I read an article on Ben Witherington III’s blog the other day that I thought was worth sharing. Witherington posted the text of the address which President Timothy Tennent gave at the September Convocation of Asbury College. I thought it outstanding, and obviously Witherington did as well.
You can read the full text of the speech, titled Our Mission to “theologically educate”, online. (Witherington called it: “The Clarion Call to Watered Down (sic) Evangelicalism”) Let me cite a few quotations that I found interesting:
- Evangelicalism is awash with the constant drumbeat message of informality, the assumed wisdom of consumerism, reliance on technology, love of entertainment, pursuit of comfort, materialism and personal autonomy – all held together by easy-to-swallow, pithy gospel statements.
- Evangelicals are, of course, masters at dodging any criticism that we ourselves could ever be co-opted by culture. We disguise our lack of theological reflection by our constant commitment to “relevance” or saying that we are reaching people “where they are.”
- If we spent as much time really immersing ourselves into apostolic orthodoxy as we do trying to capture, if I can use Tom Oden’s phrase, “predictive sociological expertise” on the latest cultural wave coming, our churches would be far better off. We have accepted almost without question certain definitions of success and what a successful church looks like. However, we must not forget that, as I told this past year’s graduates, if the cross teaches us anything, it is that God sometimes does his greatest redemptive work under a cloak of failure. Only sustained theological reflection is able to penetrate and unmask the pragmatic, market driven assumptions which largely go unchecked in today’s evangelical churches.
- No one set out to cheapen the gospel, diminish God’s holiness or downplay the cost of discipleship. It’s just happening. A baseball cap here, omitting the word “wretch” from Amazing Grace there. The pressure to bring in new members made it best to just drop the required confirmation class for membership. Besides, people are just too busy to attend a new members class and it might hurt our annual membership goals. The call to career missions slowly became short term missions which slowly became vacations with a purpose. It all happened so seamlessly. We brought in a new youth director. He doesn’t have any biblical or theological training, but, oh, how the youth love him. You should see the new worship leader we have! He doesn’t know any theology, but he’s just picking the choruses each week, and he can really play the guitar! You see, it happens in ten thousand small skirmishes, rarely in any big, bloody battle.
- Evangelicals have become experts in finding a thousand new ways to ask the same question, “What is the least one has to do to become a Christian.” That’s our defining question. We’ve become masters at theological and soteriological minimalism. We are the ones who have boiled the entire glorious gospel down to a single phrase, a simple emotive transaction, or some silly slogan. It is time for a new generation of Christians, committed to apostolic faith, to declare this minimalistic, reductionistic Christianity a failed project! It is wrong to try to get as many people as possible, to acknowledge as superficially as allowable, a gospel which is theologically unsustainable.
- We have, in effect, been criss-crossing the world telling people to make God a player, even a major player in our drama. But the gospel is about being swept up into His great drama. It is about our dying to self, taking up the cross, and being swept up into the great theo-drama of the universe! Christ has come as the Second Adam to inaugurate the restoration of the whole of creation by redeeming a people who are saved in their full humanity and called together into a new redeemed community known as the church, the outpost of the New Creation in Adam’s world. Discipleship, worship of the Triune God, covenant faithfulness, suffering for the sake of the gospel, abiding loyalty to Christ’s holy church, theological depth, and a renewed mission to serve the poor and disenfranchised – these must become the great impulses of our lives.
Tennent had a lot more to say. It’s a long piece, long for a blog, anyway. But it’s worth your time to read it, even if you don’t agree with all he has to say.
He lost me with the bit about not wearing baseball caps and not taking coffee into worship. Started to sound like an old man griping about “kids these days.”
Adam,
I’ll admit that some of that went through my mind as well. Still, a lot of the critique is very good.
Grace and peace,
Tim Archer
We recently had a discussion about drinks in the assembly. The argument was that drinking coffee in the assembly didn’t show respect to God. My initial impulse was to pooh-pooh that, but, on reflection, it may merit some more thought. Does reverence for God require a certain amount of decorum? Paul’s mention of decency and order would seem to indicate this. The question then becomes: what is appropriate decorum when communing with the Lord of the Universe? What is appropriate decorum when communing with our Father? I don’t know the full answer, but I think the questions are worth serious consideration. The remarks were well thought out and quite challenging.
