"we became Christian progressives because we read our Bibles, not because we put them away. It’s okay if you’re not here yet or if you ever will be, but it’s important to understand the truth about how and why we arrived here."
So, in light of Corey’s list…
I thought it would be fun to write a list of my own! (But I must warn you, as Mr. Corey noted above, this is not an account of everyone's journey, nor is it a comprehensive exegetical list of what ought to be found in the pages of scripture. It is simply me chewing the cud of what it means to be a Christ-follower.)
Here goes.
1. The more I read my Bible, the more I
realize that Paul was mostly talking to us about Jesus.
I’m going to be very plain here. There was
a whole lot Paul meant for us to keep for all time, and that "whole
lot" is primarily Jesus. Paul wanted his churches to know Jesus, to live the Gospel
well, and to love one another without restraint or barrier. A lot of other
Pauline stuff we often impose on ourselves and others is secondary, historically immediate, and uniquely
specific to the particular groups to which he spoke. Readers need to be more sensitive
to this notion. The more I read the Bible, the more I see less of Paul’s
teachings about things that are culturally irrelevant, and more of a reflection
of Christ. In reading and contemplating Paul’s guidance of his churches, I long
for Jesus as pastor. Therefore, I make no apology in saying that Jesus frames
all of Paul’s teachings within their proper place and time. Paul’s expositions
most certainly reflect the work and person of Jesus, yet Jesus Christ is the
only One who is able to give the Gospel and the Christian life their Eternal
relevance, rather than the do's and don'ts that are often derived from the
Pauline writings.
2. The more I read my Bible, the more I
realize that Jesus is the center of it all.
Now that I’ve gotten my Pauline soapbox out of the way, I get to
add these lines to one of my favorite Israel Houghton songs:
Jesus at the center of it all
Jesus at the center of it all
From beginning to the end
It will always be, it's always been You Jesus
Jesus (Israel
I find true healing and blessing in these lyrics.
But these are even better:
“He is the exact image of the invisible God, the firstborn of
creation, the eternal. It was by Him that everything was created: the heavens,
the earth, all things within and upon them, all things seen and unseen, thrones
and dominions, spiritual powers and authorities. Every detail was crafted
through His design, by His own hands, and for His purposes. He has always been!
It is His hand that holds everything together. He is the head of this body, the
church. He is the beginning, the first of those to be reborn from the dead, so
that in every aspect, at every view, in everything, He is first.”
(Colossians 1:15-19 THE
VOICE)
And I think that pretty much sums it up. Jesus at the center of it
all.
3. The more I read my Bible, the more I
realize it’s about The Kingdom, not the rapture.
I stopped focusing on being raptured some
time ago. As I read further, my focus seemed to naturally turn to Jesus’
emphasis on Kingdom. I always believed the “Kingdom of Heaven
4. The more I read my Bible, the more I
realize Jesus was a feminist and a pacifist.
Yes. I think Christians get too riled up
and uptight around these two words, as well as these types of Believers. Guys
and gals, please calm down about this. I don’t care what anyone says, feminism
gets a bad rep. I don’t buy the stereotypes or the propaganda, no matter how
“biblical” or preachy. The Bible documents it well. Jesus loves women in a way that is counter-cultural.
Jesus promotes peace in a way that is counter-cultural. He is the only perfect
feminist, and the only perfect pacifist. In Christ all things are new, and that
includes how men and women should relate, and how justice ought to be won. Plus, after reading
Sarah Bessey’s Jesus Feminist, I see the beauty of the Christian life this way. At the
end of the day, these are just words, and I think they can be owned and
reconciled. When feminism and peace-making are perfectly characterized in
Christ, and properly demonstrated in one another, we have the makings of a
beautiful, wonderful Kingdom!
5. The more I read my Bible, the more I
realize that the overuse/misuse of the word “Biblical” gets on my nerves.
