Of late, with a new pup snuggled firmly in my lap, as I read the books that "find me," many now reveal the current struggle among those devoted to Christ, who if willing to be transparent, are feeling a tension in their souls with American Christianity.
As for myself, I am more driven than ever to risk full transparency for the sake of generations to follow. I also feel that tension, and deeply!
That's a hard place for someone as networked as my life has become.
I am surrounded by people that I love, family, neighbors, a very broad community with a wide spectrum of beliefs. Hopefully all, even my business associates know my regard for my faith, my top priority in my life. I am never willing to compromise on my faith, yet always open to the truth.
I hope you just heard an openess to new truth, as opposed to an assumption that my faith, at least as I now know it is absolute truth. Even my years of confidence in the sciences have changed over time, surely I would be open to a progressive faith as well.
For some, this will be viewed as evidence of a "chink in my armor", while for others an indicator of a compassion for humanity. That is the Christ I know!
The challenge is the confusion of the two, that is, one's faith and absolute truth. All that compounded by the institutionalization of the faith, and the interpretation of ancient scripture, thus the wide range of outposts that dot our land. Church campuses that is.
It used to be that a church professing a "Bible believing" doctrinal approach to life was a trusted place for "sinners seeking redemption" from the madness of human culture. That has changed drastically in the last few decades, not the human madness, its even more intense, but rather the confidence in the institutional church. More and more of those campuses are struggling to stay afloat.
As well, a new term is being floated called, deconstruction. A lexicon for the struggle to unlearn beliefs that given generations of life experience, and a growing understanding of spirituality no longer hold water nor offer new wine!
As a former Pentecostal, Evangelical (the word former is used as a disclaimer given current perceptions) I can often relate. Yet, I resist throwing out the Baby and the miracles witnessed each time I empty my soul of its soiled contemporary bath water.
Language is important when love is one's priority. To hold to the aforementioned monikers, both once dear to my identity, at the risk of losing constructive influence in the lives of those whom I am called to love would be foolish.
As well, to continue "Bible thumping" out of fear of God's wrath or the institution's distain is equally absurd.
I am entering a high risk area where at one time before the separation of church and state could have cost one his/her life. Yet, much of what compels me to the risk is the passion of such men and women who through the centuries have kept truth alive at the loss of their own when the institution deserved criticism and required change.
Jesus was in fact one of those, so contrasting was his life with the religious of his day that they killed him, but unknowingly fulfilled the words of their own prophets! He was counter cultural, though that contrast was most obvious with religion.
Part of the challenge after fifty years of disciplined study of the scriptures and decades of sorting through words cherry-picked by pastors, is to assume all this rebellion. Either we have come to a point where parishioners lack any transfer of the spirit that compels their clergy's truth, or by the Spirit they have arrived at new conclusions about those truths.
Either way it is a precarious time for the Body of Christ.
Yet, history records such moments about every 500 years, progressive moments, though painful for the prophets and parishioners.
It's the price of followship and favor.
I say favor as my followship of Christ has been highly favored, blessed and well provided for by His grace.
However, fellowship among the saints in such moments can be challenging and at times extract a cost of business, even literally.
I still must hold myself open to the Spirit, cautious with my alliances, guarding my words, speaking truth as I know it, while loving those around me.
At least the pup still loves me, and thus I am even more convinced of the belief that Christ was first manifest in Creation! Silly it seems, but then again truth is truth!
Selah!