Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Is It ALL Sanctified?
Consider the question in the head from two angles. First, if you look at all, you will see lots of things bearing the label "Christian." Christian real estate agents, Christian plumbers, kitschy Christian doo-dads.... Are such items/services really somehow sanctified and different from the "non-Christian" variety? Secondly, you see churches getting into all sorts of "ministries" - weight loss, jazzercize, business exchanges.... Are such things really legitimate ministries for the church? Try this on for size -- Jesus was a carpenter by training, when He built a table was it distinguishable from and better than those built by say, Joseph?
I don't think so. God sanctifies us, so people will probabaly like doing business better with us than others, but that does not make our products or services somehow better. Furthermore, I find it troubling when we try to paint it that way. Two reasons -- it robs the label "Christian" of its true value, and it co-ops the church to missions other than those for which God ordained.
Generally when these things are happening, one of two things are going on. In one case, people who really enjoy something simply want to justify it by calling it Christian. Take for example collecting comic books. Know anyone like that? How can that be a "Christian" activity? If I get together with other Christians to trade, how is that different than trading with non-Christians? Other than lowering the probability of cheating, I cannot think of a solid substanitive difference. Trading comic books is a sanctity neutral activity, it can be done by sanctified people or un-sanctified people, but the activity itself has no standing. If I am worried that my comic collecting interferes with my relationship with God, then calling it "Christian" does not change that -- I have to change myself, maybe even sacrificing that activity until I can handle it in a fashion that does not interfere.
Worse is when the church starts getting into things that God clearly did not have in mind for it. Bottom line is it just turns church into a marketing tool. If you are an aerobics instructor and want a class -- set your class to praise chorus' and marketed it through a church, how have you really glorified God? Haven't you really demeaned Him by claming His name for something that is sanctity neutral? Haven't you used resources of His body for other than the mission He set for it?
Maybe I'm full of hot water here, but I find this stuff really troubling. How about you?
I don't think so. God sanctifies us, so people will probabaly like doing business better with us than others, but that does not make our products or services somehow better. Furthermore, I find it troubling when we try to paint it that way. Two reasons -- it robs the label "Christian" of its true value, and it co-ops the church to missions other than those for which God ordained.
Generally when these things are happening, one of two things are going on. In one case, people who really enjoy something simply want to justify it by calling it Christian. Take for example collecting comic books. Know anyone like that? How can that be a "Christian" activity? If I get together with other Christians to trade, how is that different than trading with non-Christians? Other than lowering the probability of cheating, I cannot think of a solid substanitive difference. Trading comic books is a sanctity neutral activity, it can be done by sanctified people or un-sanctified people, but the activity itself has no standing. If I am worried that my comic collecting interferes with my relationship with God, then calling it "Christian" does not change that -- I have to change myself, maybe even sacrificing that activity until I can handle it in a fashion that does not interfere.
Worse is when the church starts getting into things that God clearly did not have in mind for it. Bottom line is it just turns church into a marketing tool. If you are an aerobics instructor and want a class -- set your class to praise chorus' and marketed it through a church, how have you really glorified God? Haven't you really demeaned Him by claming His name for something that is sanctity neutral? Haven't you used resources of His body for other than the mission He set for it?
Maybe I'm full of hot water here, but I find this stuff really troubling. How about you?
