Future generations will look back at our generation see our relative silence at this gross injustice all the while the church and evangelical Christians seem to obsess about who's sleeping with whom - silent about the injustices of consumerism and materialism all the while tearing the church apart with the sexuality debates.
It's not that Biblical sexuality and morality is not important. It's just that the sexuality debates are taking up way too much energy and resource while almost nothing is being done about the injustices and inequities of the disparity between the rich and the poor.
How much would our world look differently if evangelical Christianity had spent as much energy and passion about alleviating world hunger as we have been on the sexuality debate?
More importantly, how much more effectively could we be not only preaching the good news, but living out the gospel message of Jesus Christ "to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor" (Luke 4:18-19).
Brothers and sisters in Christ, we must open our eyes to our blindness on this matter. This is our generation's clarion call.
This is the kind of church I want to be a part of.
I think you do too.
www.trinitypresbyterian.us
http://tpc-james.blogspot.com/
twitter @jameskimtpc
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6 comments:
There is a wonderful book titled "Why we're not emergent by two guys who should be." It is a great book for anyone who wants to understand the blessings and the problems within the emergent movement.
There is a line in the book which reads, "Many emergent leaders need to discover the genius of the word "and'. Too many think one must stress orthodoxy (right belief) or orthopraxy (right living).
I think your posts errors in this type of thinking. It isn't either / or but "and".
No doubt about the need for stressing ministry to the least of these in the world but also no doubt about the need to hold to the truth and defend the faith once delivered.
The problem is the church hasn't had the courage to uphold God's word and settle this matter so it can move off the dime and turn more attention, dollars, time to the ministries to the least of these.
God's blessings to you,
Matt Ferguson
Hillsboro, IL
Matt, you're right about the both/and rather than either/or. Either/or dichotomy is not helpful at all in leading our church.
I never said that it's about either sexuality or helping the needy. It's my contention that sexuality is all that the evangelical church seems to be interested in while turning a blind eye to the ministry to the least of these.
It's precisely my point that it has to be both Biblical orthodoxy and orthopraxy.
I appreciate you taking the time to read my blog and responding.
Blessings to you as well.
James <><
I am wondering what you would suggest regarding a course of action for those of us who believe that something is really at stake in the issue of "who's sleeping with whom." Should we simply roll over, quit the fight, and put everything into various forms of social ministry?
Is this the battle I would have chosen to have to fight? No. I haave not relished, nor do I relish, the prospect that my entire ministry will occur in the context of mainline Protestantism's "Sex Wars."
However, we did not have the luxury of choosing the battle. It is the one we have, and many of us see this issue as the tip of iceberg regarding the real issues that divide us from those who have made this the fight.
At one point does a denomination cease to be a part of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. Perhaps that is the issue we are really warring over. Sexuality is just one of the battles in that war.
James, I'm interested to know the evidence upon which you base your assertion that Christians are not concerned about the injustices of poverty, starvation, slavery or even consumerism.
Perhaps you wish that the press would spend less time covering the debates about "who sleeps with whom," but I'm pretty sure that Christians are indeed putting a lot of energy into addressing poverty where they live. They just don't seek press coverage for it. The dollars going into food banks, charities, foundations, and ministries is enormous and studies show that Christians give more than their 'secular' counterparts to such causes.
Mary Naegeli
Walnut Creek, CA
Walter and others,
It has long been held by many that the core issue is not sexuality but Biblical authority---challenging it by trying to undermine proper methods of interpretation.
The reason the debate has been focues in this particular area is by choice of the progressives. They have chosen this to be the point of attack because they see it as the area where they can more easily win----as they try to make it about "relationships" and "loving others fully".
The methods of interpretation that must be used to justify distorting clear teaching of scripture on same gender sexual relations would, if used in other areas, allow one to distort other truths found in the Bible, including core, foundational truths.
That, brothers and sisters, is the true core of this debate. Only a few orthodox believers enjoy this debate---most are involved only because they know what is at stake. The vast majority would LOVE to move on but we are not given that choice.
God's blessings to you,
Matt Ferguson
Hillsboro, IL
Thank you all for your comments. Mary, you asked for "proof" for my assertion that American Evangelical Christianity was spending way too much time on the sexuality issue and not enough time on alleviating poverty.
I really don't think we need proof, but I guess if you need some, please read my newest blog. I am sure you are familiar with books like "The Hole in our Gospel" by Richard Stearns or "Rich Christians in a Hungry World" by Ron Sider. There are many other books and materials out there that address this very issue.
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