It wasn’t the first thought that caused me to nod in agreement and mutter “preach it”. It wasn’t the first idea that affirmed that I would be buying this book today (Big Bad Brad loaned it to me). It is one of the few books wherein which the author’s introduction struck so many chords in my own heart and mind that I wanted to read and absorb every last word.
The book, Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell, opens with a story about a painting in his basement. Should you decide to read the book I won’t ruin the fun story surrounding the painting. The premise revolves around the idea of the artist of said painting deciding, after the painting was finished, there was no longer any need for anyone to ever paint again. Can anyone guess what that leads him to conclude?
I saw it right away in our own heritage. There are those who believe we have the perfect painting (how to do church and be THE church). Not only that, there’s no need for anyone else to paint any more pictures. Just fire up the mimeograph machine and roll out copy after copy. But I have real, serious problems with this viewpoint and so should you.
The challenge for Christians then is to live with great passion and conviction, remaining open and flexible, aware that this life is not the last painting. Times change. God doesn’t, but times do. We learn and grow, and the world around us shifts, and the Christian faith is alive only when it is listening, morphing, innovating, letting go of whatever has gotten in the way of Jesus and embracing whatever will help us be more and more the people God wants us to be.
He gives the example of Martin Luther who raised a whole series of questions as part of his experience with the church of his day. Luther wanted the Bible to be available to everyone, he believed that everyone had a divine calling from God and that God’s grace was not something to be purchased. Luther was part of a tradition that stressed change and growth.
The didn’t use the word reformed, they used the word reforming. This distinction is crucial. They knew that they and others hadn’t gotten it perfect forever. They knew that the things they said and did and wrote and decided would need to be revisited. Rethought. Reworked.
And we, those involved in church today have not gotten it perfect either. What we have said, done, written and preached is not perfect. It must be revisited, rethought, reworked to be genuine and relevant in the lives of people living in this century.
I’ve wrestled and agonized over the spirit of legalism and self-righteous, self-proclaimed correctness of our heritage. I realize that right now, at this point in my life, God can use me to change this particular aspect. Not to effect change on the tradition as a whole but in the lives of specific people. I may not be able to change a church as a whole but I can allow Jesus to change my life.
In the process of Jesus changing my life I can influence someone else, perhaps you, to live for Jesus and live like Jesus. I was reminded of my place in the stream of Christianity.
I’m part of this tradition. I’m part of this global, historic stream of people who believe that God has not left us alone but has been involved in human history from the beginning. People who believe that in Jesus, God came among us in a unique and powerful way, showing us a new kind of life. Giving each of us a new vision for our life together, for the world we live in. And as a part of this tradition, I embrace the need to keep painting, to keep reforming. By this I do not mean cosmetic, superficial changes like better lights and music, sharper graphics, and new methods with easy-to-follow steps. I mean theology; the beliefs about God, Jesus, the Bible, salvation, the future. We must keep reforming the way the Christian faith is defined, lived, and explained.
All that and I didn’t even share with you the thought that started all this.
Be forewarned: Reading the book made me realize that I have to change the way I do things and has raised the standards of behavior I expect in others. You can never go back….you can never go back…
So that’s why you loaned me the book . . .
Putting it on my list…soon to be added to the stack.
I planned to get some serious reading done over Spring Break…catch up a bit. I read a chapter.
Your 8th paragraph could be a mission statement for all of us in church leadership. Great post.
I need to get that book.
Randy – I just received an email from my wife. We’re going to meet at Sonny’s BBQ tonight. I’ll eat an extra rib for you.
No, we don’t have it down perfectly……
Since losing my brother recently, I have been in a somewhat introspective mood and often slip off by myself during the day, on a break, just to be by myself. Today, I ate lunch at my desk and then disappeared for a few minutes and took my Bible with me. I had started through 1 John, and today I read from chapter 3 through 5 and did a lot of underlining. I gleaned that it’s all about acknowledging Jesus as the Son of God and loving, loving, loving. Loving God, loving Jesus, loving one another….and being loved by God enough that He sent His son to die. According to some of my underlines, part of loving Him is obeying His commands, and loving….
As someone told me yesterday, quite your whining and get over it! Not good advice to anyone under any circumstances, but some people love to play psycho-analyst.
Actually, my friend Steve and I were talking about this very thing today. He rode w/ me in the funeral coach from the church to the cemetery to bury a sweet sister who died Friday.
I also told him I wanted him to have at least one chance to ride in the front seat of a hearse before having to occupy the rear. I’m a good guy.
So far I’ve been impressed w/ Rob Bell and will pick up a copy of that book … after I take this mortuary quiz.
Now that I’ve read Judy’s response, I’ll share one more thing before retreating into the shell of whinning self!
I’M JUST KIDDING!!!! It’s called Southern humor.
In our conversation in the hearse, and later at the graveside, it was told me that the lady we buried had a very fundamental theology and whenever the preacher (Greg) would say something with which she disagreed, she would have a sort of gutteral moan. I can’t imagine me ever saying anything that anyone would disagree with, but I guess there is always a probability of that happening. Anyway, I told a lady at the grave that what the minor differences that we may have are really not important if we’re doing the Lord’s work in loving and serving one another. And, if we’re not loving and serving one another, what we believe really doesn’t matter at all.
Greg – I can identify with that lady’s gutteral moan!
But you know I luv ya!!!!
Great thoughts, Randy. And while you are right that in many ways our heritage has displayed the attitude of realized perfection, I see more and more of the attitude of reformation that typified the true spirit of the early restoration movement (operative word: “movement”). While our movement is struggling with an identity crisis at the moment, I see growth and maturing in ways that are exciting and inspiring.
And you are so right, that our greatest impact will probably not be on the tradition as a whole, but in the lives of individuals around us.