The only problem with this is we forget: the Bible is the ONLY way that we know who God does and what he is like.
Sure human reason, general revelation, religious culture, etc fill in the gaps, but we must remember we haven’t a clue who God is without the Bible. With so much improvisation about the nature and character of God, we must not forget we KNOW nothing about God without the special revelation concerning himself in his WORD.
]]>If I sound frustrated, it’s because I am. I’ve had a couple of these sorts of conversations over the past week and I’m a little–no a lot–sad about the whole thing. Now these conversations were with non-believers who were pretty much rejecting spirituality in general (beyond a vague belief that there’s “some sort of god out there”), so it’s somewhat expected (but still heartbreaking). I have a harder time understanding how a Christian, one who arguably professes belief in Jesus as Christ, has difficulty making the leap from belief that God can raise the dead to belief in the Holy Spirit. It’s that whole cafeteria mentality… “I’ll load up on that part of the bible about salvation, but I think I’ll have to pass on the Satan thing.”
So how can I move from a place of frustration to productivity on this issue? What would God have me do? Well for one thing, I think it’s helpful for me to remember that I’ve had just as much confusion and just as many questions on things the bible has to say as the next person. Empathy is good, so I’ll start there. Not gonna do much good on my high-horse. Next comes bravery. If God has revealed truth to me, I believe it’s my privilege and charge to share that truth in a loving way. This isn’t easy, and as I experienced this week, it can even be painful when the message isn’t well-received. But we don’t give up. We pray. We pray that eyes and hearts will be opened. And we read. As John said, spending more time in the Word and asking God to teach us these truths is the best way we can be ready to share with others when the Holy Spirit (who does exist!) prompts us to, even when Satan (who also exists), would rather keep the world in a state of oblivious distraction. It can seem like an overwhelming, daunting task, maybe one we don’t feel qualified for–but it’s a life or death matter. Speaking the truth you whole-heartedly believe (in a loving, non-judgmental way) might step on some toes, but standing by in polite silence could result far worse ramifications.
]]>That’s why I encourage the youth group kids to keep asking tough questions about the things they find inconsistent or troubling about their beliefs. It helps them and me to keep growing in our faith. The Word says, “My (God’s) people perish from lack of knowledge.” If I expect to flourish as a Christian, I think I had better be willing to spend more time in the Word than I do now.
]]>Tamara
]]>In a post-modern society I think there is a phenomenon where one may want to belong before one believes. Essentially, a person becomes a part of a community and then begins to assimilate the values of that community. It seems a little time-consuming and outside of the evangelical box–we often like to convert people quickly and then invite them to our potluck.
I think it is a process worth pursuing - where we invite regular people into our “real” lives - where we are hopefully already doing “real” community. And hopefully as people experience this true collective comradely, the gospel simply spills out and then when it does we can use words to explain what we have already been sharing in action.
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When we’re talking specifically about worship music in church, I think we often like to keep it in a nice little box. I love the range of music we play at HCC. I personally like the idea of being retro and playing “special music” … there are a lot of songs I sang as a kid that have stuck with me all these years and I’d love to hear them against a more modern musical backdrop.
Now. I have the utmost respect for my dear friend John Benda, our fearlessly authentic and, I agree, anointed worship leader. But I do have a different slant than he (and the article) presents on the idea of rejecting “bad” songs. Bad is subjective and I question what basis we stamp a song with that label. I do believe we should be discerning about the kind of music we listen to and especially introduce as worship songs to the church… we probably wouldn’t want to play “Talk Dirty to Me” on Sunday morning. But all kinds of people worship all kinds of ways and I’m not sure we can put “good” worship music in one box and “bad” in another. Last summer I went to a Foo Fighters concert and had a wonderfully worshipful experience, in spite of lyrics perhaps weren’t spiritually deep. I didn’t even agree with a lot of the lyrics, but God knew my heart and I was able to throw up my hands and offer my heart to Him. And call me a girl, but I am a-ok with expressing romantic sentiment for my sweet Jesus. I’m not sure that lyrics always have to be deep and specific to draw us into His presence… in fact perhaps leaving a bit of lyrical breathing room can allow for each of us to express our own heart and current experience to Him in a personal, intimate and meaningful way. That’s the great thing about being in communion with a God who not only hears what we say but knows our hearts as well.
All that said, I totally get that you have to draw a line somewhere and with the myriad of songs to choose from, some have to get chucked on one basis or another. Everyone has opinions. I love the variety of songs that are chosen at Heartland. I agree with Paul that it’s really cool when the lyrics of the songs help add another dimension to the message. I think the ultimate thing to consider when we’re considering what songs to add to our catalog is to ask God what HE thinks of them… His opinion is the one that really counts!
]]>As someone who’s not always great at thinking on the fly, I personally like communicating in 140 characters… it gives me time to think before I share and greater opportunity self-edit. I agree with the article that it’s key to check your motives… I often ask God before I post a status-update or note if it looks okay Him. Not everything I post is spiritual… I think it’s okay to share just to be relatable too.
I’m in the same boat with Brooke. As a SAHM, communication tools like FB help me not feel so isolated. I can “talk” to my friends from the comfort of my own home while the kids happily mill around in an environment where they’re comfortable and not bored (as opposed to dragging them to a coffee shop to meet a friend). I’m now in daily or weekly contact with long-lost friends in other cities and states that I wouldn’t be otherwise.
I do recognize the potential pitfalls… time-suckage is one I have to watch. Like most things, moderation and motives are key.
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