling liberal lately. But then I gasp and think, no surely not! I must be radical, not liberal. But what the heck is the difference? Why are people so mad at Brian McLaren? Are they scared? I’m so confused!

100 years ago if you believed that the country should provide your children with an education, you were liberal. If you believed that the government should have a pension for its elderly, you were liberal. Today they are taken for granite.

What it comes down to is are you a classic liberal, or a “new liberal”. when it comes down to free education etcetera I think most of us are classic liberals.

Keep in mind that whatever debate “L” or “C” is conditioned by the current time that the discussion is in. You can be a liberal and still be a Christian (ahh, I just spoke heresy!!)(LOL)

If you believe in Jesus, believe his commandments, let him guide you and condition your thoughts you might be a liberal because people do not understand you. They are quick to label what the do not understand. Emergents are still getting that tag even though we have provided much to consider to the church. 50 years from now Emergents could be the new “C” class and a whole new issue will arise and we will be calling them the “L”s.

Here is a two paragraph review by Wade Burleson, SBC pastor from Oklahoma, on John Dean’s (remember the Nixon administration?) book ‘Conservatives without a conscience’. which just nails it. -

“John Dean’s thesis is his book Conservatives Without a Conscience is that since the early 1990’s an authoritarian conservatism has infiltrated American politics. Rather than maximizing freedom, authoritarians demand conformity in all nuances of ideology. When fellow conservatives refuse to tow the line, the authoritians go into ‘attack’ mode and will use all means, both foul and fair, to bring down ‘the enemy.’ These authoritian conservatives are so sure that they are not only right, but holy and pure, that they are bursting with indignation and a desire to smite down their enemies.

Dean says that conservatives hyperventilating about liberalism is surprising, because it is so unnecessary. Liberalism is a straw man conservatives love to attack, in fact, there are not enough liberals to be a true threat to conservatism. A recent Harris Poll found that only eighteen percent of Americans called themselves liberals. In truth, says Dean, conservatives attack liberals, or those they label or perceive as liberal as a means to rally the troops. The exaggerated hostility also apparantly satisfies a psychological need for antagonism toward the ‘out group.’ “

Personally, I think that authoritarian C’s are practicing religious syncretism by smashing “greed is good” capitalism and “prosperity” consumerism into the faith, as well as absolute loyalty tests to ideology and authority of man, not to Jesus the Messiah.
I’ve got your back on the playground, Karl.
Sage H

meagan- no, you the pookie! i do so love your heart and passion and i am glad you are not listening to those who say you cannot be the person God has made…

carol- we do have similar paths, and your kindness and perspective is so helpful! lots of love to you both!

Glad to read of your honest wrestling with L. I too once wrestled with L, though at the time was too scared to talk about it. So bravo to you for bravery.

The thing that got me when I felt the ground beneath me getting slippery was the devotion and love of my L. Christian friends. They spent an hour a day in prayer. They rode bikes as a spiritual discipline to stand for non-violence and compassion. I found a whole gaggle of them that worshiped together. They were really L. —Calling God she, and dancing around the altar and protesting the death penalty in front of the governor’s mansion. Wild. It was their sense of humor and deep love for one another as well as the way that they stood for the marginalized that made me see the light of Christ shining through them.

And before I knew it I was dancing and laughing and worshiping God right along with them.

I did loose some friends. But I found new ones who were much much more fun.

It is a slippery slope. But maybe that’s not bad. It is like falling into a whirlpool But when I emerged from the whirlpool I was in a new land. The whirlpool had taken me somewhere I wouldn’t have gone on my own. What I found was that God makes whirlpools. And no matter how far down or away I went, God had already gone there and met me when I arrived.

My own fear of Liberals was just one more of the “monsters,” one more way to shore myself up from ever asking too many questions, from ever looking inward too much.

The writer, Annie Dillard has a brilliant quote in Teaching a Stone to Talk, that comes to mind. You could even replace “psychology” below in the quote with “conservative Christian teaching” and monsters with “liberals.”

“In the deeps are the violence and terror of which psychology has warned us. But if
you ride these monsters deeper down, if you drop with them farther over the world’s rim,
you find what our sciences cannot locate or name, the substrate, the ocean or matrix or
either which buoys the rest, which gives goodness its power for good, and evil its power
for evil, the unified field: our complex and inexplicable caring for each other, and for our
life together here. This is given it is not learned.”

Count me in as a new friend.

Blessings,

Carol in Tucson