A little Fun - Calvinism Repackaged?

This from a friend: (Just click the words)

See you soon - I hope

Bill Crawford
Bayou Christian

Chicken Little and Christian Fads

Is the sky falling? You would think so these days. In fact for the first 10 years of my ministry (lay and ordained) my work was primarily in exhorting the mainline PCUSA to get up and change or else. But somewhere along the way something happened.

One the PCUSA is no longer my denominational home - (yeah - we celebrate our 1 year anniversary with the EPC this month), and two I continue to see ways that the Church does need to change. But is the situation really that bad?

Everyone seems to think so these days especially after the release of the new ARIS (btw - I really like the logo with the rainbow flag - no bias in this report) a report many in the secular press are joyfully using to write that the end of Christian America is upon us. In all fairness even Christians are somewhat concerned about the report.

But really is it the end of the world for Christians? Do we have to change everything we do or else? Simple answer "No".

We tend to forget (and often) that the Christian world has experienced some profound hard times. I mean when Rome fell to barbarians it was at the center of the Christian World (so too Constantinople for that matter - although it's fall was a much more tragic story because there would be no return and the Muslims would not be converted later to Christianity).

But back to my original line of thought - I have been in ministry for roughly 11 years - 8 of those as an ordained clergy. My primary calling is to work in this small congregation and help it become healthy and grow - and God has done that work. But already I am "out of date" my methods are "behind the curve". I regularly read blogs and books that say if I don't change my methods - I'm doomed. I've learned that "Penal Substitutionary Atonement" was a fad and we need a "New Perspective on Paul" - wow that Fad (PSA) has a lot of history and biblical witness. So my theology is outdated, and because I believe in Propositionalism so too are my methods. Obviously I don't think so - but I'm not the one to defend these issues I'd recommend work by John Calvin, John Piper, Al Mohler, Sinclair Ferguson, Ligon Duncan, and many others. For that matter even Time Magazine seems to think Calvinism is pretty special.

Wow - that was sudden and dramatic. I mean I just caught up with the "Purpose Driven" idea; our congregation went from nearly dead to healthy and now after 8 years I'm already a neanderthal (well some would say that was true all along). Whew that was a quick decent from "cutting edge". All of this is of course said with my tongue in my cheek.

But my brief career has been built upon ("Christ" but for the sake of this discussion...) my being a change agent. Have I already sunk into stodgy mainlinism? Am I already a stick in the mud?

again "No"

Christian - be careful of fads, and those who want to change the Church "or else."

Most of what they are talking about has been tried before, much has failed before, The reason that much of what we do remains the same is that it is the Core of our belief. That's why for me the "Missional" discussion has gotten out of control - being missional, to me, seems to be about being biblical. That's why Emergent, for me, means remembering the past while looking to the future (not, however, just becoming a modern heretic), that's why I'm discovering that the discussions about "Christendom" have become so large, so fraught with personal hopes and fears, that it has lost it's grounding in history and become "Myth"(by which I mean something that holds truth but not necessarily is factual). So with that wild series of statements - enough.

In the end we have the same message as always. What is required is passionate, loving, truthful, faithful, proclaimation. The Message does not change (check out DA Carson's talk on this here).

Future topics related to this:

Missional Discussions
Emergent Church
What is becoming the "Myth of Christendom"

Hope to get to those by the end of the year!

Forgotten Foundation

This is a great book that I am recommending to everyone I can get to listen: