Comments on: Evangelicalism, re-visited

By: Anon, Ed Ma.

Anon, Ed Ma. — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 07:31:18 +0000

What kind of theology does a Christian possess when he drives a wedge and schism between the spiritual and the material, between body and soul? And what kind of Gospel, let alone nurturing of the Gospel, is and will be proclaimed by believers who hold on to an “Ad valorem” (To each His own) theology, spirituality and mentality?
For many Christians like me whose theology has been initiated and shaped by a seemingly fatalistic notion and very individualistic perspective that “I can only do so much” in evangelization and others have their own part to do, it is heartwarming and inspiring to note that there is still a remnant and a promising generation that adhere to and push for that singular (love) yet multidimensional (heart, mind, body and soul) approach to discipleship and witnessing.
In Luke, Jesus us said to have grown “in wisdom (intellectual) and in stature (physical), in favor with God (spiritual) and with men (social/ emotional)”. Should not Christian evangelicalism address these dimensions of Man in winning people to the cause of Christ?
To be sure, the Gospels show us the Jesus who fed the hungry, healed the sick, cast out demons and gave hope to many- and the Jesus who preached. This same Jesus did not split hairs on proclaiming the Gospel and practicing the social Gospel. He was both and much more. Can a Christian do no less? Should a Christian do no less because there are others gifted to do other things?
Maybe it is imperative that the Christian community should introspect as a community of believers, as the flock of that Great Shepherd, on its theology of affections. Maybe we must relearn and relearn that we do Social Gospel things and we preach the Gospel because we were first loved. It is not so much a mandate and a mission- or a gifting- but as an expression of overflowing thanks and gratitude for the indescribable love and incomprehensible grace shown to us by the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
We reach the poor not simply because we were poor and we are poor. We help the needy not simply because we were needy and we are needy. We are not just beggars pointing to other beggars where to find the Bread and the Water. We are a people lavished with Love by the God who is love.
The question is: how deeply are we being consumed by that extravagant love? And how passionately are we consuming that lavish love of God? For if we are, then in the things that we do as a community, the measure of love is to love without measure.
In the end, the totality of the Gospel is not whether we have just preached the Gospel or fed the poor or did a balance between the two but whether we have done these things looking through the eyes of the loving JESUS, and the heart of the Triune God, regardless of race, class or social status.
TEDEUM LAUDAMUS!

By: Rachel O'Brien

Rachel O'Brien — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 19:29:53 +0000

“I felt as if I had some dirty little secret.” And that is much how it is treated, a secret. We bring it up and its like calling out the elephant in the room. There is a tension between your final question. It forces a black and white, an either or. We know better than to simplify it this way, it’s never either you save a soul or you save a body, it’s never a question of addressing hunger verses an alter call. I admit my own desire to disengage, my non Christian friends, once far out numbering my Christian now dwindles. I never had to make a conscious decision, it just happens that way. The Church structure tends to suck you in. Churches view social engagement as one of two things, take care of your own or charity. Its so easy to take care of your own, to like you own, to love your own. Its easy to give a hand out. It takes determined decisions to engage those that are different, love those who need so much, give without tangible success. Even more difficult is to receive, help, criticism, insight. We are part of a system as well, with its own culture, norms, language and morals. We work as a team and we destroy as a team. We also love as a team and glorify Him as a team. We are more than a group of individuals, like so many other systems we have our own sort of mob mantality.
One thing; I have never known love like the love I have known since being a part of the Church. Our power is that of the Holy Spirit and it fuels me daily, individually and as I see His Body work. And its true we bicker over Limbaugh and NPR, but we are bound by a love that cannot be found anywhere else. Its like my sisters. Half the time I wonder how we could be related but I have never felt so at home as I do with them. Its intrusive and strange, humans can’t live without that intimacy. It pleases Him, I think, to see us struggle with our siblings because we love one another, to see us grapple through the social/individual argument, to prick one another gently, encouraging, and even frustrating, one another on. But this shouldn’t be a secret among Christians, we shoud engage the world in our family fued because tidy or not we all need family we all want in on it, instead of banishing ourselves where we can appear perfect and avoid the touch of others’ human flesh.

By: jeff

jeff — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 06:58:06 +0000

After our conversation tonight, I thought I would check it out. Good effort, this one is good size. I wouldn’t make it any longer.

I like this post and the message. I believe this is the hardest challenge we have to face as a society of belivers and unbelievers alike. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had pretty good support when he was talking strictly “human rights.” Such as the end of segregation and the right to vote and such. While their were oppoenents no one could argue with his message and the constitution was a backing for the Civil Rights movement.

As soon as Dr. King took his platform against the powers that be, such as speaking against the Vietnam War and poverty in Chicago, that is when the campain went “downhill” leading to his assasination. I believe a fiercer struggle then race, is class.

As believers, I believe we are called to “reach people’s souls” and to do what we can for their social situaiton (especially in our hometowns), but I don’t believe we are called to be the “end all” for poverty. There will always be poor people, no matter what we do.

In terms of what will God be pleased with, I think that if we allow the love of Christ to shine through us in the power of the Holy Spirit, whatever that looks like, God will be pleased. Some of us may be more involved socially, and some of us more spiritually, some may have a good balence of both. I don’t think necessarily that every person has to address both conditions at the same time. However, we always should be willing to love someone no matter what their race or their class, and if they need us to clothe them or feed them and we have the means, we should.