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by bruce
November 16, 2009 | House friends | 2 responses
We know you can feel it. We feel it too; the world is changing. Church is changing. You can hear it in the music and the words coming from Christian leaders. You can see it in the glances of everyone who steps in the Church, and from a good many people who no longer darken the doors. What it is–well, that’s hard to say.
Some people say Christians today are too open-minded, too freewheeling with their interpretations of Scripture. Others say Christians are too conservative, so married to their personal interpretations of God’s will that they leave no room for others—in whom God might have a different desire.
But the sentiment isn’t totally negative.
Where certain elements of what we have known as Christianity are going away, we see new structures and forms replacing them. And so we are pulled between our sense of sadness over what is being lost, and our excitement at what is being created. On one hand, we long to reconnect with the men, women, and traditions of our faith past. And on the other hand we’re excited about the emergence of people who are continuing to help us connect with our Creator.
There are lots of conversations in Christendom today, and they seem mainly to be arguments and debates between what to call this thing or that thing, and who is right and who is wrong. There appears to be no shortage of individuals willing to hang narrow labels on others who appear to meet general definitions. Frankly, there are too many definitions and too many people disagreeing over them to care.
Hopefully, you won’t find any of that in this space. We don’t have a lot of answers, but we believe that what answers exist are found in Christ. And hopefully in this place, you’ll find a sanctuary to explore who God made you to be, alongside others seeking to know him better.
Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/foreby/2726487168/
thank you for articulating this! You speak to what is going on in our local church right now with amazing precision. Thanks!
"We don’t have a lot of answers, but we believe that what answers exist are found in Christ…" Yes. There is a freedom to our theologizing, wrestling, and questioning when deep in our hearts we affirm that Christ is truth. Life would be easier if Godly living could be reduced to a single political party or a vast list of black and white rules to live by. To follow Christ today requires a sensitivity to the heartbeat of God… and that is where prayer comes in.