C.S. Lewis, like yourself, also wasn't sure what to do with the imprecatory Psalms. That's quite striking, coming from someone who went through WW2.
I suspect the proper thing to do with them is just sing them, and gradually find out, through that process, what to do with them. Like most of the bible, we don't really understand when we pray it or confess it in the moment. We grow into it.
After all, most of the gentle, comforting, non-martial stuff in the bible we don't really fully believe or understand either, do we? Or else, we would have much more peace and trust than we do.
I still puzzle myself over the concept of commercialization. On the one hand, lusting after acquiring, rather than faithfully and consistently producing, is sinful. On the other hand, there's nothing inherently bad about popularity or marketing.
But, based upon how much we typically pay our pastors on average, or how much we don't tithe, I think the problem isn't commercialization per se. I think it may be simply valuing the wrong stuff.
We should value those pastors who labor faithfully and purely, and devalue the fakers and charlatans.
Our markets are skewed because our hearts are skewed.
Andrew, I'm glad to have stumbled across your substack...your honest writing here is very refreshing! A couple quick thoughts...
"The commercialization of Christian culture has led us to sacrifice wisdom for influence, and thus we are losing both..."<- so much yes to this...
In another post you spoke of a great divide: "...between Christianity and what our culture has been taught to think Christianity is...". <- I think this is ultimately the true diagnosis of the problem.
The question remains though, "What IS true Christianity?" Is it simply a less commercialized iteration of the faith we have been practicing, or do the divergences run deeper than that?
Blessings to you! I look forward to reading more of your work.
Really appreciate your thoughts here 💛 what we sing most def influences the way we think, act and justify violence. To live a gospel life is to hold everything up to the light and not separate out pieces we are scared to surrender
I don't really care about the music part of this article as people have different tastes and lyrics are open to multiple interpretations and I have no way of relating to those people that like repetitious "praise music". I would like to focus on something far more important. That is what is a Christian to do with repentance? "Robert Morris is a CyberTruck." I know nothing of him but the story seems to be that he indeed repented before starting his new church.
As Paul says: 9Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts, 10nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 11And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."
Is it appropriate for Christians on the outside of a situation to proclaim that someone who once did wrong and has been sanctified and Justified and has a new life in Christ must live as if he is always what he was. It would seem that by doing that one is "having a form of godliness but denying its power."
I see your point, Ron. What seems clear about this story is that had he been brought to the authorities, as the law would require and his victim has repeatedly called for, he would surely have done jail time and been labelled a sex offender. I
s that fun? No. But true repentance doesn't just mean feeling sorry and changing, it means taking responsibility for your actions, which he clearly didn't. In this case, I would argue that his lack of responsibility and accountability points strongly to a lack of true repentance.
My bigger point, though, is not about Robert Morris. It's that what the world sees in instances like this lack of restitution and repentance is ultimately far more harmful than the good of the work that he did. The ends do not justify the means.
The world sees what it wants to see, right now if it sees a Christian the world condemns them on the general principle that Christians are bigots, homophobes and generally horrible people like conservatives. So you are never going to make them happy. If you want to find something wrong in a Christian just talk to one...same for every other religion and non religious person as well. Even Gandhi was hated but many. But I still think the larger point is what does one do with restoration. This quote from the Blaze article: ""Let's set something straight: repentance and restoration does not include restoring an accused abuser to a leadership position (if, in fact, the claims against him prove true)," added Stuckey." https://www.theblaze.com/news/gateway-church-founder-robert-morris-resigns-days-after-molestation-victim-speaks-out Is that true, the Apostle Paul when he went by Saul was kind of a nasty character, yet his repentance brought him to the position of one of the most important Apostles. So is the question leadership then? I would suggest that our whole concept of pastors as leaders is wrong. my thoughts on that https://cafesda.blogspot.com/2010/04/rethinking-ordination-and-pastors.html
He could have been brought to the authorities but the father instead: "Clemishire's father reportedly found out what was going on and called the head pastor of Shady Grove to report Morris. He apparently gave the head pastor an ultimatum: have Morris leave the ministry or deal with the police.
Morris left the ministry for two years and would later suggest in his 2011 book "From Dream to Destiny" that he had done so on account of an excess in pride."
I think that is still the choice of the family and since it went on from the age of 12-17 I can see why the father did not press charges. I think he if went and confessed to the police and that is not what the family wanted that would probably have been worse for the family. In any case that does not change the question, Even if he resigned and went to Prison when he got out would that preclude him from starting a new church, or becoming a Pastor again (even if we assume, wrongly in my opinion that the pastor is the leader). Is there a time when we really have to do as Paul says "forgetting the things behind" "“Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13–14, NKJV).
This right here, “The commercialization of Christian culture has led us to sacrifice wisdom for influence, and thus we are losing both.” —Lord, have mercy. 😪Thank you for this.
C.S. Lewis, like yourself, also wasn't sure what to do with the imprecatory Psalms. That's quite striking, coming from someone who went through WW2.
