In a moment of clarity tangentially related to Pastor Farley's sermon on doing everything by the Book, Winchester Spudchecker found himself entertaining sacrilegious thoughts about the Sunday morning ritual pew pantomime at the First Bible New Testament Community Church (of Pensacola, perhaps). "Have we really been doing it by the Book?"
Is there solace in being right (if we, the honest askers of difficult questions, are), with Scripture and history on our side (if they are)?
Is anyone in this situation now, where your questions, despite your efforts to frame them with respect and love, are getting you in trouble?
Can anyone offer encouragement to these honest seekers?
By the way, Pagan Christianity? has a little brother, Reimagining Church.
Next time: Chapter 2: The Church Building
As startling as it may sound, almost everything that is done in our contemporary churches has no basis in the Bible....The truth is that precious little that is observed today in contemporary Christianity maps to anything found in the New Testament church. (4)This is how the first chapter of Pagan Christianity? opens. Their point: most of our churchy traditions come from the polytheistic Roman Empire of Constantine's era, the Reformation era, and the Revivalist era.
[I]f you are a Christian who takes the New Testament seriously, [Pagan Christianity?] may lead to a crisis of conscience....In light of this revelation, rebellion against the church you attend or its leadership is not an option. According to the authors, you should just leave quietly (in Pastor's face; the pastor rarely likes to lose a parishioner under any circumstance nowadays) and let the practitioners of paganism continue to live in the Matrix, where they are merely batteries feuling the institution with their checks and pocket change...or be at peace with it, Cypher. "There is a vast gulf between rebellion and taking a stand for what is right," they say on page 5. This is good advice for the trouble maker, who doesn't necessarily care about what is true: the one who likes to cause a riot over the placement of flowers or something like that. But for those of us who do care, ask the difficult questions, and attempt to peacefully seek the kingdom of God in good standing with the church organization and its leadership, a rebel label is our lot, stamped on our pictures in the church directory and database in the church office. This is where the heartbreak occurs, when the peacemaker is pegged as a troublemaker.
...if you happen to be one of those people who gathers with other Christians outside the pale of institutional Christianity, you will discover afresh that not only is Scripture on your side--but history stands with you as well. (7)
Is there solace in being right (if we, the honest askers of difficult questions, are), with Scripture and history on our side (if they are)?
Is anyone in this situation now, where your questions, despite your efforts to frame them with respect and love, are getting you in trouble?
Can anyone offer encouragement to these honest seekers?
By the way, Pagan Christianity? has a little brother, Reimagining Church.
Next time: Chapter 2: The Church Building
6 comments:
I can empathize with your concerns on being labeled a rebel and troublemaker when standing on the ground of truth. My family experienced this when we left the institutional church four years ago. However, what we have found in the organic setting as we have experienced the headship of Christ and true community has made it all worthwhile.
I've read the book's "little brother"-"Reimagining Church", and found it to be insightful and right on target. It picks up where “Pagan Christianity” left off and continues the conversation. (“Pagan Christianity” was never meant to be a stand alone book; it’s part one of the conversation.) “Reimagining Church” is endorsed by Leonard Sweet, Shane Claiborne, Alan Hirsch, and many others. You can read a sample chapter at
http://www.ReimaginingChurch.org
It’s also available on Amazon.com. Frank is also blogging now at http://www.frankviola.wordpress.com. Also, have you seen the spoof video for "Pagan"? Very funny. Check it out at http://youtube.com/watch?v=hslswIal9u4.
Thanks Jillie. This is my first time through Pagan Christianity?. Soon, I will post different perspectives on the book (as I find them) including one from a prominent scholar.
Would you be willing to share your experience over the last four years? You may want to do that in another format, one that will not be hidden among the comments. Perhaps even in a guest post?
I will look into Reimagining Church and Frank's blog.
I have seen the spoof, but because you are the first to recommend it, I will post it here and tip my hat to you.
Thanks again.
When I think about the whole Institutional church vs organic church argument I try to take step back and remember that no one is getting it right and the purpose is not to get it right but to follow Jesus.
I do think the organic church is closer to what Jesus had in mind but that doesn't mean that Institutions are evil and have no purpose.
It's have to keep this mind set when talking to other people though.
Fousty, welcome and thanks.
You make some good points. Following Jesus is what his disciples do. In fact, even when the 12 followed Jesus, they had trouble 'getting it right'.
Your position on institutional church vs. organic church seems honorable. It is tempting to take an extreme position for or against one or the other. The pastor who supervised me in SM thought that extreme positions were meant to move the moderate temperament.
Looking at this issue as if there are sides seems dangerous. As you say (or seem to imply), it would be missing the point. And so, asking what is the point, again? seems appropriate. Answering that question may even help to clarify things for someone who doesn't understand why this is an issue at all.
The important thing about Pagan Christianity, I think is it's substance - do the authors make good on their claim that Joel notes? I'm looking forward to the rest of this series.
I have been reading this book at the request of a friend and I actually find it a bit disturbing. There are a lot of blanket staements made about the "institutional church" and labeling it as mostly works of the flesh. Viola is very selective in the history he reports. The main question I have is this. After thousands of years and people seeking the Holy Spirit with a pure heart, is He all of a sudden saying. "you got it all wrong"? And too say that the majority of the church hasn't hear the Spirit right or interpreted the scripture right sounds a lot like a new Mormonism/Jehova's Witness movement.
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