Last night I was talking to a dear friend of mine and we got to talking about spirituality and the church. It brought up an old concept I had spent some time on a few years back that I call the “Jedi Error”.
It was a couple summers back and I had gone to visit the church Solomon’s Porch in Minneapolis. I was excited to go because I had seen a special on TV about some churches that had been reaching the post modern community in unique ways and their church was one of the ones highlighted. I clicked with the things their pastor and church folks were saying about community and their church. Also I was on a quest to find other like minded Christians in ministry that our little old church could associate with. After emailing back and forth with Doug Paggit, the church pastor, I was thankful to be well received and welcomed to spend a week with them. To add to the great timing, their church was hosting the Emergent Summer Institute. I had heard of Emergent, knew that Doug was one of the main voices of the “association” and wanted to know if I would find a home there.
Long story short (in other words, I’ll share more later on some other blog in the future), Emergent was not for me or our church. There were multiple theological concerns on a critical level to even consider such a match. I enjoyed my time with Doug, with the folks of Solomon’s Porch (especially a new found friend named Luke), and several others from the church and Emergent but for the most part, I could not and still don’t understand the extreme, watered down view on key issues that I can not support.
I don’t think that hurts their feelings too much. I stuck out like a sore thumb there. The first night was a group discussion on homosexuality (see my post on that if you want to know my stance). It was a GREAT talk! The question of “Is homosexuality a sin?” was agreed upon putting to the side and talked about the relational, emotional, and cultural challenges within the talk. I loved it! However, about an hour into it, I said something to the effect of “I see where everyone is coming from and really appreciate it. I wonder though, how would you match up your beliefs to the Scripture?” I could have sworn that I had dropped the “F” bomb. The 80 or so people went deadly silent and stared at me like “Oh great, one of those guys.”
OK, that said, there was something (actually a few things) I loved about that group of people that the conservative church could learn from…..communication without judgment. Don’t get me wrong, Emergent could learn alot about how the truth of the Scriptures needs to be part of the talk as much as if not more so than “It just seems to me…..” but the level of love, grace, sincere listening, and an attitude to talk instead of just being right is something the traditional church needs more of.
Now that could bother some Christians reading this blog. However, I think if you talk and listen to your close friends who used to go to church and have walked away from the faith, I have a strong feeling they will more than likely agree with me than you on this point.
Here’s where the Jedi Error part comes in…..the second night I was there, I was settling in for the night at the hotel with the TV on. On the movie channel was Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. This is the movie showing Anakin going from the good to the dark side of the Force. As I watched it, it became clear one of the major problems of the traditional church. Much like the Jedi council, we are not open enough to partnering with people on the struggles of the faith.
Let me explain better, when Anakin had concerns, struggles, anger, frustration, fears, and the like, he went to the Jedi masters to ask them how should he handle it. What do I do about the fear of losing my secret wife? What did he get? Oh, Anakin…….you need to let that stuff go. Sit down, stop dancing with the temptation, and someday you’ll understand when you’re mature like us.
However, the evil chancellor was more than ready to hear the concerns, offer quick fixes, and seem to be caring and loving. Who would you partner with?
In the same way, there are some serious challenges towards the Christian faith. There are some things that are hard to not struggle with as we grow in our faith and the world tries to invade us. I know that God is strong enough and the Word sound enough to handle such challenges but people need others to partner with them in this search, not judge them because they are searching. When we do that, we are trying to produce clones instead of children of God and people get hurt and tossed aside.
Maybe if we listen to those who are struggling and admit to them our own struggles, then people will trust us more to let us lead them to Christ and His answers. I’m not a big church basher……she is none the less the bride of Christ. However, if I am honest with the challenges, then others can believe I’m being honest about the answers.
OK, maybe I’m babbling now. If you are interested in this topic, I did a message on it awhile back. Soon it should be on the on-line pod casts in the links to the right. I’ll try to get it up and running for ya. For now, I just wanted to introduce the thought.
“the level of love, grace, sincere listening, and an attitude to talk instead of just being right is something the traditional church needs more of.”
Let me start off by saying “AMEN & HALLELUJAH!” to that! My own personal experience (or as I call it, “my short but tragic affair with Religion”) showed me that, in my humble opinion, there are too many people who call themselves disciples of the Living Christ who revel & gladly abide in what they see as “the law”, but who wouldn’t know grace if it bit them on their backsides! They make judgments & make statements of their own view of Religion that they see as set in stone as the ten commandments! They seem completely incapable of hearing anyone or anything that is not safely ensconced within their own little, narrow, stern box. They do not doubt their perfect understanding of God’s will. Doubt never once crosses their minds where their precious “law” is concerned. Seems to me they love the “law” above all else.
“Now that could bother some Christians reading this blog. However, I think if you talk and listen to your close friends who used to go to church and have walked away from the faith, I have a strong feeling they will more than likely agree with me than you on this point.”
I think it’s pretty clear with whom this former Christian agrees! You have always been very clear where you stand on the homosexuality issue. Truth is, we just do not see eye-to-eye on the sinful nature of homosexuality and probably other things, too, but never once have I ever felt anything but the love of God coming from your words! I have so long wished that Christians would love their Lord & love His grace more than they obviously hate me & my “lifestyle”, because if they did, they’d at least still see me as a brother instead of the inhuman demon they have worked so hard to make me feel like.
How blessed I am to finally meet one who truly seeks the heart of God & who has made me feel nothing but welcome despite our obvious differences. How thankful I am, too, that, for even just the few moments when I get to listen to or read your words, I am able to forget the hurt & the anger & the broken promises.
I have told you this before, dear brother, but I know that God brought you into my life for a reason: to remind me that, of all the things my former family in Christ has tried to take back & undo, God’s love & grace is still meant for me & it remains immovable & iron.
Some of us need reminding every now & again!
You probably don’t get to hear this enough, but thank you for all you lovingly do, all you are & for all you give as a true & faith servant for the Kingdom!
C, you are always so gracious and humble me. More than anything else, I just love hearing from you. I know we have both been pulled a little from Revolution time wise and I thank for taking time to stop by here.
Blessings to you, brother! Looking forward to more talks……
(I will say I don’t envy you right now…..moving into June in Florida……..Hot, Hot, Hot!)
Thomas,
Thanks for your always-kind words & your more-than-evident brotherly love! It’s ONE OF the reasons I enjoy our conversations!
As for thanking me for stopping by, no thanks are needed. For me, it’s like a trip to the well…when I need a little REAL Christian refreshing! 🙂
As for Florida in the summer, it is as bad as you think it is, but it is good for one thing: bike riding (at least in the morning or late evening), and love me some bike riding! As a 45-year-old (quickly approaching 46) diabetic, I’m beginning to really understand the need for getting up & getting out into the world instead of growing roots on the couch…been there, done that, ready for a little something more!
Enough about me, I always look forward to reading more about & from you! It always makes me think & very often, it makes me smile, too!!
Peace out, my brother!
C
🙂
[…] that next Sunday’s message at church as I presented for the first time the concept of the Jedi Errorwhich was born from that week. This took the conversation past the same old debate and focused more […]
[…] to Emergent’s Summer Institute. While it originally was a sermon, I also turned it into a blog. You can read more about it there but the basic principle is taking one of the positive elements of […]