Thursday, September 24, 2009
Neither Boomer nor Gen-X, neither Greek nor Jew
The following is my portion of correspondence with a good friend about styles of music, church services, etc. As you will see it scratches the surface of the topic and does not address many practical decisions that have to be decided, nor does it address the role of style and arts in trying to introduce the gospel to our culture. My intent in posting it is for all those reading to humbly consider what we have been given in the knowledge of Christ Jesus and the sufficiency of that knowledge as our source of joy and hope and that knowledge being the root of how we 'do church' and love one another in the local church.
1. You mentioned generational differences in perspectives/values and the gap between boomers and Gen-X. Do you think those generational identifiers or labels can become a source of pride and, for believers, an unnecessary source of division? When I was a pastor in a small rural church, the conflicts were often (though not always) along generational lines. While generational experiences cannot be ignored (wars, depressions, social mores, music styles, political expectations/shifts etc.) I wonder if, in the body of Christ, we make too much out of them and too little of what we have in common in the Gospel. Now, maybe that's a baby boomer throwing his self-centered weight around but I'm bringing it up based on two things:
First, the biblical doctrine that we are all children of Adam and all in the same moral boat before a holy God essentially erases the issue of generational differences. God’s self-glorifying solution is to provide one means of salvation and hope for all people – a faith once for all delivered to the saints in the person and work of His Son, Jesus Christ. That work places all who believe in one body – the church. I think that sinner-humbling, Christ-exalting, God-glorifying truth greatly diminishes our attention to generational differences – believers are now all together in the ‘boat of Christ’ and we should teach that and act it out. I think this is one of the truths Paul is getting at in Galatians 3:28 - There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Second, while I am no expert in the recent development of sociological/psychological self-awareness and understanding, I think it would be safe to argue that since the 1950s the influence of Freudian views of self have shaped our thinking far more than we want to admit. My point here is that whether or not we're Boomers or Gen-X, we're all drinking the same Kool-aid of viewing our inner self as unique (David Wells does a really good job addressing this in his book, 'Above All Earthly Pow'rs - Christ in a Postmodern World). So the very labels and assumption of the importance of those labels and distinctives are, I believe, the worlds ideas squeezing us into its mold (Romans 12:1,2 Phillips) of self-understanding. Sadly, many churches today are trying to synchronize it with the Gospel. The result, I fear, when it comes to the local church, is lots of focus on style based on presumed uniqueness and not on what God has done in Christ for children of Adam.
2. That leads me to my second topic: As I have grown in knowledge of what the Bible teaches, I see very little on style and lots on doctrine/theology and personal virtue or character. Example: when two women in the church at Philippi couldn't get along, Paul pointed them to the high, high doctrine of Christ emptying himself and taking on role of a bond servant, man, to the point of death, etc. In other words, Paul addressed differences and conflict with theology -- deep, serious theology -- not personality tests or excuses.
Another example from John 5 which records Jesus healing one person from a multitude of people needing physical healing, then warns the one healed not to go on sinning lest something worse befall him. Jesus healed the man with the intent of that man's future holiness (i.e., character). The point of everything Jesus did in his earthly ministry had a heavenly purpose for us and for God, not simply an earthly experience. Again, I fear our emphasis on style and relevance as determined by a shifting cultural standard is settling for too little. God's Word is preparing us for something eternal not temporal.
So, those are some scattered thoughts that I hope will stir us on to pray and ponder and talk about together.
Thanking Him for you,
Tedd
1. You mentioned generational differences in perspectives/values and the gap between boomers and Gen-X. Do you think those generational identifiers or labels can become a source of pride and, for believers, an unnecessary source of division? When I was a pastor in a small rural church, the conflicts were often (though not always) along generational lines. While generational experiences cannot be ignored (wars, depressions, social mores, music styles, political expectations/shifts etc.) I wonder if, in the body of Christ, we make too much out of them and too little of what we have in common in the Gospel. Now, maybe that's a baby boomer throwing his self-centered weight around but I'm bringing it up based on two things:
First, the biblical doctrine that we are all children of Adam and all in the same moral boat before a holy God essentially erases the issue of generational differences. God’s self-glorifying solution is to provide one means of salvation and hope for all people – a faith once for all delivered to the saints in the person and work of His Son, Jesus Christ. That work places all who believe in one body – the church. I think that sinner-humbling, Christ-exalting, God-glorifying truth greatly diminishes our attention to generational differences – believers are now all together in the ‘boat of Christ’ and we should teach that and act it out. I think this is one of the truths Paul is getting at in Galatians 3:28 - There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Second, while I am no expert in the recent development of sociological/psychological self-awareness and understanding, I think it would be safe to argue that since the 1950s the influence of Freudian views of self have shaped our thinking far more than we want to admit. My point here is that whether or not we're Boomers or Gen-X, we're all drinking the same Kool-aid of viewing our inner self as unique (David Wells does a really good job addressing this in his book, 'Above All Earthly Pow'rs - Christ in a Postmodern World). So the very labels and assumption of the importance of those labels and distinctives are, I believe, the worlds ideas squeezing us into its mold (Romans 12:1,2 Phillips) of self-understanding. Sadly, many churches today are trying to synchronize it with the Gospel. The result, I fear, when it comes to the local church, is lots of focus on style based on presumed uniqueness and not on what God has done in Christ for children of Adam.
2. That leads me to my second topic: As I have grown in knowledge of what the Bible teaches, I see very little on style and lots on doctrine/theology and personal virtue or character. Example: when two women in the church at Philippi couldn't get along, Paul pointed them to the high, high doctrine of Christ emptying himself and taking on role of a bond servant, man, to the point of death, etc. In other words, Paul addressed differences and conflict with theology -- deep, serious theology -- not personality tests or excuses.
Another example from John 5 which records Jesus healing one person from a multitude of people needing physical healing, then warns the one healed not to go on sinning lest something worse befall him. Jesus healed the man with the intent of that man's future holiness (i.e., character). The point of everything Jesus did in his earthly ministry had a heavenly purpose for us and for God, not simply an earthly experience. Again, I fear our emphasis on style and relevance as determined by a shifting cultural standard is settling for too little. God's Word is preparing us for something eternal not temporal.
So, those are some scattered thoughts that I hope will stir us on to pray and ponder and talk about together.
Thanking Him for you,
Tedd
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
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