(I had this 1/2 written and got distracted.....)
Had a great time in Massachusetts last week. Glad to be back.
Made a couple of contacts this morning. Got a lot on the agenda this week, but I want to check in on the ole blog so here I am.
I haven't forgotten about the previous blog about the end of Christianity in America and I wanted to continue my thoughts on the matter....
The kingdom of God operates very differently than the kingdom of this world. We must never, never forget that. In America, we think it's great that we can worship God freely. We think it's great that the church can not only influence law and government, but actually obtain power to run it. To be in charge, on top, and in power, is considered a sign that things are "going well" for the church. Success is measured by how big the group is, how much $$$ you have, and how much pull you have in forming public policy (we call this power).
So what is happening in America today? Church numbers are down and it's "place" in national politics is not what it was 10 years ago. Recent elections show that evangelical/conservative Christians (and their policies) are not as welcome in the political arena as they once were. State sanctioned gay marriage appears inevitable and roe v. wade isn't going anywhere.
So, do the math....the sky is falling. Bad, very bad times for the church.
There are/will be many folks who are not Christian gloating about all that I said above. They will declare victory in America's culture war. They will pronounce dead the church and talk about dancing on it's grave. It's already happening and I expect nothing less from those folks. Using their rules, they won. Good for them.
But here's the thing, the church is called to operate under the values of the Kingdom of GOD. Success in the church is defined very differently and comes under different conditions. Strength is found in weakness and smallness and vulnerability. God moves powerfully from the bottom up, not from the top down.
It all started with that Constantine rascal. Connie is considered a hero by many Christians who evaluate success using the worlds yardstick. He's the guy who made Christianity the state religion in the Roman empire in the early 300's. The emperor before him, Diocletian, was all about persecuting and killing Christians. Under Diocletian, Christians had to do their thing "underground". There was no freedom to worship in those days. They weren't winning elections. They weren't formulating policy. They weren't making rules. They were objects of legislated hate and ridicule.
A couple of intense dreams experienced by new Emperor Constantine changed everything. He became a Christian and made Christianity the state religion. Christianity went from running from the government to being the government overnight. Obviously, more and more people became Christians. Christian morality and ideals became law, and folks were free to worship Jesus openly. We now had the power. We made the rules. The church has valued this place of authority ever since.
And while I can see the positive motives behind such a value. I think it has robbed the church of it's true source of it's power. I think Emperor Constantine's institutionalizing of Christianity emasculated the church.
But this is getting too long......I promise to continue this in another post.....
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Now back to 1 Cor 13:8-13 for me--looks like that passage will be my swan song.....
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OK. You just said that strength is found in weakness and smallness and vulnerability and that God moves powerfully from the bottom up. You said that the kingdom of God operates very differently than the kingdom of this world; success is not measured by how big a group is or by how much money you have. This is why some of us, maybe more of us than you think, just can't feel at peace with you leaving. If you REALLY believe this, then why can't you stay?
ReplyDeleteYeah, brother. Let's see the power of God working through this. We KNOW you have it in you!
ReplyDeleteIt is too late, am I right?????? His bags are all but packed aren't they?
ReplyDeleteI know that God works from the bottom up because he is using me - a true bottom feeder
ReplyDeleteIt's never too late. Sometimes God takes time to work. Did we really do everything we could? I think, at this point, everyone would be committed to making the appropriate changes to make Solid Rock Church strong and growing.
ReplyDeleteLong hours and days away from the family are not the answer. Financial security of the army is tempting, sure, but at what cost. It's going to be tough. Are we all really trusting God enough and doing all we can?
ReplyDeleteWhat if you put this whole thing on hold for a year or so. If things don't turn around, then at least we'll all know EVERYONE tried. We all know you are serious now; maybe some of us just needed to wake up.
ReplyDeleteMy attitude from the beginning has been that every person at Solid Rock has the right to speak to me about this matter.
ReplyDeleteI have had many discussions with many people over the last month regarding this decision. I will be glad to speak to anyone, listen intently to their concerns, and answer their questions to the best of my ability.
pjim
PJIM has given us all the opportunity to voice our opinions. This is not the time or place do this. I don't want to see him go any more than the next but it is not our decision to make. It is a done deal, don't make this any harder than it has to be. Let's make the last weeks we have left with him be weeks filled with GRACE, PEACE and LOVE!
ReplyDelete