Brrrr
A cold wind continues to blow through Shiprock, a frigid and dry wind...
No school today (Rest in Peace Martin Luther King Jr.) and I have a ton of papers to grade and sort.
I am going to try to link to an article that was linked to on "Slice". It is almost a year old, and another example of what's "wrong" with the emergent, postmodern, seeker sensitive church, only I really didn't see anything wrong with it.
Actually, this morning, as I was blogging, I found some real good stuff that encouraged me. Stuff that built up my faith rather than shaking it to the very foundation.
Let's see if this hyperlink works...
Article
13 comments:
The link worked fine for me... cool stuff!
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word.
While the "church" argues over which contextualized methods are cooler and more relevant, the world continues its downward spiral.
This is better ......why?
MaryEllen,
I discovered your blog a couple of months ago. Yours and Pastor Art's. I commented on one of them, cant remember clearly now. Anyway, I am sure that I said then that I also am from the Four Corners. Cortez, CO is home for me. Please do not ask around about me, I am ashamed of so much old behavior around there in years gone by. ;)
Anyway, I went home to see my Mom and nephew for Christmas and drove through Shiprock on the way. I thought about my fellow bloggers as I drove through town. For what its worth...
Anyhow, thanks for sharing on my blog. Good comments. I appreciate the blogging community that honors Jesus in this forum. I am sure that I will revisit again. And you are most welcome on my site too.
Blessings on Shiprock...
Is there a problem with changing methods? I'd agree that some may have an unhealthy obsession with "bigger is better" or whatever, but changing church format is certainly not a bad thing. I see no problems here.
It seems to me that methods have to change, and that they have. It is the message that has to remain constant. The Gospel. I like the way it is stated in 1 Timothy. I know there are probably some emergents or postmoderns who have compromised the gospel to attract and keep people, but the in the article I linked to, I found nothing theologically incorrect, unscriptual, or nonchristian.
I'm sure there are "moderns" or whoever who compromise the gospel as well. That's a human problem, not a postmodern one.
one of the things i see as a positive in the "seeker" mentality is the notion that we want to make sure nothing *WE* do turns people off. instead, if you're feeling offended, let it be God. too often, we feel like it's our place to offend and judge. let God do that in a real way, let Jesus tell parables that may or may not be understood, and let us be mindful that we're in this together, loving God and loving people.
how's that?
I've heard it said that we shouldn't care if we turn people off, that it is the work of the Holy Spirit to draw and save and if the world thinks badly of us, then too bad. I don't agree with that statement, I think it contradicts the great commission and Pauls claim to be all things for all people so that some will be saved.
I appreciate your comment Rick
I think that Romans 12:18 sums it up pretty well, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men." (NAS)
However, since this is an easy passage to misinterpret (and I'm easy to misinterpret too :), I'll explain a little:
First off, Paul is certainly not saying that we should go and preach a watered down message lest we offend somebody -- none of this "Well you just need to be a good person and that's it" nonsense.
But he's also not giving us license to be jerks -- "Turn or I shall smack thee upside the head with mine King James Bible Large Print Edition (tm) thou accursed heathen!"
So, if it isn't either of these extremes, then what does living at peace mean?
Paul is not saying, "You had better sugar coat the Gospel so you don't offend anyone", rather he's saying (Doug paraphrase), "The Gospel is hard -- it's good news, but look -- the fact that we are not, in fact, the wonderful people that we think we are is a hard pill to swallow. Don't make it harder for heaven's sake!"
There are ways to speak the truth in love. Sometimes even when spoken in the most loving way possible the truth can be painful (for instance when Jesus told Peter, "get behind me Satan"). For this very reason, we _must_ be very careful that we are not making the truth harder than necessary -- it is a lot more likely to be accepeted as truth if it is loving truth rather than unloving. Let's confuse the fact that sometimes the truth hurts with the fact that we can use the truth hurtfully.
blessings to you Maryellen.
thank you doug
Oops, that lst sentence should read:
Let's not confuse the fact that sometimes the truth hurts with the fact that we can use the truth hurtfully.
I agree with Rick and Doug in many ways. However, my brother (the preacher) and I have some very spirited debates at times over this "seeker sensitive" concept.
My fear is that we are allowing the unsaved and unbeliever to influence the way that we "do" church way too much.
I keep hearing the words in John 12:32 "If I be lifted up..." These words were meant to indicate how Jesus Christ would die. That is not a very seeker sensitive message. All that crucifiction and death and stuff. Yuck!
Let's keep Christ the center of our worship. Not care groups vs. corporate worship. Not hymns vs. praise choruses. Not any of those trappings of so many modern churches. (Mine included!)
Nevertheless, I also hear Him tell me that I must take up MY cross daily and follow Him (Luke 9:23). There is more of that whole death to self thing again.
Thanks for your post and for keeping this dialog before us.
~Kevin
One of the biggest oppostions to the "seeker sensitive" churches seems to be the belief that no one "seeks" God.
this is a topic i have debated several times and I find a multitude of verses that support the fact that we are created to seek, commanded to seek, expected to seek. I agree with Kevin, that some times Churches go too far in their attempts to draw people in, and compromise or water down the message in the process...tickleing the ears with what the people want to hear, avoiding the "offensive" parts.
The question has recently been asked, who is Church for? For believers? For the salvation of the lost? For God? and I guess the real answer to that question depends on the definition of "Church". If the Church is for the edification of believers, or for the sole purpose of Worshiping the Living God...then the body of Christ better being doing something more that Church...
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