Thursday, May 21, 2009
Cheap Grace Getting Cheaper
iMonk links to a story from a Kentucky Christian Music fest:
I am no fan of head counts for altar calls, not buying the whole X thousand added to the Kingdom because they walked the aisle thing. I have always viewed the altar call as a means of identifying those that have found appeal in the message and then building relationship with them, and leading them forward.
But a text message, resulting in "more information" builds nothing but isolation. Spencer carries on about the theology of not having "to do" anything to become a Christian. Agreed, but we are to be Christin in community - in relationship, in flesh. An altar call can start a relationship and can press flesh. That's not becoming a Christian, but it is part of the process.
Pressing buttons on a cell phone builds a mailing list, but not much else.
Then evangelist Tony Nolan took the stage to deliver a message and a high-tech take on the invitation for people to commit to the Christian faith. No walking forward to Just As I Am, Without One Plea here. Winter Jam goers were told to text “Tony” to 38714, and they would receive a text with more information about where to go for information. Winter Jam organizers estimated 2,500 people responded to that invitation Saturday night.Spenser comments sarcastically about alter calls in any form:
Will churches be far behind? Will denominations be able to resist a new way to register “decisions” for Jesus? Will it be long before I hear this from a teenager: “Well, I texted the preacher at Winter Jam, so yeah, I’m a Christian.”But then, in an effort to temper his rant, I think he misses the real problem here:
Don’t get me wrong. The invitation can be combined with the Gospel rightly proclaimed, and in that case texting is no worse than any other invitation...How can the gospel be rightly proclaimed based on a text message?! Part of the Gospel message, one of the more important parts, has to do with incarnation - the whole Word became flesh thing. No flesh in text message!
I am no fan of head counts for altar calls, not buying the whole X thousand added to the Kingdom because they walked the aisle thing. I have always viewed the altar call as a means of identifying those that have found appeal in the message and then building relationship with them, and leading them forward.
But a text message, resulting in "more information" builds nothing but isolation. Spencer carries on about the theology of not having "to do" anything to become a Christian. Agreed, but we are to be Christin in community - in relationship, in flesh. An altar call can start a relationship and can press flesh. That's not becoming a Christian, but it is part of the process.
Pressing buttons on a cell phone builds a mailing list, but not much else.
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