Which did you commemorate today? Pentecost? Memorial Day? Both? Neither?
Why?
(Those living in countries other than the U.S., how does your place of worship respond to such choices, if at all?)
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How often do you find yourself feeling uncomfortable around other believers? I'm not talking about indigestion, undersized clothing, or the size of your personal space-bubble here. The uncomfortableness to which I refer is that awkward, nervous, or unsettled feeling one has when a fellow believer you happen to be with ends up espousing beliefs and practices you consider to be -- not only NOT orthodox or scripturally viable -- but potentially damaging to the reputation of all Christ-followers. It seems that the longer I walk with Christ, the more frequent I experience this phenomenon.
I love the body of Christ, and celebrate the depth of diversity found within her ranks. I also believe in the unifying implications of praying together despite our differences (see here). Yet, as the "evangelical divide" continues to grow, I find myself increasingly unable to be supportive of certain fundamentalist beliefs and practices. The use of hell as an evangelistic "threat", the narrow-minded insistence on salvation-as-an-event, as well as the legislating of morality and the demeaning judgmentalism that often accompanies it -- these are among the beliefs and practices that make me feel increasingly uncomfortable when I'm with brothers or sisters who passionately espouse such.
Admittedly, I sometimes find myself preoccupied with feelings of "guilt-by-association" when I'm with my staunch fundamentalist brethren. Their brand of Christianity is not one I want people to think I support. They embarrass me. I am not proud of this, worry about my own duplicity, and am quick to remind myself that love "bears all things" (1 Cor.13:7). Nonetheless, I remain uncomfortable.
Have you ever struggled with this? How have you responded? Many mainliners, Roman Catholics, and Orthodox believers have long felt uncomfortable around evangelicals. This is nothing new. Maybe the pendulum is simply swinging so that now it's evangelicalism's turn. But where is all this heading?
If I can love the prostitute, the ex-con, or the adulterer, why is it so hard to love a staunch fundamentalist? What does it say about me? About them? About the state of the Church today?
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Photo credit: © Kris Hanke, iStockphoto.com
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One day, Abba Isaac the Theban went to a monastic community and he saw a brother doing wrong, and he condemned him. As he returned to the desert, and angel of the Lord came and stood in front of the door of his cell and said: I won't let you in. He asked: What's the matter? And the angel replied: God has sent me to ask you where he should cast the sinner on whom you passed judgment. Immediately he repented and said: I was wrong. Forgive me. And he angel said: Get up, God has forgiven you. In the future be sure not to judge someone before God passes judgment.
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It was a priviledge to lead our City's observance of the National Day of Prayer last Thursday. The group of pastors and church leaders who met on the steps of our City Hall were rather small in numbers, but not in significance.
This got me thinking. Over the years I've become increasingly convinced that prayer unifies. And often times, a choice for prayer is a choice for unity... and health.
In part, that's why it's so important for us to take corporate prayer seriously -- especially when it comes to praying with people who live out their faith in ways different than how we do.
Mainliners are often distrusting of Evangelical methods -- and for good reason -- but need to pray with them anyway!
Evangelicals often doubt the genuineness of Mainliner's faith -- and whether that is due to ignorance or valid observation -- they need to pray with them anyway!
It might well be that mature believers are those who not only look past the differences which stand between them and those from other faith traditions, but who are willing to pray past those differences.
What are your thoughts?
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