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My Addiction

By Jeremy Myers
6 Comments

I have probably lost all my readers by now…but if you’re still out there, thanks for hanging around. I haven’t posted in a while because we’ve been moving. Wendy and I counted the other day, and we think this is our twelfth move in twelve years. Not fun. We do not like moving.

Hopefully, we can stay here for a while.

Anyway, during this move, Wendy and I realized (once again) that we have an addiction. We are addicted to books. Between the two of us, we filled 25 bookcases.ย These cases are six feet high, with five shelves each.ย And we stacked books on top of the cases also,ย so each one is holding six shelves of books.ย That’s a lot of books!ย 

Let’s see…if each shelf is about 2.5 feet wide,ย and weย use six shelves on each bookcase, then we have about 375 linear feet of books.ย Not every shelf isย packed as full as it can be, so let’s make it only 300 linear feet. That’sย a football field of books!

And yes, in case you’re wondering, we don’t just collect books; weย hope to read them all as well. I currently have over 80 books in my “must read NOW” pile. Sigh.

God is Uncategorized Bible & Theology Topics: Books I'm Reading

Defining Church

By Jeremy Myers
3 Comments

Close Your Church for Good. Chap. 3, Sec 3. Since I had already posted the intro to chapter 3 on July 18 (it was chapter 2 at the time) , I decided I better post something new. So here is my working definition for church.

What is the bare bones basic understanding of church? What did Jesus try to teach His disciples about what He was forming them to be? What did Paul and the other writers of the New Testament try to impress upon the readers of their letters? What is common to nearly every spiritual renewal movement in history?

In this book, church is being defined as the people of God who follow Jesus into the world. To arrive at this simple understanding of the church, it is necessary to unpack and unwind some of the complex misunderstandings that have been constructed around the church.

God is Uncategorized Bible & Theology Topics: Close Your Church for Good, Theology of the Church

Defining Church

By Jeremy Myers
3 Comments

Close Your Church for Good. Chap. 3, Sec 1. To talk about the church, or to live and operate as the church, you must have a definition of “church.” What is yours? In this chapter, I will introduce mine.

* * * * *

Have you ever wondered why your church does certain things a certain way, while the church across town does everything so different? Churches have wide diversity, from music and preaching styles, to building construction and leadership approaches. Why is this? Some of it has to do with traditions and customs, but even these are often guided by something much more basic: the definition of the church. What is the church supposed to be and do? It depends on how you define โ€œchurch.โ€

But getting a definition is not as simple as looking up a verse in the Bible, asking your pastor for his, or looking one up in a theological dictionary. Even where church is defined, such definitions tend to be full of complex ideas and theological jargon which require further explanation. For example, a typical definition of “church” reads something like this:

Church (Gk. ekklฤ“sia) is the universal body of believers that functions under the headship of Jesus Christ and meets regularly in local assemblies to carry out the Great Commission through observing the ordinances of Baptism and the Lordโ€™s Supper and listening to the preaching of the Word of God, all for the edification of the believer and the evangelism of the world.

It is difficult to disagree with such a definition. However, disagreement begins when you start to discuss what the various terms and words mean. How can the church be both universal and local? Who is a believer? What do they have to believe and who gets to decide?ย  What does it mean for Jesus Christ to be the head? Should we have pastors and priests or not? Why are baptism and the Lordโ€™s Supper called ordinances? What kind of baptism is required? How and when should people be baptized? What exactly constitutes โ€œthe Lordโ€™s Supperโ€? How often should it be observed? Who gets to do the preaching? How long should the preaching be? What does it mean to preach โ€œthe Word of Godโ€? Also, this specific definition says nothing about leadership, organization, church government, denominations, our role in politics, and many other issues that are important to the average church.

The theology books generally attempt to answer these sorts of questions. And before you know it, an attempt to understand what the church is and what the church does requires detailed knowledge of dozens of books and an advanced educational degree or two. The โ€œbasicsโ€ of church seem to require a lot of advanced study and research. Apparently, the basics are not so basic after all.

God is Uncategorized Bible & Theology Topics: Close Your Church for Good, Theology of the Church

Lausanne Movement

By Jeremy Myers
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I was reading through some of the documents for the Lausanne Conference 2010 today, and had to stop.

Why?

It’s not because I disagreed. Far from it. I wish I could go! The things they will discuss this year will direct world evangelism for several decades to come.

No,ย  the reason I had to stop is because I ran across several articles that were almost word for word what I have already written for the book I’m working on. It was spooky.

