Postmodern vs modern Christianity, maybe...
Warning: You will need a lot of time (it's really too long) and an open mind to read this!
It is so windy!!! I awoke at 2:50am, and laid in bed, stomach growling and having to pee until 3:45 am. So, I am up! I've had coffee and a bagel, washed dishes, and read 20 pages of a book. For the past half hour the wind has been rattling the windows of our house, causing the wood frame to creak and groan and the outside motion sensor lights to keep coming on...there is something unsettling about this. My mind is reeling and creating all kinds of possible causes for the lights going on and off, while trying to focus on this book...on postmodern Christianity. I think it's great so far, but it has stirred some emotion that has been at rest for quite some time. Even realizing that the emotion has been at rest or subdued, or suppressed make me wonder...
All of this postmodern stuff is really new to me, so forgive me if I don't fully understand it yet...
The idea of an era moving from modern to postmodern has been obvious for a few years in every aspect of my life except in my faith. This is probably because of my conservative upbringing and the way I was taught not to rock the boat and to perform like a good litle level headed strong modern Christian who is known for her restraint, control, and grace - none of which I have except for the grace given to me by God.
And so...even my political views, being somewhat to the left of "conservativism" were seen as merely amusing and something for entertainment almost, until this past presidential election (I promise this isn't what this is about!!! Just hang in there...), which seemingly divided the 2 parties on the basis of religion or lack thereof: Republicans = Christians, Democrats = liberal heathens OR unfortunately lost and misguided innocents. Somehow, I seemed to have been grouped in the latter category. This is the issue that the book brings to mind. Previously, I blogged about the frustration of having to choose a candidate - and I wrote about several issues I find important, even an integral part to, the goodness of Christ, the church, being Christ-like. But most of these issues have not been the agenda for the modern church (Don't try to find it by the way - I've taken it off).
I wish I could put this in better words. I'm beginning to see that within the split in the parties also lies the divide between modern Christians and Postmodern Christians....and that maybe in our modernity, we have forgotten our own ability to err, or more gently put, to NOT be right 100% of the time. Here is a quote from the book (A New Kind of Christian by Brian McLaren):
"Very often", he explained, "debates in the church occur on this level. There are all kinds of positions on an issue along this line, with the most extreme positions being here and here." I offered a couple of examples: "OK. So Catholics are over here, and Protestants over there. Calvinists are over here, and Arminians are over there. And charismatics are here and anticharismatics over there. And we could do the same on the issus of pacifism, inerrancy of the Bible, women in leadership, how the church should treat homosexuals, and -"
"Exactly," he interrupted. "Now, almost all debate in the church takes place on this line. The issue is where the RIGHT point on the line is. So people pick and defend their points. Each person's point becomes THE point in his or her mind. Here's what I'm suggesting: What if the point-defending approach is, pardon the pun, pointless? In other words, what if the position God wants ut to take isn't on that line at all but somewhere up here?" He was moving his hand in a small circle, palm down, about a foot above the line he had drawn in the dust.
"So you're saying," I replied, "that we have to transcend the normal level of discourse. That makes sense to me. I mean, Jesus did that sort of thing all of the time. Like with the woman at the well in John 4. The big debate is over where people should worship, on this mountain or that mountain. Jesus doesn't choose one point or the other; he says that the answer is on this higher level, that what God wants is for us to worship him in spirit and in truth, wherever we are. Both mountains are good places to worship, so in that way both sides are right. But where you worship isn't the point at all, so in that way both sides are wrong."
Sorry! That was kind of long...This view sees Christianity as having become the issue of many debates. Let's say I may agree with this, I also agree with a point the author makes about modern Christianity(for the most part, but not all) being more about BEING RIGHT than about SEEKING GOD. Instead of truly seeking God and waiting on His answer we tend to use His name and say, "Well, the Lord says..." often times interpreting the Bible based only upon our point of view, which according to McLaren is mostly formed due to the modern era? I think...which also makes this Christian viewpoint behind the times of most of the secular world in terms of thought.
We are still trying to prove we are right, but most people are looking for answers to deeper questions! McLaren suggests for the postmodernist, the question is more about "if we're good than if we're right." This was the point I was trying to make in the blog so long ago...another quote by McLaren:
"If we Christians would take all the energy we put into proving we are right and others are wrong, and invest that energy in pursuing and doing good, somehow I think that more people would believe we are right...truth means more than factual accuracy. It means being in sync with God." Right on.
