Comments on: Riffs: 03:07:09: David Head (and Paul) on the Gospel

By: Headless Unicorn Guy

Headless Unicorn Guy — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 00:07:35 +0000

Evangelical worship is often driven more by hot guitar licks meant to get people dancing than an overwhelming encounter with holy Love that leaves people on their facesâ€”and silent.

From John 6:
After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him. Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

Does “hot guitar licks” (whether called “worship” or not) have the Words of Eternal Life?

Does Young Earth Creationism Uber Alles?

Does Pin-the-Tail-on-The-Antichrist?

Does Culture War Without End, Amen?

By: Mark Nikirk

Mark Nikirk — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 16:04:57 +0000

Keep saying it iMonk. Kep on writing until the situation changes. I live in an area that is predominantly Catholic. Its true to say that probably half of each evangelical congregation is made up of former cradle Catholics that left the RCC. Unfortunately, they generally bring with them the attitude that ‘liturgy is dead’. I’ve heard this many times. To compete for their patronage, the churches in my area get as far away from liturgy as they can….no Communion, no scripture reading, no call and response, and absolutely no Advent, lent, epiphany, etc…

I’ve been a charismatic evangelical all my life. I plan to stay that way because I believe in the traditions of my denomination. However, Gospel-less preaching, disregard for the sacraments, and the wholesale elimination of anything connecting us to larger church history and tradition has turned me into a refugee right now. I wonder how long I’ll have to wait until I finally feel at home in a church body?

By: Ed

Ed — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 14:53:29 +0000

Loved this statement from his post: “Evangelicals have for too long treated the gospels as elementary school and Paul as graduate school.”

Wow.

If we were forced to make the choice, I think many would choose having Paul’s letters over Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – at least that’s what it seems because Paul is so often used as a baseball bat in theological street fights.

By: sue kephart

sue kephart — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 14:10:58 +0000

I thought the idea of these (what I call) ‘new think’ churches was to indtroduce the Gospel to the unbelievers. The kind of born anew thing. Then at some time the baby believer would be ready to move on to the big boy and girl church. But it seems that the people stayed and now the ‘new think’ church has to do some more new thinking.

Meanwhile the big people church is losing members and starts looking at the ‘new think’ churches and sees they are growing so many decides to imatate them. Now we all seem to be getting shallower. It is getting harder and harder to find something credal, Eucharistic, liturgical and apostolic (believe what the apostles believed).