tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244166128997441003.post4152929596259376198..comments2010-11-22T22:19:54.049-06:00Comments on R(EVOLVING) Thoughts: Disciples or Apostles?Pastor Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08467093466716836308noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244166128997441003.post-41865785521573397292010-06-17T13:38:09.009-05:002010-06-17T13:38:09.009-05:00Ok...I'm reading sympathetically. I do like ho...Ok...I'm reading sympathetically. I do like how you are engaging people to take their role in the church seriously...their call to Christ seriously. This I love. Many people are indeed on a sightseeing tour... they are religious but not spiritual. As well there are many more people who are spiritual but not religious. <br /><br />The Church universal is in crisis and many are running around proclaiming this loudly thus I doubt many would argue the Church universal is healthy. The real question seems to be what to do to address our crisis? Are you challenging the general gathering of persons called Christians riding on the bus are you challenging those of us driving the bus?<br /><br />If it is the general ridership, I wouldn't worry about the semantics of disciple over apostle as there needs to be a much larger focus on catechisis (spiritual teaching or formation). If you are challenging those of us driving the bus to continue to deconstruct our eclessiology I would argue that it has already been totally deconstructed and what we need now is people to build a new bus...one with a driver.<br /><br />Peace of Christ,<br />BrianAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08489713551676602627noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244166128997441003.post-33807401320941697772010-06-17T12:52:31.380-05:002010-06-17T12:52:31.380-05:00Brian-
First, you continue to lump me in some gro...Brian-<br /><br />First, you continue to lump me in some group that I would not agree with. I think you should practice a little Duke sympathetic reading ala Amy Laura Hall. <br /><br />What I am not arguing for is a decontruction of authority, for I agree that Christ is the head of the church. What I am pushing against is the way it seems to me that the church has replaced that authority with our pseudo-authority. <br /><br />I know what you are arguing against and that is not what I am saying. In your analysis you need to account for the fact that two people could say the same thing but have totally different intentions or reasons for writing them. You bang against the individualism of Americans (rightfully so in my opinion), but fail to account for the fact someone could push against what we currently are from a perspective that accounts for community and submission to authority (of Christ). This isn't about creating a bunch of individual apostles it is about creating a community of apostles called to a mission by Christ.Pastor Justinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08467093466716836308noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244166128997441003.post-76338468055064883782010-06-17T12:34:40.207-05:002010-06-17T12:34:40.207-05:00Hhhmmmm. I don't like it. I generally believe ...Hhhmmmm. I don't like it. I generally believe most Americans will like what your saying here as most Americans are rugged individualists who decry authority and love to rebel. On that note many protestant Christians are still in protest although what we are protesting is usually not theological but instead social. My main objection is your eclessiology (understanding of church). An apostle is one who is called by God and anointed by the Holy Spirit to lead Christ's Holy Church of which Christ is the head. Apostles follow a line of succession all the way back to Peter and then Christ himself. Not everyone is called to lead the Church. All of us are called to discipleship but only some of us are called to be apostles. I do think you are called, appointed and ordained to lead Christ's Holy Church. Don't be afraid to lead the Church. Don't let the American culture overwhelm your calling as an apostle. Remember this. The Church is a theocracy...not a democracy. We don't get to vote who God will call to lead the Church. God calls who God desires to call and then gives them the anointing and authority to lead.<br /><br />(Just my initial reaction. I could give you a whole bunch of Biblical and Theological reasons for my initial reaction if you desire. My guess is not cause you know where I'm going.)<br /><br />Peace of Christ,<br />BrianAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08489713551676602627noreply@blogger.com