Not-So-Stodgy Conservatives
THANK YOU, Tony Jones, for being so bold as to put your neck on the line for the sake of smashing stereotypes which make it difficult for 'younger evangelicals' like me to maintain interpersonally ethical dialogue with those on both the extreme Right and extreme Left. You rock!
During my college years I took an Old Testament and New Testament survey class. It was taught by a liberal Methodist preacher. His theology wasn't so watered down that it was heretical. However, he had a very liberal view of the Bible. I remember having to learn to listen without going overboard on challenging his views. One of my classmates was not a Christian and seemed to be pretty skeptical and angry with the church. Years later I saw this same guy. For the first time, he didn’t have a frown on his face. He seemed to be enjoying his work, which was in a center for juveniles who had school detention with the public schools. He told me he now attended the church of the pastor who taught our class and was very involved in that church.
ReplyDeleteWhen I have trouble praying I will often think of what another minister told me when I went to him for counseling. He told me that I probably didn’t understand how God felt about my prayers because I wasn’t a dad. He told me how much he wanted his own kids to come to him and not try to handle their struggles alone. God feels the same way about our problems; a very grace filled insight from a very fundamentalist preacher.
Thanks Caleb. I really appreciate hearing your story! I can relate, having grown up in the United Methodist Church myself. I didn't hear anything unbiblical preached very often (usually the traveling preachers were the heretics), but I never heard the full gospel laid out to me until the summer before I entered middle school when I attended a Southern Baptist church camp. It was there that Christ saved me. I continued to attend the Methodist church until my junior year of high school, and the people there loved me and encouraged me in my faith, but spiritual nourishment was sorely lacking. Thankfully I was involved in an incredible youth lay renewal movement that grew my faith and love for the Lord tremendously, as well as helped me develop many skills that have helped prepare me for the ministry God has called me to.
ReplyDeleteWhile non-parents can certainly understand God's fatherly nature, particularly if they've been fortunate enough to have grown up with a godly dad and mom, being a parent absolutely gives you a deeper perspective on what that kind of love is like. I am absolutely blessed every time I come across a passage of scripture that describes God's feelings toward his sons and daughters. Over and over, God reminds us that His heart is overflowing with grace for those who are humble both in attitude and circumstance (Ps. 138:6, Ps. 149:4, Pr. 3:34, Isa. 66:2). When we come to him broken, even following the most grievous of sins (though all are grievous to him!), his heart churns with nothing but mercy toward us. It's one thing to read this and talk about it, but boy, when you experience it (and we as children of God always do when we allow ourselves to think rightly about God) it's the most overwhelmingly joyous and humbling experience a person can encounter!
"How great the Father's love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That He would give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure.”
(Stuart Townend)
I was looking over my comment. My point might not be that clear. I was jut relating that I had some good experiences with what may be considered the right and left wings of the Christian community.
ReplyDeleteWas Passion the youth renewal you were apart of?
Actually, I got what you were saying. I just felt like adding a few thoughts that were on my heart that your story evoked. ;-)
ReplyDeleteTo answer your question, No. Have you ever heard of "Happening" or "Road to Emmaus"? It's interdenominational, but fundamentalists tend to not be very involved since they don't want to risk exposing their youth to any non-fundamentalist views or experiences.
I have, however, been very involved in the Passion movement as a college student and college ministry leader (Passion exclusively targets college students and college pastors/campus ministers). My first experience with Passion was the Thirsty '03 leadership conference, and through it God radically reoriented my life. Since then, my wife and I made the trip to One Day '03 in Sherman, TX, and have attended Thirsty twice since, as well as Passion '05 in Nashville. On top of that, as a drummer and worship leader myself, I have benefited tremendously from the songs and inspiration of all the Passion worship guys.