"The truly cool are those who are on fire. They are the ones who truly don’t care what others think. You will find them warning the lost of the wrath of God. You will find them preaching on the streets. You will find them being called fools by the world, and that which is of the world in the church. May we all find grace to be such fools."
I read this quote above from an email R.C. Sproul, Jr. sent out recently and was truly encouraged by it. Primarily because this attitude and spirit is my hope and prayer for Christ's Bride as well, and specifically for the Christian tradition I subscribe to because, quite honestly, we stand in the most need of it.
In orthodox, conservative, evangelical churches we have been for far too long -- through our leaders -- standing on the seashore bickering, and stabbing each other in the back over fine points of internal theology and/or how to "fish" out in this Sea-world we live in; or, if we're not doing that, we simply stand back and criticize those brothers and sisters who really are out there in boats "fishing" (i.e. pushing the Good News of the Son of Man into all the dark corners of this fallen world). This simply must stop! Instead of pedantic arguments over theological minutiae, or apathy, or panting after peer recognition and affluence, or forming study committees, we need to get our keesters in boats and get out there and start fishing with the rest of the brothers!
Why I can say that is because, as I understand it, we are all in God's grand meta-narrative...
...and in that story the Church has already laid down a solid, time-tested foundation of Biblical, sola Scriptura doctrine which was poured out and made firm by the Holy Spirit through godly elder-teachers throughout the last 2000 years. In other words, we are not called right now to spend our time and energy on the continued tweaking of fine theological points of limited interest, and then perpetuating that interpretation of the Story by graduating more men from "cemeterys" (hee, hee...couldn't resist) who can do just that. Rather, we need to wake up and see where God has providentially placed us in His Story, and where that is, unfortunately, is in a extremely hostile "Babylon" that doesn't speak our Biblical language any longer and who don't have a clue what sin is, or for that matter, who Jesus is! I really believe that this is the age of orthopraxy. Orthodoxy has been laid, and I think it is time to hit the pavement running. Time to roll up our shirt sleeves and clear our throats in preparation to call out the Good News with a clarion, thundering voice.
This does not mean forsaking the centrality of gathering together on the Lordsday, sheparding godly families, and cultivating sacred community through genuine fellowship and hospitality, BUT it does mean that our desires are subservient to Christ's. And one central command of His is that we herald the Good News -- no matter what the cost or who you happen to be -- of His kingship and the pardon He extends to all nations! Even if it means being mocked by believers or unbelievers, or giving loads of money away to orphanages, or having a seminary degree or not, or being wealthy or poor. It's no matter! We are the hermeneutic of Jesus and His Gospel on display before the whole World!
So my question for those who are reading this is: what are we, the orthodox evangelicals in America, communicating to that world around us? Have lots of children? Ya need to go to "church"? Find a Bible and read it? Understand the "end times"?? Now obviously, I believe these all are good and godly activities to do -- I unapologetically do all of them quite imperfectly myself -- but is this reaching the lost, dark and postmodern society around us? I say "No", and we are in need of taking radical steps to be bold, creative, cruciform, self-denying, grace-abounding fools for Christ to this postbiblcal world around us, and unfortunately our communities in the conservative evangelical "tradition" have not looked like that for quite some time.
Stated simply: it's time for Gospel orthopraxy to break out of the walls of stagnating institutional Church. Semper Reformanda!
So my question for those who are reading this is: what are we, the orthodox evangelicals in America, communicating to that world around us? Have lots of children? Ya need to go to "church"? Find a Bible and read it? Understand the "end times"?? Now obviously, I believe these all are good and godly activities to do -- I unapologetically do all of them quite imperfectly myself -- but is this reaching the lost, dark and postmodern society around us? I say "No", and we are in need of taking radical steps to be bold, creative, cruciform, self-denying, grace-abounding fools for Christ to this postbiblcal world around us, and unfortunately our communities in the conservative evangelical "tradition" have not looked like that for quite some time.
Stated simply: it's time for Gospel orthopraxy to break out of the walls of stagnating institutional Church. Semper Reformanda!
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