Jesus was a critic of the established Church of His day and He was killed for it. The arrogant, "right" religious leaders chose security over the living gospel. Therefore, the only message they could preach to the people was fear - which is paradoxically, the final price of security. As long as you stay within the strict, lifeless guidelines you were fine.....yet dead.- open your mouth - challenge authority and you were dealt with. Jesus was a liberal force - He came to shake up the establishment and turn everyone's ideas on their head. Man was not made for the Sabbath - love is greater than right doctrine. He breathed life into a stale corpse of a church.
We need to follow His lead. We are far too comfortable in our "rightness" and we need to be shaken up. I am not talking about changing doctrine or anything like that - I am talking about loving through it - like Christ did. He was so mentally flexible - He made the gospel sing. Without testing our ideas through the lenses of love we are going to sacrifice life for a Pharisee's death. Being right is not love - no matter how you want to dress it up. The Pharisee's were right - dead right.
So instead of running from criticism, I have realized it is essential for a healthy church. Before you get excited, I am not talking about ad hominem attacks - we have had far too much of that here. I am still not sure why it is so threatening to some people to look at change - as if the gospel is so fragile it will shatter......I think this is the real reason Rick Warren and his movement in the church is so hated by some.......far too scary to face the idea that we may be wrong in our exclusiveness.
Anyway, as much as I would like to have a real discussion about this - I am not holding my breath. I just thought I would throw it out there.
We need to follow His lead. We are far too comfortable in our "rightness" and we need to be shaken up. I am not talking about changing doctrine or anything like that - I am talking about loving through it - like Christ did. He was so mentally flexible - He made the gospel sing. Without testing our ideas through the lenses of love we are going to sacrifice life for a Pharisee's death. Being right is not love - no matter how you want to dress it up. The Pharisee's were right - dead right.
So instead of running from criticism, I have realized it is essential for a healthy church. Before you get excited, I am not talking about ad hominem attacks - we have had far too much of that here. I am still not sure why it is so threatening to some people to look at change - as if the gospel is so fragile it will shatter......I think this is the real reason Rick Warren and his movement in the church is so hated by some.......far too scary to face the idea that we may be wrong in our exclusiveness.
Anyway, as much as I would like to have a real discussion about this - I am not holding my breath. I just thought I would throw it out there.