As I thought more about my love song that defines my relationship with the Church, I have now thought of the break-up song that keeps playing in my heart! I know it's not the original version, but still...Hall and Oats is still cool even though the 80's is almost over....right?
This is also inspired by this blog post that I've been monitoring where the Christians on there responding seem to not care about loving others...IDK? you decide
seriously though, look at the words (they're on the screen), and think about it!
ps. check out the awsome black rickenbacker guitar!!! me want!
sooo....anyone else's heart break when they heard this song?
i'm conjuring up images of maverick and goose in the choir loft. but both songs you've posted are very appropriate. wish i could add to the lost love soundtrack, but have too much rolling around in my brain at the moment and none of it has to do with theology.
ReplyDeleteI checked out this post that you referenced and I'm not sure the conversation had anything to do with loving people? Not sure what your point was with that comment.
ReplyDeleteI think people are very concerned with Brian's theological views. They feel that he is downplaying some things that hit at the center of church theology. I'll admit that I fall among those who are concerned. Particularly, "The Secret Message of Jesus" book makes me uncomfortable, as if Brian has revealed something that no one else was able to. I want to read the book before I give some kind of opinion on it, but the idea makes me uncomfortable.
Have you caught Mark Driscoll's comments from that conference?
http://jonathanherron.typepad.com/jonathan_herron_dot_com/2007/09/driscoll-on-rob.html
Let me deal with this in 2 posts in order to not confuse by quoting!
ReplyDeleteyeh, I'll agree, i don't agree with McLaren on everything, but like I do all authors/speakers/people (no matter what they say and where they stand), I'll listen to what they say, think about it, pray about it, and then take what I feel led to take from it that is good. I don't blindly take anyone's opinion as gospel. sometimes I think Brian really tries to go for the "shock factor"(though not as blatantly as some other people in POMO life), but my guess is that he just wants people to think,and sometimes shock works... IDK if that is good or bad, but just my understanding.
No my problem was not with them berating McLaren's theology (he's a big boy and can take care of himself I think) but with some of the comments that some people made about our responsibility to other people in this world. Let me reference a couple of statements:
QUOTES:
"I’m saying, our social responsibility is to believers primarily. Yes, we should help our non-believing neighbors but use it to deliver the gospel.
The gospel is not “feed the hungry” it is “Jesus came to die to save us sorry people from God’s eternal wrath'"
"How many people go to hell because the poor in Africa aren’t fed? (And don’t think I’m saying “don’t feed the hungry”) People need salvation. That is the central issue. All other issues are barely even secondary to that."
and in response to some other poster...
"Having read the review and thread of conversation I’ll take a crack at your concerns, which seemingly, are also Brian’s concerns.
I think those concerns, while valid, are simply not the church’s concerns. Should the church encourage its members to be good stewards? Certainly. Should it teach people to take care of people when they can? Certainly.
Should individual Christians attempt to right the wrongs as far as their lives intersect with those wrongs? Certainly.
That said, however, there is a real and significant difference between Joe Christian’s life and the church as the church. I should help my neighbor cut his lawn, but that doesn’t mean the church is called to cut grass.
The concerns of the church are eternal concerns'"
So, that last excerpt really saddened me. The corporate Church's concern is only about "eternal concerns" and we are only to help those in need "when the can" and "where their lives intersect"? what is missions for then? Why go out of our way to help anyone with that kind of attitude. I actually like the newest person's last line of her response (#91-Rose): "Radical love is our goal and that is both spiritually and temporally worked."
ReplyDeleteThat I can work with. Just some of those comments...IDK, they sadden me. We have an obligation to do what we can to make this world a better place, regardless of our theology about the Bible! That's why there ARE so many people starving, impoverished, hurting, and dying in our world...because we are TOO focused on the eternal and not the temporal. I'm not saying that an eternal focus is wrong, rather, like rose said, a balance of focus. that is definitely not the spirit of some of those responses. I understand not agreeing with McLaren...fine, but some of the comments about not even trying to work on global-social issues (and Biblically trying to justify their lazy/it's not our concern attitude), breaks my heart.
I'm still processing Driscoll and that conference. I have the handbook that was given out. I have heard and read what was said... perhaps I can better respond to that later.
thanks for your responses!
Jeff,
ReplyDeletein response to your question about Driscoll. You probably saw my response on Tripp's blog (pomo pirate link in my blogger buddies), since i saw that you also posted there.
I am trying not to lose respect for the man, because I want to believe that what he is doing is a good thing...and it might be for some, but the more and more I hear, and read about him/from him, the less I find appealing about him. Especially his invlolvement with the Pagitt thing (see today's post), but all I can hold him accountable for is what he said, not the actions taken by others that led to the incident! I would have NO problem with him if he would stop speaking out against others and could hold his tounge a little more. but that's just my 2 cents...it's not even worth that much!