Author: Wick

From the blog of Free Methodist Bishop David Kendall:

“I’ve been urging our churches to join Paul and Jesus in praying for the church’s sanctification (see 1 Thess. 5:23 and John 17:17-19), praying that the church would be utterly God’s to do with as God pleases, to use however God chooses, and to participate in God’s ongoing mission to reclaim and renew the whole of creation. We’re way beyond church survival and even beyond church growth—we’re after the most comprehensive renovation of the whole of reality. Nothing short of all God plans will do, if we have anything to say about it.

Here’s the problem, however. Much of the church has been hijacked by the culture. This is not a new phenomenon nor is it a stroke of genius to observe it. It is a recurring problem. Predictably the cultures of this world have deconstructed the gospel, the good news of Jesus and His kingdom, and then put the gospel back to together again in ways that fit or even enhance the culture. For example, in our country people have harbored hopes of an American Dream—a vision of a kind of life that enjoys prosperity and peace. For many generations this dream has exercised enormous influence. So much so, that the gospel is often seen as a means to realizing this dream. To put it way too simply, the dream has deconstructed the good news and put it together again so that accepting Jesus represents a fast track to realizing the dream. Come to Jesus, join the church, be a good boy or girl, and God will bless you and the blessing will look like this dream-come-true.

When the culture stalls and the dream shatters, however, the gospel that was tweaked to accommodate this dream no longer seems adequate. Followers of Jesus, on their way to the dream-come-true, suddenly realize that it’s not happening for them and nervously wonder about where Jesus is taking them. There’s a lot of this going on just now. Huge institutions once thought invulnerable now seem on shaky ground. The economy no longer seems a safe harbor. Many are wondering how life can continue or ever be good again, if things keep going on as they are. Hand wringing is common, sometimes even in the church.

But when God owns us as church, when the church is utterly at his disposal, when there is nothing to lose because it’s all been surrendered for his use, when the good news of Jesus once again asserts itself against the bad news of our world, the good news deconstructs the culture, and helps us shape a life free of that culture’s illusions and idolatries so life goes on but in ways fully compatible with the kingdom Jesus declared and demonstrated. If God were to foreclose on all our false hopes and assume sole proprietorship of the church, the good news would show us how to live even in a world that is passing away.

This is how it was when the church first came to be. Followers of Jesus showed their world that life did not require the gods venerated by their contemporaries. “The way it has always been” was shown to be a lie. In fact, it hadn’t always been that way, and it could be another way that was better. And followers of Jesus were often in the lead showing that better way.

Not long ago in the country of Peru mountain farmers stood up against the drug lords that owned most of the land around them. They had convinced everyone that the land could only grow coca plants, from which cocaine was made. It had always been that way, and it had to be that way for the people to survive. Of course this was a lie, but everyone believed the lie. Everyone, that is, until a Christ-follower refused to use his land in that way and started to plant other crops. Now, everyone knows that the land will produce many crops, most of which can be eaten and directly benefit the village. Christ-followers exposed the lies that had kept people from possible blessing, and led them to a different and better life.

If the Christ-followers who are church courageously follow Christ in these days, dare we believe that once again lies about “the only way life can be good” will be exposed? Dare we trust that if Christ has us wholly at his disposal, we may become agents of blessing and recreation to a world that thinks it’s falling apart? Dare we still hope?”

I don’t get it. Even if you believe it…why emphasize it so much? Of course, perhaps it was one thing the pastor said, and it was taken way too out of context. That can certainly happen.

We all heard about the man in Pennsylvania this past week. He was teased by women his whole life, and apparently had a chip on his shoulder for many reasons that he blogged about. But there is some new insight offered in this article about the church he used to attend.

A quote from the killers’ own blog said about the pastor of that church: “This guy teaches (and convinced me) you can commit mass murder, then still go to heaven.”