Ok, this one is a pet peeve of mine. The
word "Biblical" is not a one-size fit all stamp for what I consider to be “the right
doctrine.” After some careful Bible reading, I realized this word can fall prey
to serious abuse. I like how Rachel Held Evans puts it by saying that we often
practice “inherent selectivity.” This means we arbitrarily select what to own as
“biblical”, often without realizing it. Like Evans, I have attempted to share
my concern over the misuse of this word with friends and loved ones, only to be
met with blank stares of confusion. Oh well. The
more scripture I read, the more I see that the Bible is not to be made into a
“biblical blueprint” for life. It has many different options for various
situations, and with countless possible outcomes; no need to tack on the word
“Biblical”, in order to bolster credibility. It’s far too often an abuse of the term.
6. The more I read my Bible, the more I
realize that “Patriarchy is not God’s dream for humanity.”(Jesus Feminist)
This is one of my favorite Sarah Bessey quotes. I think it accurately reflects what I found to be true as I read more Bible. As a result of my learning, I've adopted what some may call an egalitarian view of men's and women's roles. IMHO, I just don't think patriarchy ought to have a such a prominent place in the church. First, Jesus honored women in humility and equality. He spoke and interacted with women in ways that contradicted the status quo. Jesus didn't argue for his power, he deferred it in the presence of women. Next, Paul establishes the concept of newness in Christ, where there is neither slave, nor free, Jew nor Greek, male nor female, and that all are one in Christ. He also taught that submission should first be mutual. In fact, the main distinction established between believers in Christ, are the gifts of the Holy Spirit. I think that's where the buck stops. Due to some good Bible reading, patriarchy has been weighed and found seriously wanting.
7. The more I read my Bible, the more I
realize it wasn’t written in a straight line.
Scripture was not recorded in a linear fashion, nor does it detail
a linear story. Instead, it is a narrative with many twists and turns, nuance
of the times, poetry, battle, drama, and dare I say, even some contradictions!
As I read more closely, I become more attuned to these discrepancies, and they
don’t take away from or burden my Christian life, they only serve to make it richer. The Bible becomes less predictable, and I am less likely to put it down.
8. The more I read my Bible, the more I
realize it wasn’t written in King James’ English.
This is another battle I gave up a long
time ago. Once I learned that there is really no “word for word” English(or any other language) translation of
the Bible, and that an “original” manuscript does not exist, I gave myself
permission to ditch the KJV. At first I felt most at home with the ESV, but now
I've settled in with The Voice. I prefer an emphasis on the narrative of God’s
word.
9. The more I read my Bible, the more I
realize conflict in the church is “Old Hat”.
Church battles are nothing new. We should
stop treating the book of Acts like a blueprint for the perfect church. Even
Paul had his disputes. The early church was full of problems, and so no amount
of “New Testament” practices is going to eliminate that point. Where the body
of Christ is concerned, its ok to deviate when necessary from the book of Acts
and beyond. We don’t gather to emulate what we consider the absolute right way
to practice church, we gather to commune, to celebrate, to lament, and to worship. Along the way, I've learned that it’s possible to
bend without breaking.
10. The more I read my Bible the more I
realize it doesn’t make life any easier.
I consider the Lord's servant Job. He seemingly had it all together, until he didn't. Knowing the Bible, practicing it's ways, and being a Christian doesn't exempt me from real suffering, either temporary or prolonged. None of these factors releases me from the need to lament my losses, to drift away into silence, to question God in times of disorientation. The words of scripture reveal that this is how the nation of Israel interacted with God, and when they didn't interact they fell prey to forgetfulness. Forgetting spelled terrible things for the Israelite! I'd rather face the tough realities of life head on, sometimes even in anger at God (gasp!), rather than suppress them and lose touch with God completely. Otherwise I grow quiet, despondent, and passive. And then I forget. Reading my Bible more taught me that suffering is not only a possibility, it is imminent.
This list is not meant to be for everyone, but it has been my journey. As I read and study the Bible more and more, I get more sensitive to who God is and what He is really about. Life has been a lot more peaceful. Therefore, I'm OK with the progressive side of me.
I leave you with this Wonderful Video. :)
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