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Hell No? Hell Yes?
Rudy at Urban Onramps posted a story asking his readers if they are “linkers” or “thinkers.” I think I am a linker who longs to be thinker. Whaaa!??!?!
Anyway, a few weeks ago I finished reading Brian McLaren’s The Last Word and the Word After That“. On Monday, Brian did a few guest blogging sessions at various “emergent” blogs. On JordonCooper.com here is how Brian summed up the main thrust of his book:
For those of you who haven’t read the book, here are some of the main ideas:
A. Our view of hell has a lot to say about our view of God (and vice versa).
B. For many people, hell means that God torments or tortures people consciously and forever, with no possibility of repentance and no possibility for an end to the tortures.
C. This view of God, I believe, is unworthy of the God presented to us in Jesus Christ.
D. The conventional understanding of hell developed over a long period of time. It wasn’t revealed in the Old Testament, but arose in the period between Testaments. When Jesus speaks of it, he hasn’t invented it, but rather is responding to it as a controversial idea among the Jewish people of his day.
E. The Sadducees were the conservatives who held to the older view that there was no hell or no afterlife. The Pharisees were, in a sense, the liberals who accepted the idea of hell. Many believe that the idea of hell came into Judaism from Persian religion – and that the name Pharisee may be from Farsi, or Persian.
F. Jesus does not follow either the Sadducees (who reject any idea of afterlife), nor does he follow the teaching of the Pharisees and their view of hell. Rather, he charts a bold new path and uses the language of hell (“owned” by the Pharisees) to draw attention to his own message – centered in the kingdom of God, and the character of God.
G. “The kingdom of God” does not mean heaven. Being excluded from the kingdom does not necessarily mean eternal conscious torment after death in hell either.
H. All people will face judgment. God is always both just and merciful in judgment. Being judged does not necessarily mean “being sent to hell.” Nor does being condemned. These words mean being exposed for being disobedient to God, not pleasing God, not serving God.
I. Matthew speaks the most about hell, Mark and Luke, less, and John not at all. Paul speaks often of the reality of judgment, but he doesn’t talk about hell. The New Testament is not as clear about the subject as many people believe.
K. We need to rethink the message of Jesus and the apostles in terms of the kingdom of God – which is God’s will being done on earth, and not be so preoccupied with the issue of hell.
Pretty challenging. I can’t say that I agree 100% with everything here but I can tell you that I am 100% stretched and moved. Brian does such a wonderful job asking questions. The two points that poke at my heart are A and K. I will be wrestling with this for a while and I encourage you to as well. I just wanted to post this link here for us to think about.
KINGDOM OF HEAVEN
What man is a man who does not make the world better?
The wife and I went to see Ridley Scott’s “Kingdom of Heaven” last night. The movie is based on the siege of Jerusalem led by Saladin against the knight Balian and his forces. Although not entirely accurate (See Holy War by Karen Anderson), the film was engaging.
Over the past few months, my heart has been dogged by the question, “What does Jesus Christ mean when he talks about ‘the Kingdom of Heaven.” I know that I am certainly not the first person to ask this question. I just don’t have an answer. I do know that I am less and less inclined to believe that He speaking eschatologically. I also believe that in the USofA, we think more about the sweet by and by and less about the here and now. It seems that everything I read, every small conversation, every news report I see has been pushing me closer and closer to this question lately. Greg posted a heartbreaking thought on “the kingdom” this week. The question is driving me at the moment. Don’t be surprised if over the course of the next few weeks if this question spills a lot of digital ink here. Just a necessary part of “Kicking at the Darkness.”
Meeting God Without The Sunglasses
The other day I posted that I was reading Bono in Conversation with Michka Assayas by Michka Assayas. On that post, Beth commented that she was “quite astounded by his complete candor about his faith in the Assayas book.” I could’t agree more. Bono seemed more than willing to open up about his childhood, his family, and his causes. What stuck me more was that Bono could be speaking about the Sandanistas in South America or conversations that he had with his father and seemlessly transition into talk of the Spiritual. On top of that, he never falls into the televangelese of “JEEEEEE-SUS.” When he discusses a scripture reference or uses a biblical example he steers clear of beating his breast for shameless self-promotion by saying “Look at how spiritual I sound.” His words on faith just come out at any given moment in humility and earnestness. They are real and raw. When he is speaking about faith, Bono reminds me that the gospel is good news. It isn’t a weapon or an aurgument as much as it is a life giving story that should permeate our thoughts and pepper our outlook. Brian McLaren speaks of the gospel in terms of the daily paper. The paper has a daily section, a sports section, a religion, a buisness, and a world section. Instead of keeping the Trinity exclusively in the religious section, the Gospel has something to say in every section. The Gospel should interact with every facet of our society just as it inteacts with our heart, body, mind and soul.
I’ll post some of my favorite conversations later this week.
Snappy Post Title
I just finished The Last Word and the Word After That.
It has been 4 years (to the week) since I first read A New Kind of Christian. This book wrapped up the trilogy. I don’t have time to post my thoughts right now. I am heading to Atlanta for a funeral at 6am so I will try and post a little something about it on Friday. If anyone has read any of the books and would be willing to discuss them with me, drop me a comment. Peace.
Just a Thought
Jesus With Dirty Feet
Don Everts
Jesus walked.
Jesus was a man with dirty feet.
He spent most of those three years walking around with people.
He invited folks to become his intimate followers.
Everywhere he went great crowds gathered around to listen to him, to be with him, to see what he would do next.
As Jesus led his twelve closest followers they would walk along the dirt roads together.
They went to parties together.
They ate meals together.
They worked together.
Jesus walked as a human among humans, brushed elbows with politicians and outcasts, went to parties with sinners and criminals, and embraced as his own family those he met on the street.
Jesus floated on no pristine clouds.
Jesus was no aloof elitest.
Jesus was no odd hermit.
He preferred the world of dirt and friends and handshakes.
He embraced this relational life on earth more passionately than anyone ever had.
I’ve Got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy…
Down in My Heart! Where?
Tonight we resume meetings for our small group Bible study. This quarter we are looking at Paul’s letter to the Philippians using the Serendipty small group resources (Great resources to get students talking through the scriptures and growing together).
As I reread the letter last week, I was stuck at how hopeful Paul’s words are. Although our group wont’t get to it until next week, I think that the well worn statement in v 21 gives us the reason behind Paul’s joy. I love how poetic the Message staes this: “Alive, I’m Christ’s messenger; dead, I’m his bounty. Life versus even more life! I can’t lose.. As I’m typing this I’m listening to “Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own”. Very fitting for the letter to the suffering city. Compare Paul’s words of encouragement to Bono’s words to his father.
Philippians 1:3-14
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. 8God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ–to the glory and praise of God. Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.
Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own
Tough, you think you’ve got the stuff
You’re telling me and anyone
You’re hard enough
You don’t have to put up a fight
You don’t have to always be right
Let me take some of the punches
For you tonight
Listen to me now
I need to let you know
You don’t have to go it alone
Can you hear me when I sing
You’re the reason I sing
You’re the reason why the opera is in me.
Tonight we are going focus on this passage. My prayer is that it will encourge our students to rely on God and each other. I pray also that these words, Paul’s and Bono’s, my encourage you today. Peace.
Thank You
