A "Smackdown" of the "Non-Traditional" tagged: , ,

A "Smackdown" of the "Non-Traditional"

Posted by in Baptist Life, Church & Missions

There’s an epidemic these days, it seems to me, of people who are convinced that they hold in their hands an inerrant-but-indecipherable Bible. God must be great at accuracy but horrible at communication. – Bart Barber on SBCImpact! “Much Ado About Nothing” #60, May 14, 2008 @ 7:29 p.m.

Yes, there are loosey-goosey relationships in this world by which we know not whether we are acquaintances, friends, friends with benefits, casual daters, or what-not. And the world is much the worse for it. The best relationships in my life are the ones that, as the normal course of a normal life, I have formalized. – Bart Barber on SBCImpact! “Much Ado About Nothing” #94,  May 15, 2008 @ 12:11 p.m.

The above quotes can be said in one word: “excellent.” They are succinctly spoken, and represent an observant perception of the elixir of our times. What is amazing of course to me is that Bart said these two quotations within two days of each other!  But then again, he says  a great many things (at least of those things I agree, unless I disagree), most of which are found on his blog.  His comments recently about a former pastor of his exemplify the model of servant leadership I aspire to.

In the  referenced article, he compares his former pastor with another one that is making headlines these days in evangelical circles: Mark Driscoll and the church of Mars Hill. It seems that Mark is at the forefront of chasing  edges in defiance of “tradition” specifically in the ministry of the Christian pastorate and Christ’s church.

Driscoll in particular is in opposition to what he sees as the “feminization of the Church” in modeling a “mealy mouthed Jesus.” Driscoll hammers home his sermon messages with racy humor and foul mouthed diatribes in order to appeal to folks (specifically young men) in one of the most liberal cities in the United States, Seattle.  One of the few absolutes about Christian decorum and modesty that Driscoll seems to embrace is the one contained in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23:

For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.

There has been a rush by many  younger conservative Southern Baptists (in what Geoff [by Dr. McKinnon] has suggested are the “third generation of the Conservative Resurgence” pastors and leaders) towards a “hard core” rejection of “traditional” Southern Baptist interpretation of ecclesiology. Most notably, much of this “third generation” embraces “non-traditional” methodology such as contemporary worship services, projection overheads versus hymnbooks, blue jeans rather than suits,  popcorn or snacks during worship services, exclusive use of ‘topical’ or ‘narrative’ “talks” rather than expository sermons, praise bands rather than worship choirs, etc., in often a rigorous opposition  to their more “traditional” counterparts found in much of Southern Baptist life. If numbers of people are any guide to pragmatic achievement, then Driscoll and others like him have found the secret formula of unmitigated success – at least in their ministry fields. “Who Would Jesus Smack Down” seems then to be the up and coming trend – Driscoll is merely putting into practice the logical conclusion of a paradigm that desires to reach the current post-modern, hip-hop, “me” generation using any and all means necessary to reach a “justifiable” end.  He certainly wears his “non-conformity” clothes quite well.  Or does he? And for what good?

This is where Bart’s quotes are appropriate (you knew I was coming to that, right?) The finer points of the Scriptural message (IMHO) has often in these contemporary “non-traditional” contextualization settings  been watered down to total insignificance. Lost in the shuffle of the “smack down” (which has all the semblance of a World Wide Wrestling Federation meet) is this trait of Christianity proposed by the Scripture for her ministers: humility.

“The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked,
but he blesses the dwelling of the righteous.
Toward the scorners he is scornful,
but to the humble he gives favor.
The wise will inherit honor,
but fools get disgrace.” – Proverbs 3:33-35 ESV

“So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” – 1 Peter 5:1-5 ESV

As with most ideas, there is a duality to “humility”, and that is “pride” and “arrogance”. To flaunt non-conformity to the point of excess IS arrogant. To wear casualness to an extreme breeds in many ways contempt for all things non-casual (of course the converse is true as well – but blogs are usually not inhabited by the more traditional around us). From the lips of many “Casual Christians” the well spring of contempt are often non-ceasing toward the more “traditional” minded within our midst. These epithets are often hurled at the “elders” of the more mature generation who for some reason do not understand the “me” generation of today – as if there were any generation among the many of human history that have not been a “me” generation.  What is supposed by these younger rascals is that “traditional” ways are “old” ways that no longer are suitable in reaching people for Christ. What our more mature set would tell us (if we would listen closely) is that “there is nothing new under the sun” and that the souls that God redeems are done so no matter what one places on the hook to attract the fish who bite. Another tidbit: it does matter what bait is placed on the end of the hook – stink bait is just plain stinky as unscriptural methods are just plain unscriptural (HT Geoff). I have found that people no matter their cultural baggage or background innately desire to see the true reality – the reality of the changed humble heart that Christ creates as a “new creation” inside His followers. Along with this new heart springs a desire to belong, to begin and have coveted relationships that are loving and consistent that are only found among the true believers of Christ’s Body, His church. Without that distinction there is ultimately no difference between those who claim the “new birth” and those who are condemned without Christ.

“Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:17-24 ESV

To approach God casually and flippantly is anathema. Moses was charged before the burning bush, “Take off your sandals – you are on holy ground.” Moses could not approach Holiness on the terms that his culture deemed acceptable and “spot on.” He approached God in a sense a reverence, awe, and majesty, throwing off his sandals and then bowing down on the ground in humility before God – a point that seems to be remiss these days of loud worship music, nose rings, and a casual indifference to dress or decorum in many modern worship services today. This is especially egregious if the minister splats out language that is neither humble nor endearing to God or the hearers of the Word.

Let me be very clear what I am NOT saying: I enjoy worship “praise” music that is  biblically honoring. My church currently introduces at least one of them into our worship service every Sunday. My church has a keyboard, and we have invited praise bands on occasion  into the sanctuary. We have an overhead so that we can display hymns or choruses so that people are not putting their nose into a hymnbook (most people know not how to read music anyway).  Our worship services are planned in a prayerful attitude that in the end Christ’s church will worship and glorify God, and that those who come will be encouraged and challenged by His Spirit.  We do these things humbly, not arrogantly or flippantly, in and by the Spirit of Christ.

I too had a Pastor in my formative years who meant much to me, and as a result is my model for ministry. His name is Ernie Cecil, and he is the former pastor of my boyhood church, Glenwood Baptist in Tulsa Oklahoma (and if he knew about this part of my post he would D-I-E). He was not a scholar necessarily – nobody invited him to speak about the latest craze, or to introduce any new evangelization methodology. He was a Pastor who slugged it out in the trenches, thick and thin, in my home church for over two decades – and in all of that I never heard him utter a “gutter” word (even though dealing with me he probably had a cause to!). He lead people to Christ, he discipled them, he loved them, and he was their undershepherd who humbly always lead them to the True Shepherd – and he loved doing it because he loved Jesus! He knew when to wear blue jeans, and when not to. The annuls of heaven are filled with his kind – and thankfully they are never found on the pages of the New York Times.