Andre's Blog

The sky was so big, the blue of day like helium in my chest, the sparkle of night like white fire on my head.

I was alone, and without great power, humble and humbled.  Peace.

Now I look across caves of glass and steel, temples tall and empty, and feel trapped.

The ground is so heavy, the cement of man's hand pulling me down, the stale street lights dripping in my mind.

I feel lonely, powerless against the collective apathy, the prideful erode my insecure soul.

Where is hope?  Where is strength?  Where are the dozens, the dozens of dozens, who will sacrifice for the painter of blue, the fire behind the night?

Stand now, denizens of peace, and spend the capital of your lives on eternity. Invest in the aimless, those existing in the caves and temples, under the crusty beams of light.

Then, life with purpose.  Life beyond self:  humility, peace, and soul.

In Jesus' day, the Jewish leaders had developed an oral law tradition in addition to the Law given by God at Sinai.  These extra prohibitions are sometimes referred to as the Wisdom of the Elders.  These extra laws have been codified since that time in the Talmud.  It Jesus' ministry, he questioned the beliefs of the Jewish leaders of his day, but never the Torah, the written law.  It seems as though Jesus dismisses the oral law as irrelevant.

Christian doctrine is a lot like the Talmud.  Doctrine is the codification of a body of teachings. Doctrine is an artificial construct laid upon the Scriptures for the sake of rational understanding.  At its core, doctrine is of man. The Reformation of 500 years ago unleashed a radical rethinking of what it meant to be a Christian.  Orthodoxy- right belief- was rewritten for the Protestant Church.  The protestant brain trust, scholars like Calvin, Luther, Wolsey, stripped down Roman Catholicism to the essentials, and rebuilt their doctrines and practices accordingly.   The Roman Catholic Church hated these guys, sending out papal bulls for the excommunication of some of them.  The message to those reformers was, "Don't question Holy Mother Church."  The Roman Catholic Church includes in its authority structure tradition.  That what had been believed and practiced for a number of years is as important as the Bible and Papal decree.  The Anglicans rely on the 'three-legged stool" of reason, scripture and tradition.  Historically, evangelicals, a group not 50 years old as Driscoll asserts, but almost 300 years old, have been all about sola scriptura- the Bible alone. 

So when Driscoll criticizes the "liberal" emergents for questioning doctrines they should not question, because those doctrines have been around a really long time, he sounds a lot more like an ancient pharisee or medieval Roman Catholic Cardinal than a Reformer.  He says that the vigorous examination of Reformation doctrines is not acceptable, and following any such practice means one is a liberal. Jut for questioning them!  I ask, what is wrong with questioning what we believe?  I admit, those Reformation scholars were all a lot smarter that I am.  However, I am more confident in my faith and what I believe because I examined, questioned,, argued, yelled at and wrestled with the elements of the faith.  If Christianity cannot stand up under the most intense scrutiny, questioning, atheistic attack or heretical twisting, then it's not a faith worth following.  I think the tradition of Jesus, of the Apostles and of the Reformers is to zealously deconstruct and reconstruct our doctrine and faith practices based on the Bible.  I don't think the tradition of Jesus, of the Apostles and of the Reformers would have us shut up and believe what we are told to believe, because really smart men came up with it a really long time ago.

The more I look at the Evangelical camp from the outside, the more monolithic and tradition-bound it seems.  At least the Roman Catholics and the Anglicans are honest about the role tradition plays in their doctrine.  Certain evangelicals purport to be one thing- sola scriptura- but in practice, are something else.  I think there is a word for that....

I bet, if I lined up my doctrine with Driscoll's, I would be as Calvinist or Reformed as he is.  But I got here by stripping down everything I was taught and rebuilding it from the ground up.  I asked those questions that even pastors should not ask, according to Driscoll.  The labels that I have had thrown at me are beginning to be meaningless- liberal, heretic, apostate, conservative, creationist, Bible-thumper, hypocrite.  Evangelicals like Driscoll are unable or unwilling to make room in their nice tidy box of "What is a Christian?" for anyone who does not act and believe like them.  They do not see the difference between orthodoxy and orthopraxy, nor do they care to entertain the idea (at least the ones I have debated with).  These same evangelicals cannot believe that we would hold to the same foundation of the elements of the Gospel, the authority of the Bible, and the mysterious humanity and divinity of Jesus Christ, and not behave just like them.  I don't argue that I or my congregation have the corner on truth the way Driscoll does. I do have a broad enough horizon to include him and others like him as Christian brothers.  It's too bad he is unable to extend the same courtesy. He can only label and dismiss.

So, add me to the list of heretics labeled such by dying regimes: Calvin, Luther, Zwingli, Knox, McLaren, Wright.  I'll wear that label as a badge of honour.

 

Peace.

As the Reformation matured, a doctrinal foundation was laid for the movement by the likes of Luther, Calvin, Henry VIII's Thomas Wolsey, and Conrad Grebel.  These four schools of the Reformation- the German or Lutheran school, the Swiss or Reformed school, the Anglican school and the Anabaptist school- developed new orthodoxies and orthopraxies.  Out of these constructions came the Reformation questions that still define Evangelicalism today.  Note that Evangelicalism came to the table rather late, having its origins in Great Britain in the 1730's.  So what are these questions? 

The way these questions were answered, and a myriad of increasingly technical secondary questions (for example, views of eschatology), led to the formation of denominations.  These denominations, like the random creeping of cracks in a broken window, splintered again and again.  Reasons to no longer fellowship with others moved from the broadly theological to the absurdly precise.  The question of security in salvation as a test of community gave way to othorpraxic considerations like order of service, song selection, and music style.  

As we enter into the next season of church history, the questions that once defined protestantism are giving way to a new set of inquiries that will help define the post-protestant era. I think two of these questions are:

-Missional or not missional?

-Lots of communication about the Thanksgiving meal we served to River Clients on the Sunday of thanksgiving week-end.  This has included follow-up talks about the needs of some of those who attended that meal.  Wow!

-We are currently looking for an apartment size stove for a River Client, and a good washing machine for another person (if you have any leads as of this date, let me know!).  People just don't read these emails at the River- they look, and ask questions, and pray.

-A few weeks ago, the congregation gave my family a book of appreciation and several gift cards.  We feel so loved! Thank you River!

-One family in our congregation had a recent serious health set back.  The River, and one particular outside Bible study group, have jumped in to help with dozens of meals, drives, prayer, house cleaning and.... well you get the idea.  This is community!

-Preparing two big events for Christmas out of the church store front downtown.  A new edition of the River ReUse store (good new and used clothing, housewares and recreational equipment- all for free, all donated) and our second Ladies Spa night, where the women of the River do mani-pedi's (its a word, look it up guys) and facials, etc for female Food Bank and River clients, just to pamper them and encourage them.

These are evidences that I just happen to be the pastor at the best church in the world.  It's not because I'm the pastor; it's because these people are the church, and they have a deep abiding love for the other, because of their faith in God through Jesus Christ.  Go ahead, argue with me :)

Peace.