I have been doing much reading in the latest 'wave' of the post-modern/emergent church discussion. Brian McLaren asks some questions that just get my juices flowing, and my brain wandering. There is a small group here at sem. who are just jumping in this conversation and we are talking about the need to seek to 'enlarge' the conversation. So jump on in....Here I offer some of those prompting questions or statements from McLaren's "Generous Orthodoxy" with a few reflections of my own. What are yours?
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in a footnote, "Sadly, some conservative Protestants unwittingly reduce the gospel to a theory of atonement. Dallas Willard calls this "the gospel of sin managment" and says it produces, "vampire Christians" who want Jesus for his blood and little else." See The Divine Conspiracy (Harper, 1998). p. 54
"Caesar's authority was symbolized in a cross on which rebels and revolutionaries suffered and failed. Jesus' authority is symbolized in a cross which he suffered as a rebel and revolutionary and succeeded." p. 91
"Salvation is what happens when we experience both judgement and forgiveness, both justice (exposing the truth about our wrong)and mercy (forgoing the negative consequences we deserve). Without both we don't end up with true salvation." p.103
"Jesus is still in the process of saving us." p. 107
The understanding that is prevalent within American society is that salvation is a one time momentary event. We often hear, "I was saved on October 2...blah, blah, blah." But Jesus is still at work in and amongst us, each and every day, each and every minute. Salvation is such a whole experience that it can't just be a 'one timer.' Yet for society, one timer things are easier to live with and 'hold' as their own personal property.
"But what about heaven and hell? you ask. Is everybody in?
My reply: Why do you consider me qualiefied to make this pronouncement? Isn't this God's business? Isn't it clear that I do not believe this is the right question for a missional Christian to ask? Can't we talk for a while about God's will being done on earth as in heave, instead of jumping to how to escape earth and get to heaven as quickly as possible? Can't we talk for a while about overthrowing and undermining every hellish stronghold in our lives in our world?" p. 122
What about our call to live in this world, and bring Christ's saving word and love to the world?
"What if Protestants switch their focus from protesting what they're against to telling the story about what they're for?" p. 140 !!!!!! YES! YES! YES!!!!!!
"Remember what Vincent Donovan said: "The day we are completely satisfied with what we have been doing; the day we have found the perfect, unchangeable system of work, the perfect answer, never in need of being corrected again, on that day we will know that we are wrong, that we have made the greatest mistake of all (Christianity Rediscovered, 146)." p. 336
Friday, October 06, 2006
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