And so, when people I did not know (presumably Christians) responded to me by telling me more or less that, "It's okay, God's in control, you are just a little lost right now... I can see you are struggling with a lot, but maybe you don't have a grasp of what it is to live by faith...the choice is obvious..you will later see that you were not quite right about these issues"etc..., it seems those comments were a response to someone bucking the system or going against the status quo. At first I tried to take those comments as gifts of wisdom from people who may know more than me...but NO! That's not right at all - it WAS just another example of how the modern Christian has become so stuck in a paradigm of old, and is still fighting to control perspectives on Christ and the Bible. That sounds really really anti-Christian, right? But, open your mind a bit, and understand that I am a Christian and am taking a risk here.
The Bible tells me that the Holy Spirit is my guide, and that Christ is my leader, and if I'm to take the words of wisdom from those whom I may have offended that day (so sorry) to heart - considering that God is in control, then He is guiding my thoughts and directing me to conclusions if I am genuinely seeking Him alone. Again, most importantly, we seek His face alone. Not the church, not our parents, not our spouses, but we look to Him for answers first. He then may guide us to someone or someone to us for the answer...sometimes. His ways may offend some, but Jesus offended many who were stuck in their own legalistic church regimes when He walked the earth. His ways are not our ways. His loves is not all about a bunch of rules that we need to follow to be "right" or acepted. It's free. It's totally free.
And that, strangely enough, will offend many in the church today who have built their whole theology upon sin and hell and fear and punishment, those who have control over others by using these tactics. Scary, huh? But, I think it's very scary to some to think that we can begin to focus on the love of God - who He is and what we look like to Him. When that love is formed, and that intimacy cultivated, He is wooing us to Him, and we will no longer be satisfied by sin. We won't want to prostitute ourselves or torment our bodies or hurt others because there is something more satisfying in God's love, and when we begin to let Him in, He will root out anger and hurt by revealing His heart to us and His love for us (of course this is a lot more complicated than words may imply, it really is a process, and sometimes a painful one).
It's backwards from what the typical modern church tells us today - we must forget our old ways and stop sinning and then we will become closer to God. In actuality, when we become closer to God, those things will fade, our past will be made new and our desire for sin will be replaced with a desire for Him. It has happened in my own life! I never thought it would...and I'm not perfect - I still have issues and may get angry with people, but the things that used to make me feel better temporarily are no longer a part of my life, only because I am just not interested anymore in getting high or drunk because I would rather experience what God is doing in reality.
And so, maybe there is a way around all of the "hell-fire and damnation" yelling that tends to scare people off!
And, maybe we can be a little bit more open minded about the ways that God guides and speaks to us and others.
It is so windy!!! I awoke at 2:50am, and laid in bed, stomach growling and having to pee until 3:45 am. So, I am up! I've had coffee and a bagel, washed dishes, and read 20 pages of a book. For the past half hour the wind has been rattling the windows of our house, causing the wood frame to creak and groan and the outside motion sensor lights to keep coming on...there is something unsettling about this. My mind is reeling and creating all kinds of possible causes for the lights going on and off, while trying to focus on this book...on postmodern Christianity. I think it's great so far, but it has stirred some emotion that has been at rest for quite some time. Even realizing that the emotion has been at rest or subdued, or suppressed make me wonder...
All of this postmodern stuff is really new to me, so forgive me if I don't fully understand it yet...
The idea of an era moving from modern to postmodern has been obvious for a few years in every aspect of my life except in my faith. This is probably because of my conservative upbringing and the way I was taught not to rock the boat and to perform like a good litle level headed strong modern Christian who is known for her restraint, control, and grace - none of which I have except for the grace given to me by God.
And so...even my political views, being somewhat to the left of "conservativism" were seen as merely amusing and something for entertainment almost, until this past presidential election (I promise this isn't what this is about!!! Just hang in there...), which seemingly divided the 2 parties on the basis of religion or lack thereof: Republicans = Christians, Democrats = liberal heathens OR unfortunately lost and misguided innocents. Somehow, I seemed to have been grouped in the latter category. This is the issue that the book brings to mind. Previously, I blogged about the frustration of having to choose a candidate - and I wrote about several issues I find important, even an integral part to, the goodness of Christ, the church, being Christ-like. But most of these issues have not been the agenda for the modern church (Don't try to find it by the way - I've taken it off).
I wish I could put this in better words. I'm beginning to see that within the split in the parties also lies the divide between modern Christians and Postmodern Christians....and that maybe in our modernity, we have forgotten our own ability to err, or more gently put, to NOT be right 100% of the time. Here is a quote from the book (A New Kind of Christian by Brian McLaren):
"Very often", he explained, "debates in the church occur on this level. There are all kinds of positions on an issue along this line, with the most extreme positions being here and here." I offered a couple of examples: "OK. So Catholics are over here, and Protestants over there. Calvinists are over here, and Arminians are over there. And charismatics are here and anticharismatics over there. And we could do the same on the issus of pacifism, inerrancy of the Bible, women in leadership, how the church should treat homosexuals, and -"
"Exactly," he interrupted. "Now, almost all debate in the church takes place on this line. The issue is where the RIGHT point on the line is. So people pick and defend their points. Each person's point becomes THE point in his or her mind. Here's what I'm suggesting: What if the point-defending approach is, pardon the pun, pointless? In other words, what if the position God wants ut to take isn't on that line at all but somewhere up here?" He was moving his hand in a small circle, palm down, about a foot above the line he had drawn in the dust.
