...um...that phrase doesn't really work in text form does it?!
Anyway, just wanted to have a little rant about the use of certain phrases I'm hearing more and more around the church - particularly the Church of England - at the moment.
The first one, is 'biblical orthodoxy'. As in: 'those of us who are committed to biblical orthodoxy' etc. etc. Ok, right, so what you're saying is that some people are going out of their way to be biblically heretical? No - what you mean, is something along the lines of 'those who are committed to interpreting the bible like we do'.
Is it possible - just an outside chance maybe - that people who have different views to us when it comes to theology and biblical interpretation, hold those views out of fidelity to Christ? i.e. they love God and they're trying to be faithful. Why do we just assume that we love God more and take the bible more seriously and are more faithful than those who disagree with us.
The second phrase that's getting up my nose at the moment is 'gospel ministry'. As in, 'we want our church to be known for it's gospel ministry'. Really this phrase is code used by conservatives meaning that they do a lot of expository preaching in their services. So, are those of us who don't have a 45 minute expository sermon each week on one of the vowels in a verse from one of Paul's epistles, not engaged in 'gospel ministry'?
Is it possible - just an outside chance maybe - that people not in conservative evangelical churches are also concerned to announce the gospel of God's love and desire for restoration for the whole of his creation?
ok - rant over! Maybe I should stop reading the Church Times!
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um, yeah, exactly. When I critique those with whom I disagree in the Church it is based on the fact that I think their theology is rubbish. When they critique me it is based on the fact that they think I do not honor scripture and that I'm not really Christian....those are differing degrees of critique. My life in centered in scripture, tradition, the Christian faith, so having someone imply that I don' really honor those things is deeply hurtful to me. I fefuse to have them define "what is Christian" or what is "scriptural". While I'm at it, it's disturbing to me when conservatives imply that they don't interpret scripture....they just simply comply with what "God says". Give me a break. In order for that to be true, you'd have to be schizophrenic because the Bible is a library, not a book.
In the words of Martin Luther:
"The church is a bitch and a whore and the mother of us all".
AMEN
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