Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Desperate or Misguided?
MMI quoting J Barrett Owen repudiates the mainline denominations:
The church is neither a reproductive organ, though reproduction is a byproduct of its primary activity, nor an instrument for God's justice, God is quite capable of executing His own justice and sometimes He will use the church for that.
The church is the Body of Christ and its purpose is to bring life - abundant, joyful, eternal life - life expressed in LIVES. The church builds people, and becasue each person is an individual, no agenda can meet that "vision" - only people can.
We look at the work it’s going to take to rebuild our mainline churches and we’re met with anguish, difficult times and frustration.On the right we have the answer to dying mainlines in Evangelicalism. On the left we have the answer in "Social Justice." What we really have here are agenda's plastering over a problem that runs much deeper.
We feel little to no creativity after examining the debt and despair that creeps past the sanctuary doors.
We feel the work it’s going to take to become a necessary influence on the community is enough to cause anyone to give up and walk away.
So instead of influencing anybody, we just tell stories of how it used to not be this way.
We retreat inward, knowing it’s too painful to think about what we’re not.
[...]
If we choose, though (and I believe it’s our choice), to become passionate about social justice, offering peace instead of war, giving hope to a future that needs it, educating all people, loving all people, blessing all people, practicing authentic spirituality, worshiping as a community, and praying for the brokenhearted, then the church is forever needed.
We can escape the turmoil in our own exile when we realize the church isn’t dying.
The church is neither a reproductive organ, though reproduction is a byproduct of its primary activity, nor an instrument for God's justice, God is quite capable of executing His own justice and sometimes He will use the church for that.
The church is the Body of Christ and its purpose is to bring life - abundant, joyful, eternal life - life expressed in LIVES. The church builds people, and becasue each person is an individual, no agenda can meet that "vision" - only people can.
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