Here’s a quote from the article:

“We believe in permanent security — once saved, always saved,” Rickard said. “He will be judged, but he will be in heaven. … He’ll be in heaven, but he won’t have any rewards because he did evil.”

Wow. Remember, that’s a public statement from someone who is a LEADER in a church RIGHT NOW. Not some crazy, off the wall, long ago statement. He’s a Deacon at the “Telestai Church” (from Greek, meaning “it is finished“) in Pennsylvania. This church is a great testimony to why I believe strongly in being a member of (even imperfect) a denomination. It’s scary to think of how many well-meaning groups of Christians have become cults like this…very far from the Truth communicated in Scripture.

The problem is, even among the main evangelical churches, probably even among the congregations at your church and my own – there are plenty of us seeking Christ with some sort of “Kingdom-economy-based” reward beyond whatever God has in store for all humanity. (not Christianity, as Jesus was about) The line of thinking that brings up thoughts like “another jewel in my crown”, or “a larger mansion”, or even “special powers or blessing (that I can somehow earn)”.

May we recognize that there’s just as much wrong with both mindsets:

“I can do whatever I want, and still get into Heaven.”

“Sure, he’s probably in Heaven, but not getting as (many rewards/good experience/etc.) because of how he lived. That’s why I’m living better than he did.”

From Sermon #88 “On Dress” (just for fun)

9. The question is, What harm does it do, to adorn ourselves with gold, or pearls, or costly array, suppose you can afford it; that is, suppose it does not hurt or impoverish your family? The first harm it does, is, it engenders pride, and, where it is already, increases it. Whoever narrowly observes what passes in his own heart will easily discern this. Nothing is more natural than to think ourselves better because we are dressed in better clothes; and it is scarce possible for a man to wear costly apparel, without, in some measure, valuing himself upon it. One of the old Heathens was so well apprized of this, that, when he had a spite to a poor man, and had a mind to turn his head, he made him a present of a suit of fine clothes.

Eutrapelus, cuicunque nocere voiebat,
Vestimenta dabat pretiosa.

[The following is Boscawen’s translation of this quotation from Horace: —

Eutrapelus, whome’er he chose
To ruin, deck’d in costly clothes.” — EDIT.]

He could not then but imagine himself to be as much better as he was finer than his neighbour. And how many thousands, not only lords and gentlemen, in England, but honest tradesmen, argue the same way! Inferring the superior value of their persons from the value of their clothes!

10. “But may not one man be as proud, though clad in sackcloth, as another is, though clad in cloth of gold?” As this argument meets us at every turn, and is supposed to be unanswerable, it will be worth while to answer it once for all, and to show the utter emptiness of it. “May not, then, one clad in sackcloth,” you ask, “be as proud as he that is clad in cloth of gold?” I answer, Certainly he may: I suppose no one doubts of it. And what inference can you draw from this? Take a parallel case. One man that drinks a cup of wholesome wine, may be as sick as another that drinks poison: But does this prove that the poison has no more tendency to hurt a man than the wine? Or does it excuse any man for taking what has a natural tendency to make him sick? Now, to apply: Experience shows that fine clothes have a natural tendency to make a man sick of pride; plain clothes have not. Although it is true, you may be sick of pride in these also, yet they have no natural tendency either to cause or increase this sickness. Therefore, all that desire to be clothed with humility, abstain from that poison.

11. Secondly. The wearing gay or costly apparel naturally tends to breed and to increase vanity. By vanity I here mean, the love and desire of being admired and praised. Every one of you that is fond of dress has a witness of this in your own bosom. Whether you will confess it before man or no, you are convinced of this before God. You know in your hearts, it is with a view to be admired that you thus adorn yourselves; and that you would not be at the pains were none to see you but God and his holy angels. Now, the more you indulge this foolish desire, the more it grows upon you. You have vanity enough by nature; but by thus indulging it, you increase it a hundred-fold. O stop! Aim at pleasing God alone, and all these ornaments will drop off.