I recently finished reading The Myth of a Christian Religion by Gregory Boyd. Overall, his approach is similar to the one I will take in Close Your Church for Good. He reveals how the church has become seduced by various powers which have kept us from living according to Kingdom principles. After laying the groundwork for this premise, he writes about various subjects that the church must avoid in order to revolt against these powers and return to living like Jesus. For example, he calls for a revolution in the areas of judgment (chap. 4), nationalism (chap. 7), racism (chap. 10), and greed (chap 11).
It was a good book, and I really appreciated how he approached each subject with grace and tact. After presenting an area of concern, he gave suggestions, but always with gentleness and respect, knowing that the Spirit may lead you or I to respond differently.
And that brings me to my only difficulty with the book. I think that he didn’t go far enough. Greg implies that though most churches in the world are enslaved to the Powers, he and his church have found a better way. I have never visited his church, but my guess is that if I did, I would not be able to tell that it was much different from almost any other church in town. He’s made some changes which I think are a move in the right direction, but are they enough to reverse the course we are on?
It’s like a Playboy photographer who doesn’t look at Playboy magazines, or a Tobacco Company CEO who doesn’t smoke, or a BP Oil Executive who drives a hybrid. If you’re still part of an abusive, exploitive, damaging system, who cares if you make a few tweaks with your own involvement?
Maybe what we need is not a revolution, or even another reformation. What we need is a death and resurrection.
Wow! Jeremy is getting serious. I like it. Your similes are good enough that I plan to steal all of them. Be careful, though. The role of extremist (as am I) is a lonely solitary road…”I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” It’s always a good day when you get the opportunity to quote Frost.
Here’s something I’ve been thinking about the last couple days–why does all of this seem like a constant one-way conversation? When do we begin to ask questions and truly dialogue with the folks we’re trying to love? If we do, is this where grace begins?
Does my question make any sense?
To say another way–When do we start listening to the worldviews of “others” with equal passion as we preach at them? I don’t have it worked out in my head yet, but I sense that it’s important.
I sometimes wonder if we are even on the road less traveled. Sometimes, I look around, and think I wandered off the road completely, and am trying to fight my way through the thorns and underbrush.
I like your question.
Are you talking about church people? Or the people that church people criticize…Muslims, democrats, and homosexuals?
I am in several conversations with both sets. The first type of conversation (with church people) often concludes with me being called a heretic. I try to be kind and gracious. I really do.
Conversations with the second group tend to go better, but not always, primarily because they still associate me with that group of church people.
I agree it’s important. Keep me updated on how you are doing with these conversations.
Bonar, I just received your book yesterday, and will read it soon, based on Jeremy’s recommendation.
I’m not a preacher, not part of the IC, take no money from them and give them no money. I do meet with a handful of believers about every week in a cafe or in the street, but most of the people with whom I’m in dialogue are the folks I’m trying to love. For me, this is what following Jesus looks like, not that other stuff.
I’m tired of trying to engage religious people in dialogue. It all has to be by their rules, using their language, their paradigms, their certainties. They don’t want to listen to me or the folks we’re trying to love. O.K. They can sit on their velvet seats in their stained glass temples and talk religion. As for me, I prefer the streets with the people.
Let me know what you think of his book! It is hard hitting.
…and yet…I struggle. I come on like gangbusters shouting down the religious system and it’s zombies. I come on hard screaming at the intolerance of the system. But somehow I think we’re all missing something by choosing sides like I have done. Sometimes the missing piece peaks at me around a corner, but by the time I rush to the corner to get a better look it has vanished. I don’t like just complaining about the problems. I want to engage the solutions. It’s like seeing land on the horizon from a ship and not knowing what type of land it is or how far away it is. It’s there, but that’s all I can discern.
Anyways, whether you appreciate the book or not, let me know. I’m not scared of criticism.
That’s it! I sometimes think that what is eluding me around the corner may in fact be the institutional church. I kind of hope not….
For the record: I do NOT hate institutional church. I hate the worship if institutional religion. To me there is a significant difference.
Good distinction.