Repaint your faith?
March 28th, 2007
In response to Dave’s question relating to my previous post; Does the Christian faith need “repainting”?
Well, I don’t know. Obviously the original masterpiece is painted in scripture isn’t it?
I think Rob Bell is saying that in every generation through the ages and continuing on, we can ask ourselves how what we read in scripture ‘looks like’ for us today.
I think you have to be careful because obviously truth is truth, and what is essential and unchangeable doesn’t alter with time, culture or anything else.
However taking worship as an example, at the core of it, worship of God is what goes on between us and our Father but the expression of that worship has been demonstrated differently throughout the ages. Actually, probably history repeats itself, and therefore, our expressions of worship might too, but that’s not the point.
So I suppose how we ‘do church’, including worship and everything else is up for question.
I know Rob Bell doesn’t like labels, and he wouldn’t necessarily call Mars Hill an emerging church, but whatever, they are asking the same questions ‘How do we do church?’, ‘what is church for us going to look like?’. They are going back to the scriptures and working out church from the ground up, relating it to their culture.
Thinking about it, isn’t that similar to how the bible, Christianity, God, the Church would need to be translated within a missionary context? Not taking how we do church and Christianity and bending a culture to do church and Christianity the same way, but helping them to work out (or letting them work out) how they are going to be Christians within the context of their culture?
I don’t have a problem with any of that as long as we don’t compromise on what is unchangeable, and what matters most.
For me the most important idea is getting back to what we see in Acts 4, where all the believers were together and with one mind, and no one was lacking because where someone was without, other Christians gave what they had. They were a loving supportive, sacrificial community full of the love of God, working out Grace in each other. A living letter to the world, demonstrating the love of God.
That’s the kind of church I want to belong to, and that’s what I find most exciting about it all.
It’s great to ask questions and to be relevant, whatever. I feel like there’s a point we need to stop asking how we ‘do’ church, and just ‘be the church’, which is very messy, but very ‘real’.
March 28th, 2007 at 10:05 am
Church should evolve, as music changes and as worship changes as life changes just as long as the scripture remains faithful so should the congregation. My Church’s mission statement is “Making sense of life together-Sharing the love of Jesus”.
We are exploring where we as a Church are and are going at the moment. As you know James we have had a big change at our Church losing our Pastoral Carer and one of our Youth Leaders with Matt and Chris, I firmly believe that change can be a good thing, not painting over cracks either, but evolving like a butterfly. Prayer is key factor every step of the way must be prayed about and tested then stepping out in Faith.
I hope that makes some sort of sense?
March 29th, 2007 at 3:39 am
Yeah it does make sense. Prayer IS essential at all times, and we should seek God constantly you’re right.
I should imagine that church, community and the support and help that is has taken on a whole new meaning since since Matt and Chris went home.
If we are being the body of Christ like we are supposed to be, as Christ intends, then there is nothing more effective or beautiful, and no greater witness to the world.
March 29th, 2007 at 10:54 am
I have just ordered “Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith, Rob Bell” off Amazon to take with me on Holiday. I have watched quite a few of his videos during a season of bible studies and I am amazed at how fantastic a teacher he is.
A 10 hour flight I am sure I will get at least the undercoat on
March 29th, 2007 at 1:23 pm
i have decided i am going to use Velvet Elvis to help fuel a bonfire.
April 1st, 2007 at 7:28 am
sometimes change is essential in order for us touderstand what is going on in life, however we wont understand why it had to happen till years later if ever
yes the church and Christian faith does need repainting, anyone got a paintbrush??
April 2nd, 2007 at 2:16 am
that’s quite a claim to make, amy, that Christianity needs repainting. I think if we say that, we also need to say HOW it needs repainting. And what exactly does “repainting” mean?
i think often it’s simply OUR view of Christianity that needs repainting. For me personally, it always helps to stay spiritually fresh by remember my identity in Christ - i.e. I am a disciple of Jesus - what exactly does that mean? And I am a child of God - I can call God “daddy” - what exactly does that mean for me? How should it affect my life? And how should it affect my relationship with others?
This for me is “repainting” Christianity - but it’s more like dusting down my own spirituality, rather than attempting to a big overhaul on the whole faith. Which, incidentally, is perfectly “painted” for us in Scripture.
April 2nd, 2007 at 11:38 am
Christ is perfectc, Christianity is definately not, i think its time for a new reformation, well it has been for me anyway, as i’m sure James may have explained, i think James would be a great Calvin the second
April 2nd, 2007 at 11:54 am
Calvinism arggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh pre-destination arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh NO NO NO NO NO NO NO EVERYMAN has free will God gave it to us, so we are free to choose God or not it is not predestined if it was he wouldn’t have needed to send his Son to die for me.
April 3rd, 2007 at 5:55 am
ok calm down, James is the calvinist not me!!! predestination is an interesting conept you need to read a book called condemmed to be free, it gives an interesting approach, personnaly predestination does my head it but that may be because i have to study it n it affects everything, aswell as causing lots of arguments!!!
April 3rd, 2007 at 7:32 am
I just find it very funny to be honest. God created man in his image, he then gave man free will. Then people are trying to put that free will into boxes, or as Rob Bell puts it Into Bricks.
Each man is free to be what he wants and to do as he pleases. (esp in the west) God has plan for each us; but we have to chose to accept it. I was in to some very heavy stuff, satanism and drugs before I came to know Jesus.
I would love to hear someone say that was Gods plan for me to worship at another alter…I don’t think so, it states in exodus about him being a jelous God!!! To say I was pre-destined to Worship God is a joke as well, I am from a Athist family so why would he chose me and not one of the other 6 of us? Naaaa its an easy cop out.
April 3rd, 2007 at 11:57 am
again ‘calm down dear, it’s only a theory’ (Hehehe, i’m sad i know) why isn’t Mr Timbrell commenting???
April 4th, 2007 at 2:25 pm
You guys sound like your having fun!
Anyhoo, I think you may be getting caught up on the small matter of the choice of words used by Mr Bell. “Re-painting” could be seen as a negative “slagging off” of all christianity before this point. But I don’t think Rob is saying that, he is simply saying we need to get back to the point of being a christian (James nailed it in this post! Dood you could write the blurb for the back of his next book!) we need to concerntrate on the ultimate truths found in the bible and look at what that would look like today, in the here and now. You have to remember that Rob has a lot of stereotypes to try and shake off, in America people are more interested in what Mega-church you go to, or how much you give that tele-evangelist, or in some middle America biblebelt areas ; what colour your skin is!
Lets face it, throughout christian history we (as humans!) have been ballsing it up and missing the point. Bell is just saying lets get back to the heart of it, the bare bones, and keep it simple (we are human after all!). We need to ask if Jesus were alive in the world today, what would He think of His church?
Maybe a bit of repainting is in order?!