Terri Responds

Terri Responds:

And next....pole dancing for those people who feel that worship could draw in that demography of people. Anyway, that was a funny, but, I wanted to say in response to an earlier comment about worship being relevant...it still becomes a "fundamental" for that particular church. Fast forward twenty years into the future when "coffee house churches" refuse to change their mode of worship. Just a thought. I'm not saying that those churches are wrong. God is definitely allowing growth and His word is being heard, but I can't help but feel like "what's happening to my Father's House?" You know, like when Jesus over turned the money tables at the temple....

Could you exactly pinpoint what fundamentals you are talking about that affected your faith? I mean, was it something like not being allowed to dance, play cards...or was it more of the guilt for not showing up to a scheduled work day at church...or my personal favorite...the tally board posted at the front of the church that shows how many members were present and how many members were heathens that Sunday... 
I don't think fundamentalism is all bad. Some believers really thrive in that setting. It doesn't mean that they love the laws first though. Only God can know their hearts and certainly His grace is sufficient. None of us are righteous anyways...even our righteousness is like filthy rags. (my paraphrase of that scripture.)

+++++++

LOL on the pole dancing. Don't you think its wierd that when we are talking about church and what we like or don't like about a service, when we find something that bothers us, it will lead to something really bad, like pole dancing? For me growing up it was always "pornography". My dad would say, "Well, if you are going to listen to Karen Carpenter's rock music, what's next? Pornography?" My mom used the same argument when we were trying to get permission to sing praise choruses in the Bible Church. She said, "Why do you want us to sing praise choruses?" Naively I told the truth, "Because I like them." My mom's reply was predictable, "Oh, so if everyone wanted pornography we would use that too?"

Did you know that these very same arguments were used to condemn the protestants who eventually broke away from the Catholic Church? The same arguments used to resist translating the Bible into our everyday language instead of keeping it in Latin? The same arguments used to insist that Mass had to be in Latin as it had been for hundreds and hundreds of years even though the people attending the Mass could not understand a single word? These are old and worn out arguments designed to help us miss the point of the discussion. I long to have the discussion and that is why I encourage it.

The point I am making is this: legalists teach that to abandon the traditions (rules and structure) of the past is a slippery slope that leads to (pick the most apalling sin you can think of and insert here). Of course, modern christian music is not a slippery slope that leads to sin. It is a perference. But, you can find many fundamentalist churches and web sites that explain that modern Christian Contemporary Music (referred to often just as CCM) is a tool of the devil and designed to create unity and cooperation between churches which is bad, and will ultimately usher in the Great Catholic Whore spoken of in Revelation. Is is not the disagreement that I am speaking out against, it is the villification and condemnation of others who are different or choose to do things differently. I mean, fundamentalists don't like Billy Graham!

With all of that said, I agree there are some things for us to consider as our churches strive to be relevant to our culture. I think the danger of coffee house churches is that the focus will remain on helping people "find" Christ and forget to help them "follow" Christ. Then we will come full circle and have churches that are just modern versions of "time to walk the aisle and get saved" churches that only preach "the gospel" and never anything Christians need to figure out how to live here on earth. I think it is healthy to ask the question, "Ok, so we are approachable. Where are the services and meetings that teach us to grow and live and love others?" I firmly believe there has to be a balance and we can't do it all in a single meeting like Sunday Morning. I am reminding us that the Bible does not give us a comfortable, set in stone format we have to follow. It allows us to meet the requirements (approachable and to edify) in ways that are both relevant to culture and preference. I think its ok to say, "I like hymns and prefer to attend a church that sings hymns." Then find a church that matches your preferences, the things you like. But, we don't have to make hymns "right" and everything else "wrong".

I realize that the book I am writing is not available and many of your questions are answered (or at least I try to answer them) there. But let me try to address my problems with fundamentalism. Frankly, I don't have a problem with the "fundamentals". And for the most part, the fundamentlists I know love God and want to do his will. They are inredible Christians whom I deeply love and greatly respect. In that sense I am still a fundamentalist. I have not rejected them; they have rejected me. And that's a whole different discussion.

But "fundamentalism" is a problem, and it is not the specific rules, but the mind set and legalism that is built around the fundamentals that is a problem for me, and should be a problem for any Christian. BTW, I hate that little tally board as well! I mention it in my book. Sadly, there are so many things in our churches that are in the same spirit of that tally board, measurements of our spirituality. I do think fundamentalism is "bad" in the same way hypocrisy is bad - it misleads. I think for the most part, it misses the point of Christianity. Jesus says it best:

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices--mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. Matthew 23:23

This is a perfect example of legalism. You can't say, "Do not drink alcohol because the Bible says not to drink" when that is not what the Bible says. You can't say, "Don't wear jeans because the Bible says you can't" when it doesn't. I could go on and on. You can't say, "We only teach what the Bible teaches" when you actually don't. And I don't think it is acceptable that when someone tries to point out the hypocricy, they are "shunned" and separated from because "obviously they don't love God." It is true that I am speaking of my own experience, but it is a shared experience for many, many people. And most do not recover. They lose their faith. That is why I am writing the book. I understand, and I want to help.

The truth is that the Bible says don't be drunk; it does not condemn drinking. In fact, God commands it as a part of worship related to giving your tithe!

Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year. Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and olive oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the Lord your God always. But if that place is too distant and you have been blessed by the Lord your God and cannot carry your tithe (because the place where the Lord will choose to put his Name is so far away), then exchange your tithe for silver, and take the silver with you and go to the place the Lord your God will choose. Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice. Duet. 14:22-26

I was shocked to find this verse, wondering why it was never preached on, or talked about when we discussed the prohibition on alcohol. Of course, it is not the only verse like it. Many others indicate that there is not a problem with consumption of alcohol, only the excess of being drunk. I changed my mind about this a very long time before I actually drank any alcohol, so don't think it was just a justification for me to do what I wanted.

If you personally decided to never drink alcohol, then that is between you and God. But you can't suddenly preach that all Christians who drink are "false" Christians. All those who wear modern clothing are also "false". I love this one, I was told this directly at my Christian H.S. "Rock music is the Devil's music. Since you like rock music, then you like the Devil. Therefore, you are friends with the Devil, and you cannot be friends with God. You can't really love God, and since you are not a real Christian, I must separate from you!" Is this "healthy" Christianity? I think not, nor does the Bible:

Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will notbe condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Luke 6:37

Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. Colossians 2:16-17

The reality of our Christianity is found in Christ. This is the point I wish to make, my respectful disagreement. I am simply using the tools I was taught as a fundamentalist - love Jesus first, and only believe what is taught in the Scriptures. I have found that much of what I was taught was not in the scriptures. I hope I do not become anyone's enemy for pointing these things out. As Paul says:

Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth? Galatians 4:16

I pray that is not the case for anyone reading this blog, my Facebook page, or my book. I am just glad the dialogue has started.