You know the posts I made a few weeks ago about what would happen if your church closed? They are here and here. I found a post on the Lausanne Movement website and it contained almost the exact questions I have in those posts. The article on the website also talks about how the church has failed to be salt and light, which I have already written about for my book (but have not posted it yet).

I promise, I did not read these articles before writing this section of the book! I am not plagiarizing!

So anyway, I stopped reading because I didn’t want it to color what was in my mind but not yet written. Once it is written, I will go back and read some more.

I did, however, download and print several articles from the 1974 Lausanne Conference for reading.

God is Uncategorized Bible & Theology Topics: Books by Jeremy Myers, Close Your Church for Good

Evolution of a Movement

By Jeremy Myers
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Close Your Church for Good. Chap 2, Sec 2. How did church become so complex? It didn’t start that way; it evolved that way. But we can become simple again.

* * * * *

Christianity began quite simply. Yet over the years, itย has goneย throughย various cycles of gainingย complexity until a renewal movement arises, and brings a portion of the church back to simplicity.ย ย These cycles are nearly always the same.ย Initially, the movement begins with a few simple but profound ideas which could be taught and learned in minutes. The people who hear these ideas are so moved by them, they are able to remember, practice, and teach them to others.ย 

Within a few years, however, the movement begins to morph. Questions get asked and answered and innovative practices become standard traditions. Cultural influences are incorporated to appeal to the masses but soon become indistinguishable from the movement itself. Eventually, the movement begins to slow as the required knowledge and expertise to live and function within the movement becomes so great, it takes not a few minutes, but a few years to understand and grasp the ideas and practices of the movement. The two or three initial truths which spread so rapidly at first are developed into massive systems of beliefs and practices, complete with books, specialized leaders, and training centers where new initiates spend years of study before they are allowed to go out and teach others also.

This continues until someone comes along and simplifies things again. Then a new movement begins bringing reform, renewal, passion, excitement, and generally, an explosion in evangelistic activity. Frequently, these new ideas, new practices, and the people who teach them are condemned as heretical by the established and well-grounded movement. But over time, the new movement either dies out, or follows the general pattern above, and is eventually incorporated into the well-grounded and established movement. When this happens, new books are written, new explanations are provided, new training centers open, and the ever-growing mass of required knowledge to live and operate within the movement expands.ย  Eventually, a new movement begins and the process starts all over again.

These spiritual movements often center around freedom. Those who are involved in the movement believe that the Scriptures contain very little about how church should be done. The Scriptures do tell us, however, what the church is, and what the church is supposed to do. As long as we understand this, we can be as free, flexible, and creative as we desire.

God is Uncategorized Bible & Theology Topics: Books by Jeremy Myers, Close Your Church for Good, Theology of the Church

Defining Church

By Jeremy Myers
2 Comments

Close Your Church for Good, Chap 2. Sec 1. Here is the new introduction to chapter 2. I’ve done major revisions to Chapter 1 also, which will only appear in the final e-book version.

* * * * *

What is the church supposed to be and do?ย It depends on how you define church. Butย getting a definition isย not as simple as looking up a verse in the Bible, asking your pastor for a definition, or looking one up in a theological dictionary.ย Even where it is defined, such definitions tend to be full of complex ideas and theological jargon which require furtherย explanation. For example, a typical definition of โ€œchurchโ€ in many theology books reads something like this:

Church (Gk. ecclฤ“sia) is the universal body of believers that functions under the headship of Jesus Christ and meets regularly in local assemblies to carry out the Great Commission through observing the ordinances of Baptism and the Lordโ€™s Supper and listening to the preaching of the Word of God, all for the edification of the believer and the evangelism of the world.

Thereโ€™s really not much to disagree with in such a definition. It is when you start to discuss what the various terms and words mean, however, that disagreement begins. How can the church be both universal and local? Who is a believer? What do they have to believe and who gets to decide?ย  What does it mean for Jesus Christ to be the head? Should we have pastors and priests or not? Why are baptism and the Lordโ€™s Supper called ordinances? What kind of baptism is required? How and when should people be baptized? What exactly constitutes โ€œthe Lordโ€™s Supperโ€? How often should it be observed? Who gets to do the preaching? How long should the preaching be? What does it mean to preach โ€œthe Word of Godโ€? Also, this specific definition says nothing about leadership, organization, church government, denominations, our role in politics, and many other issues that are important to the average church.

