For years, I have been very interested in questions
regarding cultural engagement. I
have led three different “shepherding” groups at our church over the last six
years, seeking to see elders raised up in our rather young church. Some titles we’ve engaged are: 1) Far as the Curse is Found, by M.
Williams; 2) Christ and Culture by
Niehbur; 3) Resident Aliens by
Willimon and Hauweras and most recently 4) Deep
Church by Jim Belcher.
Furthermore,
books that have impacted me this last year and more recently are: The Rebirth of Orthodoxy by Thomas Oden,
The Biography of Cornelius Van Til by
John Muether as well as To Change the
World by James Davison Hunter.
In Muether’s book, p. 66, he quotes Reformed giant J. Gresham Machen who
said these words in his opening address at the opening of Westminster Seminary:
... But we cannot consent to impoverish our message by setting forth
less than what we find the Scripture to contain; and we believe that we shall
best serve our fellow-Christians, from whatever church they may come, if we set
forth not some vague common measure among various creeds, but that great
historic Faith that has come through Augustine and Calvin to our own
Presbyterian Church. Glorious is the heritage of the Reformed Faith.
God grant that it may go forth to new triumphs even in the present time
of unbelief!
These words struck deeply because I love the Reformed
Faith. Yet, I have grown so deeply
over the last ten years of our new church, a church that draws from a variety
of traditions and backgrounds. I
celebrated Thomas Oden’s joy when he spoke of a renewal of orthodoxy in
mainline traditions that had long ago seemed to be “dead” or apostate. I so appreciated Tim Keller getting me
to think about C.S. Lewis’ “hallway” and seeing the commonality we hold with
“mere Christians.” I was drawn to
Belcher’s “Deep Well” illustration of drawing people to the “top tier” of the
Gospel and then using discipleship as the tool by which we narrow the focus a
bit and seek to train people up in the “bottom tier” of our particular
tradition.
Yet,
after ten years of having planted and pastored a PCA church, while I celebrate
the number of theological students we have trained up, and while I know that
our church has had a broad reach, especially to young people sent from us to
serve the Lord throughout the world, … yet I wonder two things in particular:
1) how many people have we truly influenced for the Reformed Faith? but also, …
2) is our particular tradition (Reformed) worth fighting for as much as the
celebration of historical orthodoxy/“mere Christianity” that so many of our
people have come to love and embrace, celebrate and live for, even though
sometimes remaining thoughtful Arminians, Baptists, Lutherans and even
dispensationalists? Many have come
through our doors over the last ten years, some have been “converted” to the
Reformed Faith, yet others have remained with their particular traditions, …
yet continue to think well of Grace Chapel (our church), whether they stay or
pursue a tradition that more readily identifies with their theological
convictions.
What
does it mean to celebrate the catholicity of the church, all the while standing
firm and rejoicing in a particular tradition (in my case, Reformed)? And how does this celebration of both work itself out in the life of the
local church? Because, ultimately the
question impacts the mission of the
Church. Why? Didn’t Jesus say something about the
world knowing we’re His by the love we have for one another? How we relate to one another, despite
the plurality of traditions represented in the American church, directly impacts
the credibility of our message to a watching world. Doesn’t it? To borrow
from Davison Hunter’s language, what is “Faithful Presence”? What is it for us as we look towards not
only the world that God so loved, but to the right and the left to the various
expressions of the Bride He so loved as well? I’m hoping the D.Min. program can help me grapple further with
these questions.
1 comment:
Mike, this is awesome! I'm excited for your journey and I hope it's a time of growth for you and for Grace. I'm in my third semester pursuing a Masters of Worship Studies from the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies, and I've been going through books that have led me to some of the questions you pose here.
For example, I recently read For The Life Of The World by Alexander Schmemann. Schmemann is Orthodox, and I've been blown away by the depth of symbolism and meaning in the Orthodox faith. The sacraments, the acts of faith that connect us with the actions of Christ, are multi-layered in their meaning. Communion is the body and blood of Christ, but it's also our connection with Him, our connection with each other. Much of our modern worship service derives its structure from the actions of Christ at the Last Supper: He took bread, He blessed it, He broke it, He gave it to His disciples. Communion is remembrance of Him, but it's also anticipation of His coming again! It is Christ's body, but it is also the Church, as we are the body of Christ. It is thanksgiving, commitment, unity, eschatology all wrapped into one action...
I wonder how much of this is understood or even acknowledged when we observe Communion today? Do we grasp -- or at least try to grasp -- the complexities of faith in Jesus Christ? And, more importantly in my mind, do we let this direct us in our daily lives, and in the life of the Church?
If you ever want to meet up sometime for lunch and discuss all this, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts. Until then, blessings in your pursuit of your Doctor of Ministry!
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