The Swing of the Pendulum

In my brief 46 years, I have watched as the pendulum of church “fadology” has swung back and forth. Actually, it is more like a pendulum which swings as it simultaneously orbits the central pole of God’s ideal for the Church.

I am not an authority of church history in any regard, and the following observations are purely subjective, but I find it fascinating to see how various stages of church development bring out the best and worst of the body of Christ.

I can recall in the 70’s the surge of Charismatic churches. Theological debates still reflect the tension between those who believe that the same miraculous gifts that occurred in the First Century are valid and should be experienced today, and those who believe that those gifts ceased to exist as the apostles faded from the scene and the Church became established.

Regardless of your stance, this phase brought a much needed resurgence of Holy Spirit awareness. A Church that had run on the power of business models, hard work, structured programs, and educated leaders (none of which are necessarily negative factors), was awakened to the need to surrender to the control of the One who made the Church the Church in the first place – the Spirit of the Living God.

In the early 80’s the church growth movement kicked into gear, and we were bombarded with tactics, strategies, programs, etc. for making the church “user-friendly.” I was working on my master’s degree in the 80’s and remember reading far more church growth books than I cared to read, and most of them saying the same thing. Most of it was fairly common sense.

This phase tended to swing the Church away from dependence on the Spirit of God for growth, but also provided church leaders some insight into practical ways to use our minds and abilities in tandem with God’s Spirit to unleash the Church to impact communities and the world.

About the same time as the church growth movement was stirring the thinking of pastors, another wave began to rumble toward the shores of Christendom. The explosive popularity of worship and praise music not only renewed the worship of churches, but created an entirely new genre of music which became, and continues to be, highly lucrative. The long-lasting wave of praise and worship emphasis in the Church has not only enabled the creation of some great music (and a lot of sub-par stuff too), but has opened up much needed dialogue about the theology of worship. It has also driven us as the people of God to re-discover our Old Covenant roots. Ancient Judaism was a culture deeply trained in honoring the majesty of God in multi-faceted and creative ways. These practices are valuable for the modern church.

Over the last ten years the fascination with post-modernism has not only alerted ministry leaders to the change of our culture, but has lead to another phase of church development, specifically the birth of the emerging church. For some helpful insight on what the “emerging church” is, read this article by Gary Zustiak in a recent edition of the Christian Standard.

As I write this, debate rages (not an inappropriate term for some of the tense discussions) about some of the theological peculiarities of certain leaders and churches within the emerging church community. Some of those concerns are well-founded. But many of the themes of the emerging church are also helpful in regaining balance within the Church.

A renewed emphasis on pursuing social justice, caring for the environment, and discussions about topics like the relationship between the Church and democracy, and the myth of redemptive violence have been healthy movements toward giving attention to issues long-neglected in the Western Church especially.

I recount this brief, personal history of the Church simply to illustrate that:

• Holding too tightly to any “fad” of ecclesiology is risky, for it will likely fade into obscurity when its weaknesses, or even heresies, are discovered.
• The Church is an organism. Change is a part of our reality. Foundational truths can never be sacrificed without distorting the Church, but the flow of new ideas will help us explore areas of neglect.
• The swing of the pendulum is a necessary movement, lest the Church become cemented to one extreme. Our human tendency is to be attracted to extremes. We discover an area of weakness, and, instead of seeking to restore balance, we completely abandon the previous extreme – including the worthy aspects of it – and embrace the new extreme. Most of the phases through which the Church has passed have been healthy, in that they have brought refreshing and needed correction in times of error.

I have been blessed by every wave of church thinking through which I have passed, but I am often tempted to think that the latest one is finally “it.” I assume that the Church has finally arrived. Hold on. Another wave is coming. And it, too, will be a thrill to ride. Learn to enjoy the ride, but remember it is a merely a wave. The wave is a periodical ripple of the ocean. It is not the ocean itself.

War God

If I had to list a Top 5 of theological puzzles, I would definitely include the challenge of merging the Old Testament God of military conquest and the New Testament Jesus, Prince of Peace. It seems fairly clear that God calls Israel, as a people, to engage in warfare (at times the complete decimation of people groups who seem to be minding their own business) while protecting and providing victory for them in the process, and executing judgment on those who refuse to do so to accomplish His purposes. It also seems clear that Jesus calls His disciples to live peacefully with all people, even those who personally, aggressively and violently stand against them. So which is it. Can we find a harmonious conclusion?

