Closing the Gap

It’s been a while since my last post. Just a few more weeks of assignments and, by God’s grace, I’ll enter into the great post-grad transition…

While trying to remain breathing on the treadmill tonight, I was listening to Eugene Peterson’s audiobook, Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places, on Dee’s iPod (which I borrowed since it’s a no-bigger-than-a-quarter “iPod Shuffle”). I have to admit, the reader of the book is not one of my favorites; however, after a few minutes of focusing on the material, I was quite intrigued.

I haven’t plowed that far in the book by any means. Yet what I’ve heard thus far is extremely insightful as it relates to the relationship between what we know and how we live. Peterson warns that if not careful, we can learn more with our minds (about God) and continue to exhibit faithless actions in how we live. And thus the “gap” between knowing about God and living for God expands… Many of us have wonderful preachers at our local assemblies; we have access to countless books, cds, dvds, etc. that offer vast amounts of information regarding God’s Kingdom. But for some reason or another, the “gap” continues to grow.

Peterson discusses what he refers to as Spiritual Theology. It is his way at getting at the propensity in Christian circles to drift to one of two extremes – either we are so enamored with the mental calisthenics involved in the various disciplines of the academy (biblical, systematic, practical, historical), or we throw theological conversation out the window, as if we could know how to live faithfully for God without healthy (sound) doctrinal reflection.

Granted, many folks are somewhere in between these generally defined extremes. But what kept gnawing at my mind was the question of where I am as it relates to such reflection. I love studying & discussing the Scriptures; and I have access to enough books to keep me busy for quite some time. Yet in what ways am I embodying the Gospel message? Of course, we seek to properly understand God (and rightly so); there is no doubt that we need to maintain sound (healthy) doctrine in the local assembly. But is right doctrine “right” if it isn’t manifested in a transformed life that reaches out to others with Jesus’ love? I don’t think so…

This led me to think about how we “do” church. The Scriptural witness speaks of a very personal God who desires such personal intimacy with creation. In like manner, the relationships between persons in the church should reflect the loving communion, hospitality and grace that exist in God. But do they? Are our gathering times conducive to such strong bonds of brother/sisterhood? Might there be other ways of viewing church than the traditional services that we have grown to expect?

Thinking outloud…

Shannon

p.s. Click on post title (Closing the Gap) to access page with embedded video in top right corner. Blessings