I have not posted anything for a while and it wasn't a lack of subjects to broach but more so there were too many things that stirred me up this past week. Just when I think I've heard every twisted story possible about church in Brantford, another story comes along. It makes it hard to stick to my own rules and remain constructive in this conversation. I'll try. One thing that I have come to notice is the difficulty that a pastor must have in communicating the truth to the congregation. Taking for granted that the pastor is well versed in sound biblical doctrine, which many today are not, how many congregations really care about
sanctification,regeneration,substitution or even salvation. I got to wondering about salvation once years ago and so I did a very long study on it before approaching a very Godly pastor. He kindly confirmed much of what I'd found and suggested that many would not want to know these things. Just for fun I approached the elders of the church and asked them individually what salvation was. None of them could give any answer that was even in the ballpark. I later attended a men's fellowship meeting and when I could not find anyone interested in discussing Christ as opposed to hockey I soon left that fellowship. Church was supposed to be where we came together and shared Christ within us,the nature that His Spirit imbued us with to teach and encourage each other.
Really it is the centrality of Christ that marks a true fellowship. Does the fellowship focus on healings, or blessings or better and better worship or does it focus on dying to self and being filled with Christ and being transformed by that into the true church. Does it pray for external manifestation or internal victory over self. Does your church put it's value in Heaven or in a big building with a sound system? I'm just talkin' here.
later...............................dave
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Monday, September 6, 2010
4 paradigms
Reading "Reimagining Church" by Frank Viola. He is a participant and one of the acknowledged experts in the emerging/organic church movement. He is also co-author with George Barna of "Pagan Christianity"
Viola suggests that there are four paradigms for church restoration identifiable today;
Biblical Blueprintism
The New Testament contains a meticulous blueprint for church practice. Simply tease out the blueprint and follow it. A rule based system did't work for the religious leaders in Jesus' time. It doesn't allow for God's will or the fellowship of Christ in the Spirit.
Cultural Adaptability
This paradigm is based on the idea that in every age, the church reinvents itself to adapt to the present culture. This is based on contextualization, a theological method that tries to translate the Biblical message into different cultural settings. Even the most radical adherents admit that certain traditions such as communion and baptism shouldn't change but the question arises as to how much should be changed. Another good question would be how does an unchanging and eternal God feel about us reinterpreting His word to fit a sinful and perishing world.
PostChurch Christianity
This paradigm is rooted in the attempt to practice Christianity without belonging to an identifiable community that regularily meets for worship,prayer, etc. They advocate spontaneous, social interaction and personal friendships. Church is like coffee at Tim Horton's with friends.
Church is amorphous, nebulous and a phantom. It is like the contemporary desire for intimacy without commitment.
Organic Expression
The church is like an unchanging biological entity reflecting these four elements;
1. It will always express the Headship of Jesus Christ in His church over against the headship of a human being. Christ is both the authority and source of the church.
2. It will always allow for and encouage the every-member functioning of the body.
3. It will always map to the theology that's contained in the New Testament, giving it visible expression on the earth.
4. It will always be grounded in the fellowship of the triune God.
"neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.... you are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition. Mark 7:8-9, NSAB
Viola suggests that there are four paradigms for church restoration identifiable today;
Biblical Blueprintism
The New Testament contains a meticulous blueprint for church practice. Simply tease out the blueprint and follow it. A rule based system did't work for the religious leaders in Jesus' time. It doesn't allow for God's will or the fellowship of Christ in the Spirit.
Cultural Adaptability
This paradigm is based on the idea that in every age, the church reinvents itself to adapt to the present culture. This is based on contextualization, a theological method that tries to translate the Biblical message into different cultural settings. Even the most radical adherents admit that certain traditions such as communion and baptism shouldn't change but the question arises as to how much should be changed. Another good question would be how does an unchanging and eternal God feel about us reinterpreting His word to fit a sinful and perishing world.
PostChurch Christianity
This paradigm is rooted in the attempt to practice Christianity without belonging to an identifiable community that regularily meets for worship,prayer, etc. They advocate spontaneous, social interaction and personal friendships. Church is like coffee at Tim Horton's with friends.
Church is amorphous, nebulous and a phantom. It is like the contemporary desire for intimacy without commitment.
Organic Expression
The church is like an unchanging biological entity reflecting these four elements;
1. It will always express the Headship of Jesus Christ in His church over against the headship of a human being. Christ is both the authority and source of the church.
