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Spiritual Gravitas
- 02/07/09
- 7
I really enjoying reading David Wells' books (the theologian, that is, not the pitcher). His four (or five) volume series that began with No Place for Truth and ended with Above All Earthly Pow'rs (or The Courage To Be Protestant) is a modern day classic. There is lots of great content to mine from them.
Here is something he wrote in Above All Earthly Pow'rs. He reflected on the events of September 11 and the church's apparent inability to respond in a way that was adequate. These are words worth pondering. I find that I return to them often.
This moment of tragedy and evil shone its own light on the Church and what we came to see was not a happy sight. For what has become conspicuous by its scarcity, and not least in the evangelical corner of it, is a spiritual gravitas, one which could match the depth of horrendous evil and address issues of such seriousness. Evangelicalism, now much absorbed by the arts and tricks of marketing, is simply not very serious anymore.
No sooner did I post this than I thought of another quote that is equally good (and very closely associated). This one is from The Courage To Be Protestant.
This co-opting of showbiz, this transformation of Christianity into entertainment, is rapidly becoming the norm today, not the exception. Pastor are straining to outdo each other in becoming as chic and slick as any show in Las Vegas.
I pity satirists who might be tempted to try to tweak these segments of the evangelical world. Theirs is a mission impossible. It can no longer be done. No matter how indelicately they might exaggerate, no matter how much they might embellish to make a point, no matter how many descriptions they might offer of the tasteless things that are happening, it will most likely be met with only a yawn and a bored question: "So ... ?" Nothing seems improbable. None of it, in fact, ever seems exaggerated and none of it seems improper. It has now become impossible to insult some evangelicals. How the Wittenburg Door stays in business, I do not know.
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Comments (7)
I would agree, and disagree. What we're seeing day to day in the news, on the internet, and in a lot of churches, as they struggle to be relevant goes to what is being said here, but I also know of many in my own church, who go out with boldness, and spread the Good News of the Gospel. They take their charge given by Christ with a deep conviction, and seriousness; most of the time they are not noticed except by those they impact, and the Lord. The're doing Matthew 6:1, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven."
"Nothing seems improbable."
What did 40 years ago, like a homosexual bishop, or two men pastors living together and pastoring a church. And so it goes, like a snow ball rolling down the side of snow covered hill, it keeps growing.
I do pray there would be a revival in the pulpits. May the Gospel of truth once again be the burning desire in the Lord's pastors, as Jereimiah said, "mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not".
I agree TimI do however believe that in many cases it has it isn't so much that Churches don't have a right spirit when they do these kind of things. It has more to do with not rightly deviding the Word.An old pastor of mine, who I used to have a lot of discussion with, believed that in many cases it has more to do with phylosophy, than doctrine. In many cases, when I tried to point out to show him Scripturally, what I was talking about. He replied that I was misunderstanding the passages.
Tim,
What is interesting is that we are finally seeing a "backlash" against the "dumbing down" of Evangelical Christianity. Your blog is one good example of that--lovingly "fighting" for a return to truth. Some have even said that we Evangelicals are in a "post-seeker era." I'm not sure that we have come that far.
As a seminary professor (Biblical Counseling and Spiritual Formation and Discipleship), I believe the real issue in the next decade will be where the seminaries head. Some seminaries are just catching up to the seeker movement--about the time we may be going "post-seeker." And these seminaries are "adjusting" by lessening requirements in biblical studies, theology, and hermeneutics, and languages. That would be a horrific trend.
What we need are programs that are rigerous and robust biblically while being pastorally/relationally astute: equipping people to change lives with Christ's changeless truth.
Bib
I am currently reading the Courage to Be Protestant and I am really enjoying it. I love his theological approach to understanding the church and Western culture.
I am currently reading the Courage to Be Protestant and I am really enjoying it. I love his theological approach to understanding the church and Western culture.
What a timely post this seems to me -- this week we had our annual think tank conference in Escondido, CA. As we studied the insidious encroaching of pagan thought into every aspect of our culture and into evangelicalism, one question kept coming up repeatedly from those of us in the 25 - 35 year old category. Namely, "What happened to us? What happened? How are we so susceptible to this?" Of course there are always exceptions to the rule but I think that the dumbing down of the gospel that has happened has made us defenseless and able to swallow hook, line, and sinker so many lies without a single red flag raising in our minds.
Some interesting conversation flowed about this when someone brought up the popularity of The Shack, as well as the ease with which Emergent voices like those of Doug Paggit, Brian McLaren and their companions have been able to affect and deceive so many with such blatant unbiblical thought and teaching. So many people in the pews don't even realize it's unbiblical because they no longer even get taught what their bibles say!
Sorry, I'm clearly still wound up from so much lack of sleep and brain overload -- and I only got to hear about 50% of it since I was running around in back most of the time.
It is encouraging, though, to see the resurgence of reformed theology and so many young, passionate pastors and thinkers who are unwilling to alter or dilute the message of the gospel to make it more culturally palatable. Mark Driscoll, Matt Chandler, many of the Acts 29 guys, etc. Along with my own pastors and elders -- our congregation is blessed to be right next to Westminster Sem. California and to be the church home of many of the profs there. I am so encouraged by the group of students I am meeting -- so bright, passionate and in love with the truth of the Gospel.
Tim, did David Wells make any mention of churches that DID respond well after 9/11? For instance, I've heard often in past years that churches like Redeemer, etc. grew dramatically afterward and that a surprising number of new congregants stayed on and continued to flourish. This isn't just folklore is it?
But these are timely quotes to read -- very timely indeed. Especially given the reports now coming out about how churches are beginning to swell again dramatically in the wake of the financial crisis we're in?