"So you're saying," I replied, "that we have to transcend the normal level of discourse. That makes sense to me. I mean, Jesus did that sort of thing all of the time. Like with the woman at the well in John 4. The big debate is over where people should worship, on this mountain or that mountain. Jesus doesn't choose one point or the other; he says that the answer is on this higher level, that what God wants is for us to worship him in spirit and in truth, wherever we are. Both mountains are good places to worship, so in that way both sides are right. But where you worship isn't the point at all, so in that way both sides are wrong."
Sorry! That was kind of long...This view sees Christianity as having become the issue of many debates. Let's say I may agree with this, I also agree with a point the author makes about modern Christianity(for the most part, but not all) being more about BEING RIGHT than about SEEKING GOD. Instead of truly seeking God and waiting on His answer we tend to use His name and say, "Well, the Lord says..." often times interpreting the Bible based only upon our point of view, which according to McLaren is mostly formed due to the modern era? I think...which also makes this Christian viewpoint behind the times of most of the secular world in terms of thought.
We are still trying to prove we are right, but most people are looking for answers to deeper questions! McLaren suggests for the postmodernist, the question is more about "if we're good than if we're right." This was the point I was trying to make in the blog so long ago...another quote by McLaren:
"If we Christians would take all the energy we put into proving we are right and others are wrong, and invest that energy in pursuing and doing good, somehow I think that more people would believe we are right...truth means more than factual accuracy. It means being in sync with God." Right on.
And so, when people I did not know (presumably Christians) responded to me by telling me more or less that, "It's okay, God's in control, you are just a little lost right now... I can see you are struggling with a lot, but maybe you don't have a grasp of what it is to live by faith...the choice is obvious..you will later see that you were not quite right about these issues"etc..., it seems those comments were a response to someone bucking the system or going against the status quo. At first I tried to take those comments as gifts of wisdom from people who may know more than me...but NO! That's not right at all - it WAS just another example of how the modern Christian has become so stuck in a paradigm of old, and is still fighting to control perspectives on Christ and the Bible. That sounds really really anti-Christian, right? But, open your mind a bit, and understand that I am a Christian and am taking a risk here.
The Bible tells me that the Holy Spirit is my guide, and that Christ is my leader, and if I'm to take the words of wisdom from those whom I may have offended that day (so sorry) to heart - considering that God is in control, then He is guiding my thoughts and directing me to conclusions if I am genuinely seeking Him alone. Again, most importantly, we seek His face alone. Not the church, not our parents, not our spouses, but we look to Him for answers first. He then may guide us to someone or someone to us for the answer...sometimes. His ways may offend some, but Jesus offended many who were stuck in their own legalistic church regimes when He walked the earth. His ways are not our ways. His loves is not all about a bunch of rules that we need to follow to be "right" or acepted. It's free. It's totally free.
And that, strangely enough, will offend many in the church today who have built their whole theology upon sin and hell and fear and punishment, those who have control over others by using these tactics. Scary, huh? But, I think it's very scary to some to think that we can begin to focus on the love of God - who He is and what we look like to Him. When that love is formed, and that intimacy cultivated, He is wooing us to Him, and we will no longer be satisfied by sin. We won't want to prostitute ourselves or torment our bodies or hurt others because there is something more satisfying in God's love, and when we begin to let Him in, He will root out anger and hurt by revealing His heart to us and His love for us (of course this is a lot more complicated than words may imply, it really is a process, and sometimes a painful one).
It's backwards from what the typical modern church tells us today - we must forget our old ways and stop sinning and then we will become closer to God. In actuality, when we become closer to God, those things will fade, our past will be made new and our desire for sin will be replaced with a desire for Him. It has happened in my own life! I never thought it would...and I'm not perfect - I still have issues and may get angry with people, but the things that used to make me feel better temporarily are no longer a part of my life, only because I am just not interested anymore in getting high or drunk because I would rather experience what God is doing in reality.
And so, maybe there is a way around all of the "hell-fire and damnation" yelling that tends to scare people off!
And, maybe we can be a little bit more open minded about the ways that God guides and speaks to us and others.
posted by KariBryant @ 8:09 AM
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