Before you head off into your weekend, here are three things I have read and been thinking about this week. Hope they are as helpful to you as they have been for me.
Have a great weekend!
#1
I propose a hermeneutic of trust within the academy toward Scripture.
Richard Hays
Hays makes the case that coming to Scripture looking for the truth instead of where it falls short is imperative to our interpretive work. I agree.
And I’ll go a step further. I propose a hermeneutic of trust in our relationships too. A bent to giving people the benefit of the doubt instead of jumping head first into criticism. A refusal to make a judgment until we have heard, and really listened, to not just the words but the heart of another people.
Can you imagine how that one simple mindset would change politics in the US? And our families? And our churches? The church that is a place of trusting relationships would gain the world’s attention and put evil on notice that its days are numbered.
#2
Unless the Holy Spirit fills, the human spirit fails.”
E. Stanley Jones
Ever wonder why we burn out instead of tire out? E. Stanley Jones gives us an answer. Moving into places, taking up causes, “trying something big” is a-ok fine if, and only if, we are being led by the Spirit. The problem is that we often do not know until it is over. The state of our souls at completion of a season shows us the presence, or lack thereof, of the Spirit.
#3
A central challenge for all religions in a pluralistic world is to help people grow out of their petty hopes so as to live meaningful lives, and to help them resolve their grand conflicts and live in communion with others.
A Public Faith, How Followers of Christ Should Serve the Common Good by Miroslav Volf
What role does religion play in your life? Let me ask it another way. How has it changed you? That is what Volf is getting at.
Has the church been instrumental in providing meaning to your life? For instance, have you noticed moving from a self-centered to an other-centered perspective? Has it resolved grand conflicts in your life so that you have you found forgiveness and been able to offer it to others? Has it led you into deeper communion with others? Do you have a growing commitment to a group of people where you share life not just a pew?
I humbly submit that the church has seen declining interest for the exact reason that it is not making a difference in lives. The pandemic showed many people that life goes on just about the same whether you go to church or not. Sunday mornings have gone from a commitment to a convenience. If it doesn’t fit in the schedule, no big deal. As a result, the foundation of the church has been shaken. In the end, I actually believe this will have a positive impact if the church will take a hard look at itself rather than blaming our current crisis to a “lack of commitment.” People absolutely still want to commit. But only to things that are making a difference in their lives. We have to figure out how the Holy Spirit wants to work through us in this generation to do just that.
todd nelson 