GOD, HIS WORD, AND OUR IMPOSING OPINIONS ABOUT BOTH
We are in the battle of our lives and such isn’t over politics or economy. It’s over the right to read the Bible on our own and develop a course of responsible and fruitful direction. The voice of doing and saying Bible things in Bible ways has long been the charge of the churches of Christ. It was such from the day I was introduced to us. Nothing has changed….except that the Bible produces much change….and this doesn’t set well with those who cannot discern Bible teachings from men’s traditions.
Other Christian-like believers were referenced while I was in school as those who read their Bibles with “Denominational Glasses”. How I joined in on the undertones of mocking our religious (and assumed poor and ignorant) neighbors. Most likely I alienated most of my family with such smart-alecky talk…as if I had a grasp on Truth. After all, didn’t we own it?
The good news is generation following generation continues to hunger for God’s revealed Truth. The thirst for it has not waned. Division and confusion resides among us as liberals deny parts of the Word while the conservatives add their critical desires to it. Oddly, we assume we are never either.
Our days are permeated with big questions. We must guard against the very smugness we disdain found in some of the earlier church leaders as we move to connect more closely in a relationship with God. We want to know why such zeal for the spiritual leaves so many of our people untransformed. We want to know why and who shelved the influences and activities of God in the modern church. Why does the church body seem to be a head (Jesus) with skin for arms, legs, and torso without bones to make it stand erect with mobility? Why have we accentuated form while accepting ourselves powerless as if such is biblical? And, why do we seem to feel safer to keep His phenomenal powers at bay?
May we pursue the kingdom of God and His righteousness in both brave and humble manner. Such blessings from the Word have never been experienced without a price. Why would we expect it be different today? But this I believe: a few of those who believe the modern church is leaving the Bible would do well to be quiet and listen. I might be this generation is saying we want more of it.
2 comments:
Personally, my problem has always been with drawing lines. As I became more and more "conservative" I drew the circle tighter and tighter. When my faith collapsed in crisis and I had nothing to hold onto, I really tried to reject everyone and even came to try to walk away from faith (didn't succeed, thankfully). Now as my faith has "re-booted," so-to-speak, I find myself unconsciously avoiding "fundamentalists" and even inwardly mocking their concerns. I've really got to stop drawing lines.
Thank you for your thoughts, Terry. I also enjoyed getting to visit with you again yesterday and very much enjoyed worshiping with the Memorial Drive family.
BTW... we STILL miss Shane and Alice! :-) but know that they are doing God's will in Tulsa.
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