That which has been is
that which will be, And that which has been done is that which will be
done. So there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which
one might say, "See this, it is new?" Already it has existed for ages
that were before it.
— Ecclesiastes 1:9-10
The wise man was right.
Each generation possesses an adventurous spirit for the discovery of
things unique; believing they have found what no one else was smart
enough to think of. Alas, in the passing of time and the gaining of
wisdom, most discover the truth of Solomon—there is nothing new under
the sun.
I am especially troubled
these days by an attitude I see espoused by those who seek to mimic the
house-church movement of "non-denominational" evangelicals. Some among
us have discovered a "new and exciting" brand of Christianity that rises
above the bland and boring worship they believe most of us experience.
There are several underlying causes for the popularity of these groups
that seem to thrive in areas where there is a large contingency of
vulnerable college students—
-
There is the seed-thought planted
by LaGard Smith (Radical Restoration) and other writers who
raise more questions than answers and who seem to enjoy sarcastic
jabs at anything that smacks of local-church tradition,
-
There is a desire to duplicate the
casual and intimate assemblies often found in foreign countries
where Christians gather for worship followed by a common meal,
-
There is an appeal to a more
youthful camp-like devotional/emotional service in which little
teaching of substance (beyond the elementary—Heb.
5:12-14) occurs,
-
There is an unspoken rebellion
against biblical leadership (the rule of elders) although it is
obvious in every house-church group that someone is in charge,
-
There is extended focus on the
Lord's Supper with a tendency to turn it into a meal,
-
There is opportunity for women to
be more vocal by leading talks before the assembly to describe what
the Lord's Supper means to them,
-
There is an imitation of
Pentecostal hand clapping and arm waving (rock-concert style)—hardly
the holy hands of Jewish generations who sought to communicate God's
blessings by lifting up empty hands to show that without Jehovah
they had nothing,
-
There is disdain for symbols of
establishment such as church buildings or a "full-time" preacher,
-
There is a diminished importance of
Bible study by substituting externals instead of genuine renewal of
spirit (bigger pieces of bread, unique seating arrangements, etc.),
-
There is an attitude of arrogance
against those who raise questions or voice suspicions. Suddenly the
love-and-grace-group isn't very loving and grace giving.
Perhaps I should add an
eleventh—there is more focus placed on what the issue isn't rather than
what it is—an attempt to divert attention away from the real problem(s).
The concerns are not about needing emotion in worship, numbers, the
arrangement of chairs, more focus on the Supper, singing new songs,
church buildings, times or number of services on the Lord's day, etc.
The issue is about an attitude of arrogance ("knowledge makes arrogant
but love edifies"—1 Cor.
8:1) and a desire to supplant biblical teaching and New Testament
example.
Questions
Question: When the
whole church assembles together (1 Cor.
14:23a) and a woman addresses the assembly about the Lord's
Supper, is that not a violation of Paul's v. 34 admonition that
"women are to keep silent in the churches?" It is clear that the apostle
speaks of those leading the assembly—and he says that women are not to
do that. Or have I missed something? By the way, 1) women taking on
leader roles, and 2) instrumental music in corporate worship usually
join hands—one tends to follow the other.
Question: Are the
current attitudes against shepherds leading the flock (and they lead by
more than mere example—1 Tim. 5:17;
Heb. 13:17) a desire to walk
closer to Scriptures or…is it really a march closer to the one-man
pastor rule of Protestantism? I have read the meanderings of some on the
subject who have a knack for making the simple sound rather complicated
(a.k.a., intellectual). And unless I miss my guess, some have spent so
much time reading Lynn Anderson's, They Smell Like Sheep (elders
lead only by moral suasion), that they have begun to smell like Lynn
Anderson's teaching!
Question: Does the
emphasis on feeling over facts negate the "fact" that sometimes the
feelings aren't there (Ps. 10:1;
22:1-2;
43:2; 89:46;
Job 23:8-9) and that there are
times in life when God's child must walk based upon facts? When Job
said, "I know (not "feel") that my Redeemer lives…" he wasn't exactly
experiencing a mountain-top Hallelujah moment—he was in the valley of
despair. Are we equipping young people with the spiritual truths they
will need to survive the hardships of life, or are we surrounding them
with an emotional fog that will eventually be blown away by the gale
force winds of tough times? I am not a prophet but I have my
suspicions—I suspect that many of our youth will walk away from a faith
of fluff when they walk away from the environs of the college campus and
out into the real world. That is when they will find out just how "real"
(hard) it is. My hope is that they don't walk too far away. Sometimes
disillusionment with the illusion leads one away from the real thing.
Question: And how
do these attitudes have a bearing on evangelism? If ever there was a
rock-and-a-hard-place, this is it. It is hard to maintain the "small
church/house-church" concept when converts occur and you have to "tear
down houses and build larger ones." The easy answer is to plant another
"house-church." The reality is, some people don't like to give up
control. (Do you think I am far off the mark?) Here is a quick history
lesson: most local assemblies of God's people began in houses, or
store-fronts, or school cafeterias. Novel idea? Hardly.
And when does a tradition
become traditional? When it is done two weeks in a row? Three? A month?
Two months? One year? Two? Ten? Those who decry "tradition" (which could
be defined as an orderly way to accomplish what God asks us to do) soon
establish their own order (tradition) that they repeat—repeatedly.
Hence, the very ones ridiculing traditions (i.e., two songs, a prayer,
and another song…) themselves become traditionalists. That's ironic.
Okay, here it is: Are
some assemblies too rigid and man-traditional? Are some elders
overbearing? Are some Christians rushing through the Lord's Supper—with
an attitude of "let's get it over with so we can get on to more
important things" (i.e., the sermon)? Are some songs and prayers more
rote than from the heart? Are some more concerned about maintaining
property (and saving money) than they are about saving souls? The
answers are obvious.
And the solution is…? The
solution is and always has been a re-examining of biblical texts. What
does the Bible say? What did New Testament churches/assemblies do? How
can we become more like they were—and wouldn't that also include Paul's
stern warning to the free-and-easy Corinthians to do "things properly
and in an orderly manner" (14:40—a verse that has become the
focal point of sarcasm). Some, in their disdain for anything
traditional, find more comfort in following evangelical traditions—a
fact that is both odd and…old.
A Plea to Parents
This is not intended to
be a one-size-fits-all definition of everyone who espouses some form of
"house-church" idea(s). Such is impossible. Undoubtedly, I will be
criticized for painting with broad strokes—but at least I am trying
to articulate what is disturbing and heartbreaking to some parents.
Some will disdain the very term "house-church"—although another facet of
this kind of thinking is avoidance of any "label" entirely. Call it what
you wish or paint it in a better way but please understand that there is
a problem—and not an imaginary one.
My chief concern, beyond
that of those involved, are for parents who send their children to
colleges and universities and who assume automatically that their
impressionable children will be "impressed" by those who hold to the
same truths as do they. Don't bet on it.
My advice to parents is
simple: investigate the places of worship for your children. Yes,
you have that right—do you quit parenting when your pre- or
post-teen attends school away from home? Sure, they must forge their own
faith, but help them with the tools to do exactly that. Encourage them
to worship with churches on solid footing (size has nothing to do with
it), with stable shepherds, with preaching that is persuasive (2
Corinthians 5:11), filled with enthusiastic exhortations (Acts
2:40) and that will feed them the solid truths they need to
build the muscles of their faith. Like the exemplary church of the
Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 1), those assemblies of Christians
are there.
Like it or not, Solomon
nailed it. There is nothing new under the sun. Parents—wise
up!
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