So, I've been thinking

SO, I’VE BEEN THINKING…

Donnae normally shudders when she hears me say those words. She does not know what has been going through my mind and where this may lead. For anyone that knows me that could be scary!

But seriously, I have been thinking about the phenomenon that is sweeping through the Christian world where high profile Christian leaders and personalities are ‘deconstructing’ their faith. This has resulted in some leaving the faith, moral failure, and a drift from long held-to doctrines and beliefs of the Bible. In the last few years, men like Mark Driscoll, Brian Houston, Ravi Zacharius, Joshua Harris, and Abraham Piper have dominated the Christian news headlines and have caused many others to question their faith and even the existence of God.

So, I invite you to come think along with me. As God said to Isaiah in chapter 1:18, “Come now, and let us reason together…” and see if in the midst of our reasoning we can come alongside one another and encourage one another to finding truth and answer.

What is it that causes gifted, skilled, and prominent Bible teachers to turn their backs on their faith? Why would they reject the Bible they have so skillfully taught and written books about? My mind wrestles with the possible reasons that drove them to this end.

Is it political issues like feminism, racism, LGBTQ+ ideologies in society today that have driven their journeys? Does it have anything to do with their understanding of the authority and role of Scripture facing these issues? Is it a misunderstanding of why God portrays some of these issues as sinful or maybe their view of God and who He is and how He acts? Maybe it is because of an attempt to properly understand what is sin and why does God hate sin?

I don’t know what the answer is. It could be with how the Church has handled some of these issues in the past (Let’s be honest we have not always done a good job at being salt and light in the world!). I wonder, if we had to be honest, we don’t always have the answers to some of these issues and struggles. It is wrong to try and act and answer as if we do. Sometimes we just have to say, “I don’t know, but let us find the answer together!”

As you can see, I am wrestling with this and other issues regarding the Church and society. Don’t misunderstand me, I am not at the point of deconstructing my faith. I am just trying to understand how this journey has impacted the role of the Church in society today and the way the world perceives the Church.

So, come, let us reason together. I would love to hear your thoughts on this. I listened the other day to a podcast that was tremendously helpful in grappling with this issue, and I thought I should share a couple of insights from it. (To listen to the full podcast check out ‘Theology in the raw: Deconstruction, Progressive culture;ture, Emerging Church, and the need for Missional Theology: Dan Kimball). What would you say to my thoughts below:

Rediscover our true identity in Christ – Have we forgotten who we are? Our identity is supposed to be anchored in who Jesus is! When we lose sight of this, we begin to question our faith and lose our way. I wonder how many of the identity issues in society today could be solved by rediscovering who we are in Jesus. When the Church is secure in her identity that has to impact how she acts and responds. I wonder if this is where part of the problem lies. Have we forgotten who we are? What does it mean to be the Bride of Christ today? What does it mean to find our identity in the character and nature of Jesus? How does knowing who we are affect what we believe?

Rediscover Good Theology – It sometimes seems that too many church sermons and message series today focus on how to be a better person or how to be successful or deal with pop psychology stuff rather than on solid doctrine and good Theology. Dan Kimball suggests that the next big thing that will draw this next generation to the church is not worship and great music but a solid and well thought-out Theology that allows people to grapple honestly with issues. In a local coffee shop here some young folk (not all believers) meet weekly to wrestle through difficult Scripture. The discussion is honest, tough, but has a strong appeal on these young people, and I believe that it will end with a good solid understanding of Scripture and a faith that is unshakeable and built on a good foundation. Do you really believe that what you believe is worth believing?

Rediscover what it means to be Salt and Light – A good Theology always leads back to mission – to the calling of God to the Church to be salt and light to the world or community we find ourselves in. When we clearly understand who we are and what we believe then we also understand what we are meant to be doing. But what does it mean to be salt and light? Just as salt adds flavour to food and preserves it, so we have to add ‘flavour’, preserve, and guide people to their greatest need – Jesus! We have to present a picture of Jesus to the world that is so compelling, so beautiful, and so real that they want be a part of it too.

So, I’ve been thinking. You can see why Donnae gets nervous when I tell her this! But come think along with me. Let’s try and find some of the answers to these questions and wrestle through these issues together.

In closing here is one last article, also written by Dan Kimball, that is both revealing and challenging. Read it and respond. I would be so interested in your thoughts too, and hopefully along the way, just as iron sharpens iron, we can find some good answers and a clear way forward together.