The theology books generally attempt to answer these sorts of questions. And before you know it, an attempt to understand what the church is and what the church does requires detailed knowledge of dozens of books and an advanced educational degree or two. The โ€œbasicsโ€ of church seem to require a lot of advanced study and research. The basics are not so basic after all.

God is Uncategorized Bible & Theology Topics: Books by Jeremy Myers, Close Your Church for Good, Theology of the Church

On Writing Books

By Jeremy Myers
1 Comment

The trick to writing a book, I’m discovering, is not in figuring out what to say, but rather, figuring out what not to say. Often, too much needs to be said, but not all of it can (or should) go into a book.

God is Uncategorized Bible & Theology Topics: Bible Study

Books and Life

By Jeremy Myers
2 Comments

Book Update: I’m having troubling making headway on chapter 2. It’s evolving into a beast. It looks like I will need to make it two chapters, which means the intro I have already posted will actually be the intro for chapter 3 (If I end up keeping it at all…). Also, I am rethinking the entire first chapter. I fear it might be too…condemning. I want to say what I think and feel, but do it in a loving way. However, I don’t want to be bland and boring. If I write, I want to keep myself interested as well as the reader. That first chapter had a little kick to it. I probably won’t know what to do with it until the book is finished. So anyway, I may repost the intro to the new chapter 2 soon.

On Life. We’re moving. That’s a chore. I think by our last count, it’s twelve moves in twelve years. Or is it thirteen now?

I’m refreshing my Greek and Hebrew by teaching it some guys at work. I figured I put all that time and tears into learning the languages, I should keep them up. I’m actually getting tutored in Hebrew by a Jewish fellow, and we are planning on reading Genesis together, and then move over to the Gospel of John (yes, in Hebrew). I found it for FREE atย http://www.ancient-hebrew.org/docs/13_GinsburgHebrewNT.pdf

Speaking of John, I continue to read it with Jamie and Bill. We had the craziest discussion last night from John 13. I tell you, if you have never read Scripture with somebody who has never read it before, you are missing out. Be warned though…you must be ready for foul language, coarse jokes, and heretical ideas. But friendships develop, and we get to talk about Jesus. Awesome.

God is Uncategorized Bible & Theology Topics: Bible Study

Spirit and Truth

By Jeremy Myers
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Mike and Gina Makidon are friends of ours from Texas. They are headed for Guatemala as missionaries, and as you may (or may not) remember, Guatemala has a special place in the hearts of Wendy and I. We tried to adopt a little girl from there, but the country stopped all adoptions before we could bring her home. It was heart-wrenching for us.

Anyway, I am thrilled that Mike and Gina are headed there. Mike is starting a newsletter and a blog, and I encourage all of you to go on over and check it out. He is currently posting some great insights from the book of Jonah.

Here is the link: Spirit and Truth Blog.

God is Uncategorized Bible & Theology Topics: Bible Study

Imagine that your Church Closed (Part 2)

By Jeremy Myers
4 Comments

Close Your Church for Good, Chap. 2, Sec. 2. In the previous post, I asked you to imagine what would happen in your community if your chuch ceased to exist. We continue this line of inquiry in this post.

* * * * *

How about the other people in town? Would the residents even know your church was gone? Again, it probably depends on the size and prominence, but in general, your church closing down would generate little more than gossip and speculation. Would the city council care? The Police Department? The Mayor? How about the gangs, prostitutes, and drug dealers? Would the media notice? Would the nightly news report it? Would the newspaper write an article? Even if they did, would it be a leading story? Would it make front page? They might do a report if your church was an historic landmark, but probably only if your town is small. Old churches close all the time, and the media rarely gives even a few lines of news. The only other time church closures get reported is when it is a mega-church, or when the pastor or staff are caught in some sort of sex scandal or financial crime.

So tragically, for far too many churches, the only people who would really notice that your church closed are the people who attend there and the pastors of the other churches that would receive them. The average person in your community and neighborhood would only know that your church shut down because the โ€œFor Saleโ€ sign went up. The brutal truth is that, for most churches, if they were to close, the negative impact on the surrounding community would be next to nothing.

Why is this? You hear some people teach that the church is the hope of the world, but how can this be if the people in your neighborhood and town wouldnโ€™t even know if you were gone? What has happened that the church, which seeks to be light and salt in the world, has become so insignificant and marginalized?

God is Uncategorized Bible & Theology Topics: Books by Jeremy Myers, Close Your Church for Good

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