The greatest danger to the Christian Church is always the Spirit of the Age. There is always a tension, because the Christian's job is to package timeless truth in attractive modern decoration. We are to be in the world but not of the world.
People who put their energy into spreading the gospel, those worship leaders and preachers and writers, face the greater temptations in doing the opposite: disguising half-truth, heresy, or lack of spiritual focus in biblical language. It is easy to take what is popular and find some tertiary Christian teaching in it. They quite naturally go where the applause tells them to. Do not be quick to condemn them, for it is your applause they are hearing or not hearing. To them, the Church is in danger of disappearing because it does not capture the attention of the crowd.
As the rabbis said "Perhaps the opposite is also true." The Church is in danger of disappearing when it does capture the attention of the crowd. Ride the simplest truths, and put the others in the cart behind you. Attend worship. Pray. Be generous. Forgive those who have hurt you. Teach those who will listen.
There are always tensions: grace and works, truth and kindness.
ReplyDeleteThe way of the affirmation of images and the way of the rejection of images: Charles Williams said neither way was complete without some honor paid to the other...
While looking up that quote I ran across this image
Truth without grace is harsh and ultimately a maimed form of truth. Grace without truth is no grace at all but soft soap, flattery, and ultimately a vicious demonization of anyone who refuses to flatter.
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