I suspect the proper thing to do with them is just sing them, and gradually find out, through that process, what to do with them. Like most of the bible, we don't really understand when we pray it or confess it in the moment. We grow into it.
After all, most of the gentle, comforting, non-martial stuff in the bible we don't really fully believe or understand either, do we? Or else, we would have much more peace and trust than we do.
I still puzzle myself over the concept of commercialization. On the one hand, lusting after acquiring, rather than faithfully and consistently producing, is sinful. On the other hand, there's nothing inherently bad about popularity or marketing.
But, based upon how much we typically pay our pastors on average, or how much we don't tithe, I think the problem isn't commercialization per se. I think it may be simply valuing the wrong stuff.
We should value those pastors who labor faithfully and purely, and devalue the fakers and charlatans.
Our markets are skewed because our hearts are skewed.
I love that thought. We grow into it. Thank you for this!
least I can do for you, given all the music you've given me.
Andrew, I'm glad to have stumbled across your substack...your honest writing here is very refreshing! A couple quick thoughts...
"The commercialization of Christian culture has led us to sacrifice wisdom for influence, and thus we are losing both..."<- so much yes to this...
In another post you spoke of a great divide: "...between Christianity and what our culture has been taught to think Christianity is...". <- I think this is ultimately the true diagnosis of the problem.
The question remains though, "What IS true Christianity?" Is it simply a less commercialized iteration of the faith we have been practicing, or do the divergences run deeper than that?
Blessings to you! I look forward to reading more of your work.
Thanks Jereme. That really is the question, isn't it!?
Really appreciate your thoughts here 💛 what we sing most def influences the way we think, act and justify violence. To live a gospel life is to hold everything up to the light and not separate out pieces we are scared to surrender
I don't really care about the music part of this article as people have different tastes and lyrics are open to multiple interpretations and I have no way of relating to those people that like repetitious "praise music". I would like to focus on something far more important. That is what is a Christian to do with repentance? "Robert Morris is a CyberTruck." I know nothing of him but the story seems to be that he indeed repented before starting his new church.
As Paul says: 9Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts, 10nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 11And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."
Is it appropriate for Christians on the outside of a situation to proclaim that someone who once did wrong and has been sanctified and Justified and has a new life in Christ must live as if he is always what he was. It would seem that by doing that one is "having a form of godliness but denying its power."
I see your point, Ron. What seems clear about this story is that had he been brought to the authorities, as the law would require and his victim has repeatedly called for, he would surely have done jail time and been labelled a sex offender. I
s that fun? No. But true repentance doesn't just mean feeling sorry and changing, it means taking responsibility for your actions, which he clearly didn't. In this case, I would argue that his lack of responsibility and accountability points strongly to a lack of true repentance.
My bigger point, though, is not about Robert Morris. It's that what the world sees in instances like this lack of restitution and repentance is ultimately far more harmful than the good of the work that he did. The ends do not justify the means.
The world sees what it wants to see, right now if it sees a Christian the world condemns them on the general principle that Christians are bigots, homophobes and generally horrible people like conservatives. So you are never going to make them happy. If you want to find something wrong in a Christian just talk to one...same for every other religion and non religious person as well. Even Gandhi was hated but many. But I still think the larger point is what does one do with restoration. This quote from the Blaze article: ""Let's set something straight: repentance and restoration does not include restoring an accused abuser to a leadership position (if, in fact, the claims against him prove true)," added Stuckey." https://www.theblaze.com/news/gateway-church-founder-robert-morris-resigns-days-after-molestation-victim-speaks-out Is that true, the Apostle Paul when he went by Saul was kind of a nasty character, yet his repentance brought him to the position of one of the most important Apostles. So is the question leadership then? I would suggest that our whole concept of pastors as leaders is wrong. my thoughts on that https://cafesda.blogspot.com/2010/04/rethinking-ordination-and-pastors.html
He could have been brought to the authorities but the father instead: "Clemishire's father reportedly found out what was going on and called the head pastor of Shady Grove to report Morris. He apparently gave the head pastor an ultimatum: have Morris leave the ministry or deal with the police.
Morris left the ministry for two years and would later suggest in his 2011 book "From Dream to Destiny" that he had done so on account of an excess in pride."
I think that is still the choice of the family and since it went on from the age of 12-17 I can see why the father did not press charges. I think he if went and confessed to the police and that is not what the family wanted that would probably have been worse for the family. In any case that does not change the question, Even if he resigned and went to Prison when he got out would that preclude him from starting a new church, or becoming a Pastor again (even if we assume, wrongly in my opinion that the pastor is the leader). Is there a time when we really have to do as Paul says "forgetting the things behind" "“Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13–14, NKJV).
This right here, “The commercialization of Christian culture has led us to sacrifice wisdom for influence, and thus we are losing both.” —Lord, have mercy. 😪Thank you for this.
So many good thoughts and comments Andrew. I would highlight one to quote, then a couple seconds later, another one. I gave up. 😂 thank you.
👏👏👏👏🙏🏼
Excellent!