Why Discipleship Is Needed

In the last few days, I have been privy to a heated discussion about “Emergent Village” (the U.S. based organization) and a broader church movement (dare I say trend) known as the “emerging movement.”

To provide some kind of distinction between the two following is a link to an article in Christianity Today about the “emerging church”

In their own words:
“Emerging churches are communities that practice the way of Jesus within postmodern cultures. This definition encompasses nine practices. Emerging churches (1) identify with the life of Jesus, (2) transform the secular realm, and (3) live highly communal lives. Because of these three activities, they (4) welcome the stranger, (5) serve with generosity, (6) participate as producers, (7) create as created beings, (8) lead as a body, and (9) take part in spiritual activities.”

In this context, it looks like the emerging church movement is the herald of the next great Christian revival. Upon closer inspection, the movement, has caused quite a stir in the traditional, evangelical and apologetic circles.

By their own admission, the movement is not defined by a theology. To confuse the issue even more, Scot Mcknight in a speech given at Westminster Theological Seminary last year states and I paraphrase, that it’s very lack of theological definition is in itself the movement’s “theological” definition. Mcknight adds; “It is instead, best to see it (the movement) as a conversation about theology, with all kinds of theologies represented, with a core adhering to the classical creeds in a new key.”

Proponents claim, in a nutshell, that the emerging movement is a heretofore “un-churched” group of Christians who have either been burned by the traditional model of the evangelical church, disillusioned by the lack of personal focus of the mega-church and/or just completely devoid of the “church” experience that they don’t know the difference between their heads and their behinds and that they’re only way of finding out what Christianity is all about is to have conversations of and about theology where everything goes.

Prominent critic of the movement, D.A. Carson, have this to say

And here is a comment from Mark Driscoll, Pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, WA who is a known associate and has since distanced himself from the movement. He chronicles his association and eventual distancing from the movement in his blog.

"In the mid-1990s I was part of what is now known as the Emerging Church and spent some time traveling the country to speak on the emerging church in the emerging culture on a team put together by Leadership Network called the Young Leader Network. But, I eventually had to distance myself from the Emergent stream of the network because friends like Brian McLaren and Doug Pagitt began pushing a theological agenda that greatly troubled me. Examples include referring to God as a chick, questioning God's sovereignty over and knowledge of the future, denial of the substitutionary atonement at the cross, a low view of Scripture, and denial of hell which is one hell of a mistake.”

The more I delve into this movement and their outspoken characters, the more I come to the personal conclusion that this is a movement who, though they may believe in the tenets of Christian faith, need to craft their doctrinal interpretations into a more biblical methodology and application of said faiths.

Their stance and writings on several controversial issues affecting the church such as homosexuality, the existence of hell and sin, saving grace and the very gender of God, leave a lot for us doctrinal purists to be desired. Their approach to evangelical outreach and Christian living is prophetic (read provocative), postmodern (whatever that means) and even experimental designed to be not only provocative but political in nature. They shroud their thoughts and writings in religious jargon that does more than rouse alternative interpretations of the written word, sometimes they’re downright heretical.

My point is this: Could there really be that much of a chasm between doctrinal (some say theological) soundness and methodology in daily life? If the debate over the movement and their "conversations" centers on labels, then there really isn’t much of a debate because labels are always subject to interpretation. However, there are absolute, God-Given, non-negotiable, tenets of faith, that cannot and must not be breached. If the Lordship of Christ is paramount in our lives and every dark corner of our heart is in complete submission to the Lord’s will, how, then, can we even consider incomplete and incorrect teachings such as “the prosperity gospel” or “the social gospel” and how can we tolerate the absence of absolute truth (which is how I understand postmodernism).

We are given commandments that we are, under Christ's authority, obligated to carry out and though there are no “Evangelism for Dummies” or “The Great Commission for Dummies” that was left behind for us to follow, I honestly do not think that we should be compromising what has been left for us to accomplish two thousand years ago by tinkering with the method of delivery or its application. And though we must adapt to our surroundings (1 Cor. 9: 19-22) and relate to our fellow men with compassion, we do so for the purpose of the gospel, in that way we may “… become a fellow partaker in it.” (1 Cor. 9: 23)

Despite what the movement puts on paper, the doctrines, teachings, and thoughts they practice and commit to their conversations, are highly suspect. Though, and I will make this concession, not all of their participants are doctrinally un-sound, the movement in it’s entirety requires discernment. In a nutshell: If there is a cause for the need for discipleship in the true word of God, this is it.

Where Are We Headed?

This post started out as something else that was going to end up in sanctimonious self-righteousness. But as this piece developed I came across articles and news reports that made me reconsider the subject.

It started with a news item I came across last week. A pastor in a prominent Christian denomination is going to be stripped of his congregation and taken off the clergy roster because of his admitted gay relationship with another pastor from the same group.

For more on this go here and here.

Another article I read had to do with a pastor in another prominent Christian denomination who committed suicide because his illicit behavior was going to be exposed on TV during sweeps month. Read here for the follow-up report.

I took quite an exception to these two articles in different ways. In the case of the defrocked pastor, I asked myself why are they even in that quagmire to begin with. The answer is unpleasant to contemplate. By their own admission, the disciplinary committee has voiced near-unanimous concern that the “policy against pastors in same-gender relationships are at least a bad policy and may very well violate the constitutions and by-laws of this church.” The implication to me is in that particular denomination’s by-laws, there is policy that allows a homosexual man to be ordained as a minister as long as they are not openly practicing homosexuality. That as long as these homosexual men and women are not in a “loving, sexually intimate and faithful relationship, they can impart the word of God without actually having to apply it in their personal lives!