Obviously, I cannot and will not be able to provide THE answer to this gargantuan question, but I came across a text in my personal reading that may shed some light.

I was reading this morning in the Old Testament book of Joshua. In Chapter 5 Joshua and the Israelites are preparing to take possession of the land they have just entered. Early in the chapter the men are circumcised because none of the males have undergone this covenantal ritual since they were in Egypt. All of those men are gone at this point, having died in the desert. The new generation have not been so consecrated.

Near the close of the chapter, just before the attack on Jericho begins, Joshua has a strange encounter with a “man” described as “the commander of the Lord’s army.” He is bearing a sword and Joshua asks:

“Are you for us or for our enemies?”

The response he receives is brief, and Joshua does not question it.

“Neither, but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.”

I would have desired a little clarification on such a neutral response. But Joshua’s reaction is to fall in worship before this being and ask what message from the Lord he has come to share.

“Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.”

If that sounds familiar, see Exodus 3:5. Joshua honors the command, and we are ushered directly into the story of Jericho’s fall.

This intriguing encounter provokes several thoughts.

• The “commander” clearly reveals that God is not willing to take sides and declare any of the Canaanite people groups as enemies, at least at this point.
• The issue for the commander/God is clarifying that God is present in this place, thus making the place holy. Something “holy” is something set apart for the purposes of God.
• The question Joshua poses initially might well be one that God could ask of Joshua, the Canaanite peoples, and/or us: Are you for Me or against Me?
• This encounter occurs before any of the Conquest takes place, almost suggesting that it sets the theological tone for the actions of Israel in each military encounter.

The account of Jericho’s fall is quite non-militaristic at first, utilizing marching hordes, trumpets and shouts. Once the walls fall, the violence begins, Joshua commanding the people to totally decimate every living thing in the city (Joshua 6:17).

The exception is Rahab and her household. Because she aided the spies during their covert mission, she and all in her home were spared during the mayhem. This draws me back to the encounter of Joshua with the commander of the army of the Lord. God does not select people groups for violent judgment. He is looking for faithfulness among ALL peoples. Rahab is the remnant figure among the Canaanites, spared because of her understanding of the holy ground on which she stood. The destruction of those who continued to reject God is a judgment called and led by God.

Could it be that God was seeking, not the decimation of people groups, but the surrender of these people? Was the seven-day period an opportunity for the people of Jericho to open their gates and receive Israel and Israel’s God? We may never know, but it is difficult to suppose that God ever moves with violence against people as His first tactic. It seems reserved for a people in complete rebellion.

I can’t say that some of these insights I have gained from this section of the Scriptures solve the tension mentioned at the beginning of this post, but there are some clues here that might make a bit more sense of it all.

I hope to explore more of these issues as I continue through Joshua and generally explore this theological Gordian knot.

Sweatless Service

The devastating injury of a friend recently provoked my thinking about the quality of life needed to serve others. It is amazing how the simplest of words can become bloated with implication. When I think of “service” I usually associate it with effort rendered which is mostly physical in nature. It is action that makes us use our muscles and sweat. It leads to physical fatigue because we are helping a friend move, or mowing a lawn, or cleaning a house, or preparing a meal, or changing the oil in a car.

I wondered, as I considered a friend who is unable to use arms and legs to do any of those things, if when we come to that kind of crossroads, our ability to serve is extinguished. I wondered it about myself. Would I still have the capacity to serve others? Would I sense that my purpose in life had been severely diminished?

Counter-arguments quickly came to mind:

“I can minister through speaking encouragement.”

“I can serve others as I teach.”

“I can have an impact through prayer.”

The arguments made sense, but they still seemed a bit hollow. And then I was ministered to by a friend who was flat on his back and virtually unable to move anything but his eyes, lips and soul. I had physically gone to the aid of a friend to serve, and I emerged having been served. I was lifted up. My faith was renewed. I was made to think.

Attending to the needs of others through physical ministry is certainly an important calling for all of us who are able-bodied. But the power of ministry rendered through a prayerful spirit, wise words, and a caring soul is nourishing to the bone. I am ashamed that I do not care for others better in “sweatless” ways. The opportunities for ministry have multiplied before the eyes of my heart, now, for there are some needs the hands and feet can never meet.

Last Resort?

When all else fails, trust God.

A church in our town has this message posted on its sign. With all due respect, is this warped, or what? I propose dropping one word and altering the punctuation.

All else fails. Trust God.

Believe and live this way to begin with and you’ll find the peace of God much sooner.