For what it’s worth, our conclusion re: food and drink in the assembly was this: people get dry thrats, so water is fine. People can learn enough self-control to refrain from having other drinks in the assembly. Kids under three may need their Cheerios, but the rest of us can learn to wait. It was decision everyone could live with…and, lest you think we’re just fuddy cuddles, we don’t require our preaching rotation to wear coats and ties (I don’t wear them to work, I don’t wear them to the assembly).
I look forward to reading this article. As for coffee in the assembly (of which I am guilty of) and decorum in the assembly, I think much of it depends on what sort of atmosphere we believe the worship gathering should be. Is it a temple where one must come in reverence to God or is it a table where God joins us as we are in the person of Jesus? Good arguments could be put forth for either view but I tend to the later is more in keeping with God’s redemptive intentions.
Grace and Peace,
Rex
Rex, is the table in the Four Seasons or McDonald’s? Not to be facetious or too hip, but how should we adapt the Biblical metaphors for our age? There’s a time for fast food and a time for fine dining: which is the apt metaphor for our assemblies? Clearly, we can’t afford five star restaurants all the time. However, we also understand it’s not doing our children a service to take them to McDonald’s every night.
I don’t think anyone is going to burn in Hell for taking a cup of coffee into an auditorium (I’ve done it enough times myself). What I would like to see is for people to give their actions and attitudes some thought. “God won’t mind and I could use the caffeine buzz” is not, IMHO, sound theology, or even sound thinking. We don’t have to agree on the answer to every question. However, I believe it’s important that we ask the questions on an individual level and make sure that, whatever choices we make, they’re based on thoughtful consideration on how we can best honor and serve God and show His love to those around us (that’s why I like this blog: folks here are clearly thinking through things).
Am I making the proverbial mountain out of the cliche mole hill? Probably. Perhaps we’re so scarred from the crazy “truth and error locked in deadly conflict” days that we shy away from dealing with the important questions (What is the purpose of worship? What does it mean to live as Jesus lived? How does my discipleship affect my spending patterns?), and even the less important, but more fun, questions (How about that cup of coffee in the assembly? Is it scriptural to serve decaf? And, most important, Krispy Kreme or Dunkin’ Donuts?).
Robert,
If I must be pressed then what I am saying is that the table is among the sinners Jesus’ contemporaries criticized him for dining with (Mk 2.15-16); the table is among those whom Jesus knew would betray him and deny him (Lk 22.14-23). My point is that the table says that in Christ, God comes to us and as we are and invites us to come to him as we are rather than expecting us to adopt a certain decorum beforehand. To create a worship space that requires a certain decorum other than prohibiting immodesty and disruptive behaviors (which the NT does speak about) seems to be more of a co-option of later developments in Christian history that located the church back in a temple.
I hope that explains where I am coming from.
Grace and Peace,
Rex
As usual, Rex, your comments are well-reasoned and well-stated. I’ve noticed over the years that, in the church, form creates (rather than follows) function, especially in worship. How would our celebration of the Lord’s Supper have changed if our buildings didn’t have forward facing pews? I noticed that our own view of decorum and formality changed markedly (and not, in my view, for the better) when we moved from a school gymnasium to rented space, which we could turn into a “normal” church building [sic].
But you still haven’t addressed the critical questions: decaf or regular? Krispy Kreme or Dunkin’ Donuts? I need to know if I can still fellowship you.
Robert,
LOL… But since you must know, regular coffee made very strong and black. I rarely eat donuts but if I must, I might as well get the most calories for my efforts. So I’ll go with Dunkin Donuts. However, I’ll still fellowship with the Krispy Kreme folks as well as the folks who must ruin good coffee by adding cream and sugar. But as far as fellowshipping with those who drink colored water other wise known as decaffeinated coffee…I don’t know, that might be heresy there. :-)
Grace and Peace,
Rex
P.S., I wish form would follow function rather than function following form but my wish is only the desire of one.
Rex,
Your wish for form to follow function is the desire of at least two. I suspect if we focused on understanding function better, we might even realize that many forms can perform the same function…did I just write that?
As for fellowship, being from North Carolina, I must, of course, join with the Krispy Kreme faction, especially when the light is on. I’m glad we can still fellowship on that count. However, I fear I’m one of those lily-livered compromisers without the courage of their convictions….that’s right: I drink half-caff. I do, however, drink it black, so perhaps there is still hope for me.