In Sun. eve. class a week ago, time expired as I was noting how the earliest Christians were behaving in radical, counter-cultural manners. One particular behavior, Luke emphasizes in Acts, is the selling of possessions in order to give to others in need. Luke notes that no one had need within this fledgling fellowship.
At that point, I was running toward a familiar dead-end. What application can we make today? We surely cannot expect each other to make enormous financial contributions to the congregation. How would we manage such funds? Won't be enabling folks to become dependent on church assistance? This sort of thinking violates all our sensibilities about financial management. ETC.
Finally, by the grace of God, I realized that my approach to teaching this material is wrong-headed. I am guilty of getting the proverbial cart in front of the horse. Luke is not recording behaviors that he expects us to imitate. Rather, he is bearing witness to a phenomenal event.
God's Spirit has been poured out on people! This Holy Spirit has captivated these people in wondrous ways, leading to all sorts of radical, counter-intuitive behavior. It is the Spirit we, the readers, should be focused upon, not necessarily the behavior.
This realization leads to subtle, but powerful shifts in how I think about my Christian walk. I spend a lot of time thinking and analyzing my behavior. I am constantly seeking to minimize my spiritual weaknesses, maximize my spiritual strengths, basically stated--clean up my act.
I am focused on the cart, when I should be focused on the horse. If the horse is doing its thing- the cart will fall in line. Metaphysically speaking, if I am filled with the Holy Spirit, the rest will fall in place.
So at this point, I have exchanged a question for a better question.
The original question was something like this: How can I act/think more like the 1st Century Christians?
The better question is: How can I be (all the more) filled with God's Holy Spirit?
What are your thoughts?
Monday, November 12, 2007
A horse in front of the cart
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Wow...now that's some real "meat & potatoes" to chew on for a Monday!
So, this post begs the question: if we are not to be imitating actions, but seeking God's spirit, where does that leave efforts at creating churches that seek to mimic first-century practices. And what about the clear lines of demarcation regarding "the saved" and "the damned" that are by-products of trying to "get it right" in terms of church form and function?
Not that concern with "doing the right things" is bad in and of itself, but maybe we've been more concerned with using the Bible to create a list of what not to do, rather than for the bigger picture.
Personally, it makes me uncomfortable and yet intrigued at the prospect of reading to see God at work, rather than a list of acceptable policies and procedures.
Excellent provoking post!
You are right to say there is nothing wrong with trying to get things right. I fully understand and identify with Campbell in looking to the 1st Century "pattern" for a common ground around which diverse Christians can find unity. However, we must acknowledge that the pattern is not the end-all.
All the prophets spoke of a glorious time when God would come near His people - God's Spirit would come upon His people. John the Baptist's expression is, "I baptize with water, but the One who is coming will baptize with the Holy Spirit."
We cannot allow the great reality to be reduced to a doctrinal subpoint contingent on immersion for the remission of sins. I believe in immersion for the remission of sins. The account of Cornelius in Acts 10 portrays that the Holy Spirit's dwelling with believers is the big deal. Once Peter saw that God's Spirit had come upon these gentiles, he finally understood that God is with them.
Therefore, maybe a better question is: What are my constraints to a greater filling of God's Spirit?
Jason,
This post is awesome!
I totally agree with you that if we keep our focus on God's Spirit he will lead us in the way we need to go.
I also think this is the answer to Eric's question... the Spirit will lead us in the right way if we "keep in step with the Spirit." (Galatians 5:25) We really need to give control of everything in our lives and the life of the Church over to the Spirit if we are going to live a powerful life.
It's interesting though, how quickly we go from knowing this and living it, to knowing it and trying to work things out with our own wisdom.
Just my thoughts...
Post a Comment