Copy and Paste from Word

I finally sat down and read another chapter of the book Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands by Paul David Tripp. I know I know it seems like I will never get through this one. Anyway, one of the points Tripp makes goes along with one of my previous posts or at least the end of that post where I rant about "this is my world and everyone else is just living in it" attitude.

In the second chapter of this book he makes the argument that most Christians really do not understand what the Bible is and what we're supposed to do with it especially in regards to ministering to others. He basically boils it down to say that we most often will use a command, principle, or promise to fit the moment. This approach he describes as copy and paste from Word. He goes on to say...

"This kind of ministry rarely leads to lasting change because it does not bring the power of the Word to the places where change is really needed. In this kind of ministry, self is still at the center, personal need is the focus, and personal happiness remains the goal. But a truly effective ministry of the Word must confront our self-focus and self-absorption at its roots, opening us up to the vastness of a God-defined, God-centered world. Unless this happens, we will use the promises, principles, and commands of the Word to serve the thing we really love: ourselves. This may be why many people read and hear God's Word regularly while their lives remain unchanged. Only when the rain of the Word penetrates the roots of the problem does lasting change occur."

He follows this quote up by explaining that we need the over arching themes of the Bible to properly understand and apply those principles and promises. You know, the ones that we love to hand out as if they were some type of spiritual fortune cookies. Tripp then ends the chapter with a story to describe the last theme of glory. It is a cute little story about a boy at a birthday party who is mad because he doesn't have all the gifts around him and he doesn't have all the attention. It is not even his birthday party. And before he ruins the party for everyone else he is quickly reminded. The point is that this life we call our own is really not our own. It is not our party. And it is not our world. It is His and we're just living in it.

Real and/or Relevant

Let me just say I am pretty frustrated about these words. I have heard them from friends. I have seen them plastered on a graphic behind a ceo, err I mean pastor, of a large church. I have read about them in books. And don't let me forget about another word that also gets thrown around with the two mentioned above in the title: Authentic.

Would someone please clue me in on to why they are used so often? I think I can understand some of the reasons why they are used. We want to make people feel comfortable I guess. We want to "relate"-that's another one of these words. We want to build relationships. We want to appear to be truthful. We want others to think that we really do have something important to say and maybe they will listen if we say the right things and wear the right clothes and act just like them.

Let me clarify before someone misunderstands what I am griping about. I think we should definitely be real and relevant. And I don't think anyone would argue that trying to relate to someone isn't a great way to build relationships. Authenticity is really just a two dollar word that communicates the idea that we don't want to be a hypocrite. And I think that is great too.

I guess my real gripe is that these words have become the buzz words of American Christianity at least in a broad sense. And the reason I think it is a bad thing is because it places too much emphasis on individual perception and feelings rather than transcendent truth and reality. I think emphasizing all these things/words/feelings reinforce selfish thoughts and deeds. The idea that "this is my world and the rest of you all are just living in it" is indeed one of the most common bases of thought that most of us experience day in and day out. We have become so concerned with experience that we lose sight of the bigger picture, of the lives that surround us, and the great big huge God we call Father.

If you don't think this is a problem for you Justin Taylor had a blog post that asks some questions that might shed some light on whether or not you are more concerned with how something relates to you and your world. They are listed below.

• Do you get bored when someone reads a longish passage of Scripture in your church? Do you start wishing they’d get on with the music?
• Do you need music playing in the background for the reading of Scripture to affect your emotions?
• Does a prayer seem too “plain” or “stark” to you if it doesn’t have music playing behind it?
• Do you feel depressed a few weeks after a worship conference because you haven’t felt close to God in a long time?
• Do you desperately look forward to the next conference you’re going to attend because you know that, finally, you’ll be able to feel close to God again?
• If you’re in a big church with great music, are you able to worship when you visit your parents’ small rural church?
• Do you ever feel worshipful in the middle of the week, at work, at school, etc. just because of thinking about God and his grace? Or does that only happen when the music’s playing?
• Do you tend to feel closer to God when you’re alone with your iPOD than you do when you’re gathered with God’s people in your church?
• Do you feel like you just can’t connect with other believers who haven’t had the same “worship experiences” that you have? Can you only connect with other believers who “know what it feels like to really worship?”
• Is your sense of spiritual well-being based more on feeling close to God, or knowing that you are close to God because of Jesus Christ?

2 Books and a Website

If you have noticed there is a section in the right column of my blog that reads "Book(s) I'm Reading." To be honest, I haven't even started the book that is listed there. I could come up with as many excuses as you would ever want to read. But the sad fact is that as busy as I have been the past few weeks, it is out of sheer laziness that I haven't started reading that book yet. It is called Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands. I know that it sounds contradictory to say that I'm excited about reading this since I have had it for a full month now without even smelling the new book smell. But I don't care. I'm going to say it anyway. I'm excited about reading this book.
Another book that I'm excited about is on its way from Mark Driscoll & Gerry Breshears entitled Vintage Jesus. If you don't know who Mark Driscoll is then you owe it to yourself to at least do some investigation into his ministry. You may be surprised. You may laugh. You may cry. You may be blessed. You may even be offended. But more than likely you are going to get a mix of all of these. Enjoy!
The website that I mentioned in the title is BiblicalTraining.org This is a fantastic website dedicated to offering FREE SEMINARY LEVEL CLASSES!! Yes I said free. What a fantastic opportunity to study quality material from quality teachers.
In the coming weeks I will be posting some commentary and insights about these 2 Books and a Website.