If I understand the facts of this case correctly, this pastor admitted to being in an openly gay relationship with another pastor may I add. And the disciplinary charges filed against him were not because of his sexual orientation or chosen lifestyle, but because he was having intimate sexual relations outside of the holy sacrament of marriage. So in interpreting their policy, it stands to reason that if the accused pastor marries his partner, then all would be just fine and dandy.

Are you kidding me? What is wrong with this picture? Am I the only one who realizes that practicing homosexuality is in total disobedience to God’s word? Forget about the labels or the denomination, this circumstance is a direct challenge to God’s doctrine. If this pastor, upon accepting Christ, denounced his lifestyle and there is evidence that the Holy Spirit is constantly and continuously working with his heart and his intentions, then that would be a different story. That becomes then a testament to God’ love, grace and salvation in the transformation of our sinful ways.

But how can a pastor, who is openly gay and in a gay relationship give credence to God’s word especially on the pulpit. How can he truthfully and without reproach preach and teach about say Romans 1: 18-32 or 1 Corinthians 6: 8-10? Or does he pick and choose what is applicable and archaic or, God forbid, irrelevant, in light of today’s culture.

The second article is an outcry against those of us in the church. It’s a shame that those who are in pain and those suffering in our pews aren’t able to come to the one body of people who are obligated to minister to them by virtue of Christian brotherly love. It is heartbreaking to realize that given the choice between suicide and a chance at reconciliation, suicide seemed the better alternative to this ordained man of God.

Have we become such Pharisees that there is no more room for error in our lives? Have we become such spiritual vigilantes that not only do we ignore the planks in our own eyes but we’ve also pointed, plucked and judged the specks in our brothers and sisters eyes? Are we swimming in spiritual righteousness and are our noses held up high in Christian snootiness that we forgot once upon a time, we too were sinners? That on more than one occasion in our pathetic, arrogant lives, God reached down to us and held out His hand and all we could do was cling to Him with everything we had left.

If that is the case then we are in a sorry state. We’ve given the devil and his minions a foothold in our antiseptic, spiritual existence and somewhere in the very depths of hell, our enemy and his cohorts are all gloating about it.

Here’s a reminder, in case anyone has forgotten. Repeat after me: We are sinners and there is absolutely NOTHING we can do or accomplish to avoid that great big rotisserie in hell. And if not for Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and my acceptance of that sacrifice, we have no place in heaven. In essence, without us having to lift a finger and as my beloved so aptly puts it, we are getting better than we will ever deserve and it’s ALL BECAUSE OF GOD!

What can be done about this? Should we, uphold the truth in a loving and sometimes contentious manner in our thoughts and actions and live out our holier-than-thou lives in isolated, like-minded communities? Or should we reside in the trenches of human drudgery, in a cafeteria-like expression of faith, hoping to “save” the lost even as we compromise God’s truth basking in that falsely warm, fuzzy feeling of congratulatory, sanctimonious self-righteousness when we’re assured we did something “good.”

Are we so lost that we’ve twisted doctrine to suit our own needs? Or are we so self-righteous that we’ve become blind to the suffering of our brothers and sisters? What is becoming of us, the collective, North American church? Where are we headed? And why?

Doing It The Lord’s Way

The Indianapolis Colts won Super Bowl XLI. YAY!

Yes I am a Colts fan. No I’ve never lived in Indiana, I’ve never even set foot in the state and during the Dickerson years I never really liked the team. But in this day and age where most sports thugs are rewarded multi-million dollar contracts and encourage to pursue their bad behavior on and off the playing field, the organization known as the Indianapolis Colts have given us sports fans who don’t buy into the hype something to really admire.

After they won, the Indy Colts, from their coach downward were not ashamed, embarrassed nor arrogant to give credit where credit was and is due. As exciting and unpredictable as the game was, yes Devon Hester’s first kickoff return that resulted in the first TD of the game did cause some trepidation, my best memory of Super Bowl XLI is Tony Dungy, standing on a podium on the 50-yard line, hoisting the Lombardi trophy in the air proclaiming proudly and with conviction for all to hear that they (referring to him and Bear’s coach, Lovie Smith) " … are not only African-American but also Christian coaches, showing you can do it the Lord's way. We're more proud of that."

It’s the first time, in a really long, long time, that I’ve heard a celebrity of some kind, give thanks to the Lord for a great accomplishment and I BELIEVED HIM TO BE SINCERE.

How many times have we seen celebrities beat their chest and point upwards or purse their lips and send two fingers upward in an acknowledge gesture towards the Lord Almighty, while candid, unrehearsed, emotional shots show their true colors? (Think: He said what? As a camera does a close-up, sans audio, of some coach mouthing an expletive while their team run amuck on the field)

How may times have an acceptance award speech started with “First I’d like to thank God…” or ended with “…and last but not least, I’d like to thank God…” and as soon as their backs are turned away from the podium their life of rebellion against God manifests itself. (Think: How many of the 10 commandments can I completely disregard before the victory celebration ends.)

The beauty of Tony Dungy’s words are found in the life the man leads. His words, in the midst of all that triumph, where it was easy to claim the successes for himself, are mere reflections of his life walking with God. Only a Godly man would take a much-publicized tragedy last year as a test of faith and use that tragedy for the glory of God. Don't get me wrong. I'm not putting the man up on a pedestal. I acknowledge that he is human, but in his humanity, he emanates God’s peace and God’s love as his family, players and colleagues have publicly testified over and over again.

The Colts and their coach is an inspiration, not only to African-Americans, but to all of us who needs to be reminded, that getting it done the Lord’s way is more often than not, a difficult, circuitous and torturous path, filled with pitfalls, setbacks, and tragedies. But as long as we’re faithful, obedient and loving in our ways, the rewards awaiting us know no bounds and His glory is always foremost in all of our triumphs and accomplishments.