2. It will always allow for and encouage the every-member functioning of the body.
3. It will always map to the theology that's contained in the New Testament, giving it visible expression on the earth.
4. It will always be grounded in the fellowship of the triune God.
"neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.... you are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition. Mark 7:8-9, NSAB
Friday, September 3, 2010
worship
I was surprised to receive a comment on the first post of this blog. A friend I've known since highschool wrote to share how he found a church that fit and invited me to check it out. Thanks Dean. I know a number of your family at Grand Valley as they were close friends in my Jesus People days and I always enjoy seeing them but again I know that this isn't my fit. I'm just talkin' here. Bit by bit maybe as I blog I'll describe what I'm looking for well enough that I can find it.
Commentator Terry C. Muck wrote; "Counterfeit spiritualities do not work. But their persistent growth and appeal should teach us two important lessons.First, human beings created for fellowship with God abhor a spiritual vacuum. And second, only the real thing will effectively scratch the spiritual itch." This is a problem that I see. We emulate successful ministries and their methods forgetting that what happens in one place may not be right although it appears successful, and in any case duplicating it certainly wouldn't be God's will any more than exactly duplicating your neighbors marriage would be right for yours. It's about authentic relationship with God and then with each other. Worship is an area where we fall short today. Michael Card says in an interview that most worship music today is "an industrial response to a trend"
Card also talks about the nature of worship. He says " We can't worship God without recognizing our woundedness. We have a worship revolution going on in the U.S., but we're not worshiping. There is no woundedness in it. True worship celebrates God's worth, and without experiencing woundedness, you don't know his worth. You don't have that experience of God's presence over God's provision. You experience his worth in the wilderness, not in the picnic grounds. "Amazing Grace" says, "I once was lost, but now am found." Without that acknowledgment of loss, what do you have to worship him for, unless you're just worshiping feeling good? Lament is the lost language of worship.
I have to agree. Most worship today is no more than entertainment. Church has devolved into a show. While the early church set the example of total involvement, when real revelation comes or a psalm comes to mind or a testimony rises up in our spirit we must quench this and allow the leaders to continue their program. Church has become a business enterprise more than a place of mutual edification like 1 Cor. 14 speaks about. There's a professional leadership at the front that put on the show, an audience in the pews to watch and pay and the Holy Spirit who needs to be on time to keep the program moving along.
What would happen if the Holy Spirit anointed that grubby guy in the back pew with the psalm for today or filled his spirit with a powerful message like Peter received on Pentecost. What if God never turned the church back over to the pastor and worship leader. What if God wants His way in the church.
later................dave
Commentator Terry C. Muck wrote; "Counterfeit spiritualities do not work. But their persistent growth and appeal should teach us two important lessons.First, human beings created for fellowship with God abhor a spiritual vacuum. And second, only the real thing will effectively scratch the spiritual itch." This is a problem that I see. We emulate successful ministries and their methods forgetting that what happens in one place may not be right although it appears successful, and in any case duplicating it certainly wouldn't be God's will any more than exactly duplicating your neighbors marriage would be right for yours. It's about authentic relationship with God and then with each other. Worship is an area where we fall short today. Michael Card says in an interview that most worship music today is "an industrial response to a trend"
Card also talks about the nature of worship. He says " We can't worship God without recognizing our woundedness. We have a worship revolution going on in the U.S., but we're not worshiping. There is no woundedness in it. True worship celebrates God's worth, and without experiencing woundedness, you don't know his worth. You don't have that experience of God's presence over God's provision. You experience his worth in the wilderness, not in the picnic grounds. "Amazing Grace" says, "I once was lost, but now am found." Without that acknowledgment of loss, what do you have to worship him for, unless you're just worshiping feeling good? Lament is the lost language of worship.
I have to agree. Most worship today is no more than entertainment. Church has devolved into a show. While the early church set the example of total involvement, when real revelation comes or a psalm comes to mind or a testimony rises up in our spirit we must quench this and allow the leaders to continue their program. Church has become a business enterprise more than a place of mutual edification like 1 Cor. 14 speaks about. There's a professional leadership at the front that put on the show, an audience in the pews to watch and pay and the Holy Spirit who needs to be on time to keep the program moving along.
What would happen if the Holy Spirit anointed that grubby guy in the back pew with the psalm for today or filled his spirit with a powerful message like Peter received on Pentecost. What if God never turned the church back over to the pastor and worship leader. What if God wants His way in the church.
later................dave
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