It can be a fine line between freedom and bondage; between healthy and unhealthy. It's one thing to fight for freedom, to reject conformity and religious bondage. It's quite another thing to pridefully and stubbornly separate yourself for separation's sake.
I've camped out in a lot of this tension since moving here. The line I'm walking is the difference between two choices. The first option is to politely say no to another man's yoke and continue on my way without offense. The second option is to feel threatened - to stand far off clinging to my precious rights and my bitterness - pointing fingers at everyone else. There has been much overlap here. There are days when I preserve a tenderness before God, and then there are days when I play the part of the older brother in the prodigal story. Sometimes I manage to hold my tongue, and other times I let loose sharp words hoping for shock value; for attention-getting and for boat-rocking.
The past few days, the Lord has been taking me by the hand and pointing my finger back towards myself - back where it belongs. "Christian Culture" is not the problem (it is so tempting to believe this). The Church could get a global make-over in methodology and theology and it wouldn't change how I feel. How could it? The Church does not own the truth. God owns truth. Truth is a man named Jesus. And Truth is what has the potential to offend and to cut deeply. At the end of the day, my feelings of tension are directed towards this Offensive Man, this stumbling block on whom I must daily fall.
I believe He is faithful to keep shining this spotlight on my heart day after day. He is graciously and patiently dealing with me now, in these years of merciful calm before the storm.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Thursday, June 14, 2007
On Earth As It Is In Sunday School
The will of God can at times feel more like hostile take-over than like a gentle friendship. He is certainly a demanding God, isn’t he? Always wanting more of us. Always changing things around. Always moving and stealing away the things and the people we love. God disrupts our lives and steals the show. He doesn’t exactly share the spotlight with anyone.
If I’m honest, there’s still a part of my heart that sinks when I think of God’s rule and reign taking first place in my life. The gospels begin to feel like I’m watching God sort out the coins of Glory and Fame. I sit across from Him, watching him separate the praises into little piles. Now let’s see, he says, ten for me, and none for you. Ten for me, and none for you. Ten for me and none for you. Ten for me…
That God gets everything (and is in fact worthy of it all) is quite something. Not easy to swallow, really. Our pride takes the first blow, and it’s a hard one. He’s God and I’m not - truly. But I think it’s more than pride that makes me afraid of God’s rule taking first place in my life.
I think it’s that I still have no idea what His Kingdom is going to be like. I’m not particularly excited about God’s Kingdom taking over the planet because half the time I picture Church Culture taking over. That’s not exactly an awe-inspiring thought to me. It’s a world where nobody smokes or drinks; where all songs share the same four chords and every painting has a cross in it. Days are begun with worship services and concluded with Bible Studies (with prayer meetings in between). Everyone is home schooled. Everyone’s name tag reads “Brother” or “Sister,” and every sentence ends with “God Bless you.”
It’s a sterile, white bread world.
More than a fear of losing my pride or giving up sinful pleasures, I think what I really fear about God’s Kingdom coming to earth is a loss of creativity – that everyone will suddenly become clones. Things like poetry, culture, and rock and roll will have to be exchanged for hymnals, shofars, and tambourines. Oh boy. The Western church is so predictably bland today that to think of our present agenda actually succeeding sometimes gives me the chills.
Usually if I find myself offended at the prospect of God showing up and taking over the planet – stealing the very gaze of creation for all eternity – it’s that I’ve once again confused Church Culture with Christ. Luckily, God’s Kingdom is bigger than our agendas and artistic preferences. Whether we’re advocating the Republican Party, the worship movement, non-smoking restaurants, or the Ten Commandments in schools, the truth is this: The Creator is coming to rule. He’s coming to bow every knee before Him. His Kingdom is bigger than us. The Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven will not burn away what is good, earthy, and human (contrary to popular belief, “human” and “sinful” are not synonyms). It will bring more Freedom and Beauty than we can yet imagine – and my guess is that it will come as quite a surprise to us.
If I’m honest, there’s still a part of my heart that sinks when I think of God’s rule and reign taking first place in my life. The gospels begin to feel like I’m watching God sort out the coins of Glory and Fame. I sit across from Him, watching him separate the praises into little piles. Now let’s see, he says, ten for me, and none for you. Ten for me, and none for you. Ten for me and none for you. Ten for me…
That God gets everything (and is in fact worthy of it all) is quite something. Not easy to swallow, really. Our pride takes the first blow, and it’s a hard one. He’s God and I’m not - truly. But I think it’s more than pride that makes me afraid of God’s rule taking first place in my life.
I think it’s that I still have no idea what His Kingdom is going to be like. I’m not particularly excited about God’s Kingdom taking over the planet because half the time I picture Church Culture taking over. That’s not exactly an awe-inspiring thought to me. It’s a world where nobody smokes or drinks; where all songs share the same four chords and every painting has a cross in it. Days are begun with worship services and concluded with Bible Studies (with prayer meetings in between). Everyone is home schooled. Everyone’s name tag reads “Brother” or “Sister,” and every sentence ends with “God Bless you.”
It’s a sterile, white bread world.
More than a fear of losing my pride or giving up sinful pleasures, I think what I really fear about God’s Kingdom coming to earth is a loss of creativity – that everyone will suddenly become clones. Things like poetry, culture, and rock and roll will have to be exchanged for hymnals, shofars, and tambourines. Oh boy. The Western church is so predictably bland today that to think of our present agenda actually succeeding sometimes gives me the chills.
Usually if I find myself offended at the prospect of God showing up and taking over the planet – stealing the very gaze of creation for all eternity – it’s that I’ve once again confused Church Culture with Christ. Luckily, God’s Kingdom is bigger than our agendas and artistic preferences. Whether we’re advocating the Republican Party, the worship movement, non-smoking restaurants, or the Ten Commandments in schools, the truth is this: The Creator is coming to rule. He’s coming to bow every knee before Him. His Kingdom is bigger than us. The Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven will not burn away what is good, earthy, and human (contrary to popular belief, “human” and “sinful” are not synonyms). It will bring more Freedom and Beauty than we can yet imagine – and my guess is that it will come as quite a surprise to us.
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