Tuesday, June 03, 2008
I Ain't Gonna Study War No More...
A week ago we honored veterans at Southern Hills. This last Sunday we started worship by singing "Down by the Riverside". It is a great song with roots in African American gospel music. Since the 1960's it has been perhaps the most sung anti-war protest song. Wow. Talk about mixed messages. I know that most of those in the audience Sunday did not even realize the history of that song. But in a way I think this is part of our growth and balance as God's people. Our congregation has veterans that are faithful Christians. And we have faithful Christians that as a matter of spiritual conscience could not serve in the military of any country.
Yet for two Sundays in a row we worshiped together. We must learn how to stay in fellowship while disagreeing on various issues. After my last post, Sarah and Troy commented that we would have to "disagree". That's great. I know that both of them are passionate Christians who make a difference in this world. They are two of my spiritual heroes. And I suspect if they were in spiritual crisis, I would be their "go to" elder. And it's OK that we disagree about Christians and war.
Our elders are working on deacon selection and we are all over the map on what the function and position mean. That's among our eldership. We are not going to all agree on what we decide. But we will have a plan, and everyone will not agree, and we will still stay together.
I preach in assemblies that have women participate in leading the service and in assemblies where women sit on the floor and say nothing. I have preached in services with instruments and those with a cappella praise teams and those with just a song leader. I preach in congregations that have Bible school and those that do not. And we are all brothers. Even when I don't agree with everything they do in their assemblies. Because we do agree on the gospel: that Jesus died, was buried, and was raised on the third day. And because we shared in that gospel by being baptized. And because we share in that gospel around the table of the Lord.
That is core. That is fundamental. Not the rest. Not war, or instruments, or women's role, or deacons. I have studied those issues. I think my position on them is right. And as an elder, I work with the other shepherds at Southern Hills to decide how we will work these issues out in practice. Sometimes we decide a position different from mine. Doesn't mean I am wrong...or maybe means I am. But these are not core. Not gospel. Not the message this world must hear. And not the message Christ died for.
Feel free to respond. After all, we're still brothers and sisters.
Yet for two Sundays in a row we worshiped together. We must learn how to stay in fellowship while disagreeing on various issues. After my last post, Sarah and Troy commented that we would have to "disagree". That's great. I know that both of them are passionate Christians who make a difference in this world. They are two of my spiritual heroes. And I suspect if they were in spiritual crisis, I would be their "go to" elder. And it's OK that we disagree about Christians and war.
Our elders are working on deacon selection and we are all over the map on what the function and position mean. That's among our eldership. We are not going to all agree on what we decide. But we will have a plan, and everyone will not agree, and we will still stay together.
I preach in assemblies that have women participate in leading the service and in assemblies where women sit on the floor and say nothing. I have preached in services with instruments and those with a cappella praise teams and those with just a song leader. I preach in congregations that have Bible school and those that do not. And we are all brothers. Even when I don't agree with everything they do in their assemblies. Because we do agree on the gospel: that Jesus died, was buried, and was raised on the third day. And because we shared in that gospel by being baptized. And because we share in that gospel around the table of the Lord.
That is core. That is fundamental. Not the rest. Not war, or instruments, or women's role, or deacons. I have studied those issues. I think my position on them is right. And as an elder, I work with the other shepherds at Southern Hills to decide how we will work these issues out in practice. Sometimes we decide a position different from mine. Doesn't mean I am wrong...or maybe means I am. But these are not core. Not gospel. Not the message this world must hear. And not the message Christ died for.
Feel free to respond. After all, we're still brothers and sisters.
