I sat down the other day with my fire captain and had some conversations regarding training. We had just returned to the station from a vehicle accident where our conversation with a neighboring department led to explanations of training scenarios and training videos we had each seen. One specific training video mentioned was regarding vehicle placement on major highways and roadways in order to protect the patient and protect the responders (fire, ems, police) from inattentive drivers. It was almost immediately apparent that my fire captain and our neighboring department's fire officers had both seen the same video on separate occasions, in separate classes. What also became apparent was that so often in fire training, instructors search the internet and find video tidbits and clips to back up their talking points. The result is typically that the students hear these talking points as gospel and re-teach the same clips as additional documentation. After our return to the station, my captain and I began to talk about how often we go to training classes where the instructors "proof text" video clips to boost their training perspectives. What begins as an effort to bolster training with videos of real-life situations (good intention) leads to misunderstood scenarios and half-truths. The final result is often division among fire departments.
But does a difference in concepts HAVE to result in disfellowshipping other brothers? I mean, do some of these differences really amount to anything more than semantics in the real world?
After reflecting on that perspective in fire service, I thought about a seminar I had the pleasure of attending on Friday night. Some would view a short lecture on Restoration History as a sharp stick in the eye, but since I have a business degree and didn', t join in ministry/missions until after college, much of these concepts and stories of how the church of Christ began are completely foreign to me (what, the "Church of Christ" wasn't established in A.D. 33?) Furthermore, as someone who does not identify himself to a particular denomination (church of Christ, Baptist, Methodist, etc), I haven't spent a lot of time devoting myself to the research of my heritage in the church of Christ. The evening began with a rather painful approach. "Name the most negative thing you know about the church of Christ," Doug Foster said. Cultlike, Exclusivist, Legalist, the list began. But how did we get this way?
Doug Foster shared some history I did not know about the church of Christ. For instance, I have often heard fellow "CoC" brethren talk about being nondenominational, even though it is apparent that it is no less a denomination of the Christian faith than any other Christian group... Doug Foster shared that in the covenant documents of what eventually became the credo of church of Christ groups, it was the intention that unity, faith, scripture, etc be restored to followers of Jesus in order to avoid division. Yet, through a desire to seek knowledge of scripture and time in communion, a division was created that causes angst among many still today.
Well, what about how members of the church of Christ believe that their methodology in reading scripture and deducing truths is far above and beyond that of other Christians? From a covenant document of Alexander Campbell's 13 propositions: "That as it is not necessary that persons should have a particular knowledge or distinct apprehension of all Divinely-revealed truths in order to entitle them to a place in the Church... on the contrary, their having a due measure of Scriptural self-knowledge rspecting their lost and perishing condition by nature and practice, and of the way ofr salvation through Jesus Christ...with a profession of their faith in and obedience to him...is all that is absolutely necessary to qualify them for admission into his Church." What does all this 1800s English mean? Simply that to qualify as part of the body of Christ--not of a denomination, not of a particular Christian group... just simply to qualify for the salvation of Christ-- you need to realize that scripture states that we are all a lost people and have salvation in Christ and should act upon that. It is sad that a concept of explaining the beauty of salvation in Christ has led to many people trying to state that their knowledge and doctrine are superior. In short, it has created division among brothers.
Again, I ask, does a difference in concepts HAVE to result in disfellowshipping other brothers? I mean, do some of these differences really amount to anything more than semantics in the real world?
Just as in the case of the well-intended fire instructors above, we often take concepts that are pure in heart and let them get out of control. In the cases above, what began as an idea to restore unity among followers of Christ led to exclusive behavior by a few, which resulted in reduced credibility of a large majority.
We have heard the phrase "the road to hell is paved with good intentions." I want to take a little out of context and say "the road to division and half-truths is paved with good intentions." As a body of Christ, let's spend time this week trying to restore unity to the brethren, and redeem others back into relationship with their Creator.
Have a great week!
No comments:
Post a Comment