"and lead me in the way everlasting..." -psalm 139-

I had one of those great conversations today that are so refreshing to the soul... You know, one of those conversations with a brother in Christ where we both shared deeply from the heart about the things in life that truly matter... about loving others, what it means to be the Church, how grace, mercy, and love should be embodied in American culture, and role playing games.  The best part about the conversation?  There are several views and beliefs where we differ from one another, yet, we both affirm our oneness in Christ.  If you and nine of your friends were listening to us speak, my guess is 10 out of 10 of you would say that I was the more 'liberal' of the two.  And as our conversation began to wrap up, I began asking some more reflective questions to myself...

I believe that God calls us to love others... Pretty obvious, right?  I must also affirm that one of the greatest ways to love another person is to stand up and affirm that person's freedom.  For example, a child has the right to grow up in a home where they are not abused.  As Christians, we should stand up and affirm this right.  So here is where things get gray and somewhat cloudy... What happens when 'the most loving action' is not so obvious?  Do we ever stand up for a person's freedom even if we believe that the particular 'free act' is sinful, like gay marriage for example?  When is it appropriate to deny a particular freedom?  Admittedly (and unfortunately), I do not know the answer to these questions.   And as I left the conversation with my good friend I prayed this prayer: "God, if over the years my my heart and mind have somehow gone astray from the things you view as good, right, and true, then please correct me Lord.  Realign my heart to yours.  See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

forgetting where you came from

I am one of those weird people that thoroughly enjoys it when the Mormons and JWs come knocking on the door.  I love meeting people but I also enjoy the discussion that generally follows.  I have found that the greatest weaknesses of both groups is their inability to reconcile their beliefs and doctrine with church history.  For example: both groups affirm the 66 books found inside the Protestant Bible, yet, both groups refuse to recognize the Early Church that wrestled with them and ultimately canonized them.  They love the baby but not the 9 months of labor.

I'm currently reading a book (Vintage Church) written by Mark Driscoll, pastor of one of the largest churches in America.  I am about 50 pages in and he has (very articulately) stated why the Roman Catholic Church is not a good model for the church and why it is very dangerous to the 'True Church.'  I am not ignorant to the many people who simply think that having been baptized as an infant as a R.C. and living a life ignorant to the scriptures and the call of God upon their life equates to being a Christian.  I am also well aware of many of the atrocities that has been done by the R.C. church (along with many Protestent churches and leaders), throughout the centuries.  However, this gives us no right to dismiss our history and the saints who lived out and carried on the faith. 

As a result, I have pretty much stopped engaging in theological discussions about free will vs. predestination, Wesley vs. Calvin, God's sovereignty and knowledge, etc.  Why?  Because at the end of the day, the folks over at Eastside Baptist are my brothers and sisters in Christ... and the people over at St. Joseph's R.C. church are as well... and while we may differe somewhat in our beliefs about God and look a little different from one another, may we unite, in love, under the Lordship of the Triune God we serve.

correction

I remember when I was 18 and a friend invited me to their church to see a Christmas production.  I had never been to the church before.  As I strolled into the sanctuary and found a seat next to my friend, an older man seated in front of me, whom I did not know, immediately turned around and told me to take my hat off because I was in a church sanctuary.  While I was startled by the man’s abrupt request, the hat was quickly in my lap.

Similarly, I remember when my parents would visit my elementary school teachers to check up on my performance in class.  If my teachers gave any indication that my behavior was not respectful and appropriate, I would hear about it from my parents, along with proper retribution.  My parents never questioned the teacher’s point of view or accused them of unnecessarily picking on me.  They supported the teacher 100% and her/his role in my life.

It seems like the idea and practice of proper correction within the local church, and perhaps even American culture, is becoming a ‘thing of old.’  In almost six years of working with teens (and adults) in the local church, I have heard the phrase, “you are not my parent(s), you can’t tell me what to do,” more and more.  If someone confronts a brother or sister in Christ about a reoccurring behavior or action, many times the confronter is accused of being judgmental or they may be accused of overlooking the planks in their own eyes.  There used to be a time when Christ followers could confront one another in love and it was understood as a necessary and vital role of having a healthy, Christ-centered church… Don’t get me wrong, I am sure there were/are many times when people call others out as a way of making themselves either look or feel good, but we are quickly becoming a culture where the art and practice of ‘casual accountability’ and respect for an older generation is fleeting.  Do you have any thoughts and/or experiences about this?  Agree/Disagree?

what matters to God

So, I know someone whom I will call Brenna.  She was raised in the Roman Catholic Church from birth but in her own words, "I just never really connected with it."  Following high school, like many young men and women, Brenna strayed from the Church and gave very little thought to the idea of religion and faith.  Fast forward a few more years and Brenna meets a great guy (Bob sounds good) and wants to settle down and marry Bob.  Bob was raised in the Mormon church, but he too strayed from his faith in his young adult years.  The two get married and both agree it would be a good idea to reconnect to the Church.  One Sunday, the take a visit to the local Mormon parish and Brenna very much enjoys the experience.

"There is a sense of community here that I never experienced in 20 years at the Roman Catholic Church... but at the same time, I have always been told that the Mormons are 'off' or that what they believe is 'heresy.'  All I know is that I have found a family here."

So what do you think?  I can already predict some responses: "The sense of family Brenna is experiencing means very little if she affirms the false doctrine that goes with it, etc."  Is there any way that the Holy Spirit would use this Mormon congregation to speak truth and love to Brenna?  Could the Holy Spirit have even lead Brenna there?  It is quite obvious that Brenna has a renewed desire to know God and build a Godly home (especially now that they have a baby).  Is God rejoicing over the fact that Brenna wants to refocus her life towards God, even if it means her faith becoming 'muddied' in what many Christians would call 'false doctrine,' OR, is God saddened by the direction Brenna's faith seems to be headed?