Month: April 2011

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Returning To The Glorious Past?

I was reading a blog post by one of my former classmates at Vanderbilt Divinity School on how pastors must deal with the ghosts of the past when attempting to lead a church today.

Much Adventist historiography paints the picture of a “glorious group of saints seeking desperately to be more Christlike while reading their Bibles to stay pure from the encroachment of culture in movies, music, and dress.”

Culture As Enemy

There is a strong “us against the culture” orientation latent in much Adventist discourse. Even today when one goes to YouTube one can find various attacks on demonic culture from those with an Adventist background. Certainly we must recognize that the God against culture theme is embedded in even the New Testament. From Paul’s call to “Be not conformed to this world…” Romans 12:2. To his description of “Spiritual wickedness in high places.” Ephesians 6:12. They all point to God’s people facing a culture that is hostile to Christian values.

After accepting that culture must always be battled we often take the next step which is that in the past, we were much more effective at battling culture. We were more “peculiar” in the past. We were “more Adventist” in the past. We were more “recognizable” in the past. Some would quote Ellen White who speaks about a return to “primitive godliness.”

But today, in contrast, this mindset argues that we are unrecognizable to the world, according to the argument. We are less Adventist. We have chosen the demonic culture over against the spiritual values of our past. This mindset privileges the past with a godliness that is not here now.

Is There Any Truth to The Argumentation?

Now I understand where this argument comes from. To be fair, it seems to me that the church seems to look more like the general public than it did when I grew up. The music is more like the general public as well as dress and the like.

I mean I remember arguments over whether to attend theater in my early years. I doubt that the theater is even a discussion today as most if not all go. To be honest, most of us have the theater coming into our homes through cables and even wirelessly into our computers. All piping movies that most Christians of all denominations would be ducking and hiding to see. But that ain’t my point. My point is that the mindset of “Spiritual us against the demonic culture” seems to have broken down.

What About A Call to The Past?

It is a comforting call to go back to a time when we were allegedly more “Adventist.” I always wonder about calls to go back to the past though. Was the past really so great? Am I seeing only part of the past? Even my suggestion that Adventists look more like their non-Adventist neighbors might be conditioned by an orientation that privileges the past.

Look at race relations today and then look at the 50s, 60s, and lord help us the 1800s. Certainly we can’t say that the church of today is not better on this issue than in the past. I just give this as an example to say that we often ignore very important pieces when we glorify the past.

I don’t want to condemn those who long for the past. I really think it is a longing for “home” that is in all of us. In addition Adventists who were born in the Great Disappointment was supposed to usher in “home” have a very deep desire placed in our psyche for home. I want home. I want a place where all will be treated equally. I want a place where humanity seeks to become more and more like God rather than taking on attributes of the evil one. The more I define what I want…the more I realize that it is not in the past that we will find that, for it never existed. It is in the future of God’s coming Baselia.

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Perfection: Stop Arguing And Start Living?

The other day I was talking to a friend of mine who was wondering about the whole issue of perfection. The subject is not talked about as much as it has been talked about in the past, but it still comes up from time to time. Members can get ruffled over whether perfection is possible or not. We fight over definitions of perfection. We struggle with the very real truth of human limitation. Often the argument disintegrates into one side accusing the other of thinking that they have reached “perfection.”

Do Right

Because the term “perfection” brings up so much mess, I like to use another term “obedience.” I think that we need to discuss perfection. In addition, we need to stop distorting the position of those on the other side of where we come down on the subject.

However, whatever our position on perfection, it does not give us an out where we don’t have to obey. I think it is interesting that some of the most unloving words can come from those who are defending perfection.

Be that as it may, let us go head on and do right, by God’s grace. Whether we are grace filled believers in what some might call the “new theology” or we are the red books (or whatever color they are now) reading traditionalist, there is a place in all of our understandings of theology for obedience.

Whether we believe that we attempt and fail or we attempt and one day will succeed, we all are seeking to become a more clear reflection of our Lord Jesus Christ. From the most evangelical among us to the most traditional among us, we all want to be more Christ–like. What about Christian growth? From the most liberal to the most evangelical to the most traditional we all agree that Christians should be growing in grace and truth as time goes on.

Go ahead and Argue, But Live Out

I think it interesting that some of the greatest arguments against perfection comes from how those who believe in it act towards those who do not. No doubt, our discussion of perfection is important theologically, but if we just allowed the Grace of God to help us live into what we already believe then perhaps the evangelical among us will see where he has not fully appropriated the grace of God which will, once taking residence in him, lead him to further growth. Perhaps the liberal will find the power to do the work of God and be a witness to the coming Baselia in this world, and perhaps the traditionalist would see God create that generation that will fully deserve the approbation of “keep the commandments of God and the Faith of Jesus.”

In short, go ahead and argue over perfection, but wouldn’t that discussion be a lot better if we all simply lived what we say we believe on all sides? If we allowed the grace of God to do its work in us and let that grace do what it will. I find it is much easier to have a discussion with a Grace filled loving Christian with whom I disagree, than the one who has not had the Grace of God touch their lives and argumentation with whom I agree.

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The Lamb Horned Beast And Bombing

You know it is always interesting to listen to political partisans. They defend bombing when it is from members of their own party and condemn it when it is from others. What is interesting to me is the discourse of deception used by political leaders, especially and including our own United States of America (I write from Nashville, TN).

Here we condemn others for being evil while the cause of this country is just. We are looking out for peace and justice and good in the world. Even when the nation actively bombs others. It is for their own good. We hate that there will be collateral damage, but we must stand up for good. And yet, there are many oppressive dictators in the world, why key in here. Why do nothing when genocide is happening in other places and do something here? Why bomb Libya and do nothing in Darfur?

Now some might argue, What is wrong with looking out for one’s self interest? A reasonable argument. The problem is that they don’t tell us that is what is being done. No they tell us that they are looking out for “peace and justice.” No they tell us it is because human beings are being oppressed.

This is the very nature of demonic discourse. To hide ones hand behind flowery language while doing things for the good of ourselves. That is the very nature of a Beast that wants you think it is a lamb. What the bombing of Libya and the discourse for the reasons why we bombed them tells us is that they will not tell us the truth.

No this is not a partisan fight. But the great American reason for doing anything is its own interests. This is not necessarily demonic. What makes it demonic is to argue that the reason for its actions, whether by Bush, Clinton, even Obama, is for the good of humanity. And this is trying to hide its beastly characteristics in the clothing of a lamb.