Retraction?
So, I haven't really reread my last post, but it's possible it came out pretty harsh against "traditional" churches. I guess lately I've been having a real heavy heart for the American church, and a desire to see it more how God designed it. I've seen a glimmer of the amazing power the Spirit of God gives to those who follow Him, and I want that for all Christians. As a Korean pastor once said of some American churches he visited: "It's amazing what you people can do without the Holy Spirit." God's lesson for us in church today also revolved around this idea. God wants to do powerful things with us, but it's not something we can do on our own. We want to plan things out, say how God will work, or say something like, "I remember how thigs goes," and try to do things ourselves. But we can't do God's work. It's by His grace that anything we do gets accomplished. We want to resist change or new things sometimes (oftentimes), but we must be open to let God do it His way. Let Him write the script, not us.
So, I'm still processing some of the stuff from today, so this probably just confused things more, but tough. Deal with it. :)
So, I'm still processing some of the stuff from today, so this probably just confused things more, but tough. Deal with it. :)
posted by spocktongue at 8:39 PM
3 Comments:
You need to read When God Writes Your Life Story by Eric and Leslie Ludy. It is all the things that you are saying here... if it helps, I am happy with my faith life, but terribly unhappy with my church life, and I am struggling in many of the same ways with how to balance it all... I am interested in your thoughts... keep them coming...
Well, I haven't really had anything coherent to say in response to your previous post. But I will say (now) a few things...
(a) it's really easy to over-generalize. While I generally agree with you that the American rendition of Christianity has its batch of flaws, I hesitate before agreeing that American churches, as a general rule, exclude/ignore the work of the Holy Spirit. It was in the 19th century that Pentecostalism broke out in the U.S., and there have been waves of Holy Spirit movements ever since.
(b) I wonder about what you say regarding "how God designed it" - do you mean, how God designed the American church? In that case, I would submit that God designed the American church no differently than he designed the church in general. There should be no major differences (other than cultural, perhaps) between an American congregation and a South Korean congregation - especially in terms of its theological design.
(c) I agree that it is by God's grace that we get anything done for the Kingdom. But I disagree heartily when you say that "we can't do God's work." While the Holy Spirit is a necessary agent in propelling and empowering us to do the work, the fact of the matter is that God has chosen his people (the church, his followers) to carry out his mission on earth. It is through people like us that the message of Christ is displayed before an unbelieving world. It is through human hands that the hungry are fed, the naked are clothed, the sick are visited, etc. (see Matthew 25)
Here's my take on it: God already *has* written the script. It's our job to follow it, by the power of the Holy Spirit, in the name of Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father.
let's keep this up, bum... this is a good conversation topic.
Sorry for the delay in responding--a lot's going on, and having to plan for a weekend away on top of it all... And I knew if I got a little stronger in my thoughts of things, I could illicit more responses. :)
So, my responses:
a) I think this is where our differences in worship styles come into play. When I think Holy Spirit in church, I think very charismatic types of things. I think we, in general (more generalizations), limit God in worship and in life as a whole. Don't try to protect God, expect big things.
b) I agree that there should be no major differences between an American congregation and a South Korean congregation. But, without having any first hand experience, my feeling (from who I talk to and what I've read) is that there are some differences, sometimes very big. Almost a "it's hard for the rich to get into heaven" kind of thing--we have too much to lose to really give it all to God.
c) This is what happens when I reference phrases from church on Sunday without giving their complete context. Obviously, humans actually have to do the *work* on earth. But we can't decide what that work is going to be. Almost a "will-worship" kind of thing. This is what I've been struggling with. I can't force someone to follow Christ. I can't force myself be this all-powerful, uber-Christian. It's all about submitting *everything* to God, and letting Him change me. Letting Him soften hearts. Letting Him grow the crops for us to harvest. Do you see the difference? Or am I explaining it horrifically?
Yes, God has already written the script, but how often do we know much of it? It's not especially often God shows us our lives x years in the future. Rather, we need to have an attitude of "what's my line for today?" What does God want me doing right now?
I want to say more, but I'm not sure I can come up with the words to express it, so maybe I'll just stop here for now.
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