On Feb. 5, 2023, I planned a brunch conversation with members of our congregation. 16 people showed up. A really good turnout in my books! Our conversation was centered on how we respond to what Christian Fundamentalists and Evangelicals when they say things about our congregation or denomination (ELCA).
Everyone got 4 x4 stickie notes (not mentioning brands). They were invited to post things that people from other Christian churches have to say about us. There were many kind things about our hospitality, our acoustics, our music, our desire to feed our neighbors and such.
But what I was getting at was – what about those folks who don’t think we are Christians at all? What are they saying and how do we respond. Here’s what we came up with:
| They Say | We Can Respond . . . |
| We are not really Christian | Yes, we are –They don’t get to decide that for us. A Christian is one who follows the teachings of Christ. We believe that we are saints and sinners all at the same time, made in the image of God. We baptize infants because we believe the power of God is something we will never fully understand and cannot earn. It is a gift of God. We believe we are saved by the grace of Jesus Christ. Therefore, we don’t need a “born again” date. Jesus did not require the “sinners prayer” in order to receive followers. He also did not invent the word, Christian. He called people to follow him. “Christian” became a later word which, though descriptive, also supplied a method for the church to label “insiders and outsiders.” In Biblical times, redemption would have been a term people understood through the reference of a slave being freed by being paid for. We are liberated by the love of Christ. |
| We don’t believe in Biblical inerrancy. | We take the Bible too seriously to think that it has no errors. Copies of manuscripts from the original languages don’t agree with each other on many things. The Gospels don’t agree with each other on many of the details of Jesus’ life and teachings. Not that these are errors, but they do reflect different perspectives. Which is correct? The perspectives have their own voices and truths to express. There are 2 different creation stories. Translators all had to make choices. Who gets to decide which parts of the Bible or which version is really inerrant? Those who claim inerrancy have a lot of loopholes out of Jesus’ commands and words about justice, mercy, forgiveness, and neighbor. We believe the Bible points us to God, in whom we have our faith. The concept of Inerrancy can make the book itself an idol. We worship God and treasure the Bible because it points it to the One who saves. |
| We are Liberals | This word is loaded. The assumption behind it is that “conservative” is the only way to be a Christian and that “liberal” is equated with Godlessness. This conversation needs to lift itself away from politics. God was outrageously liberal in showing us love through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus’ examples that we are to follow were nothing, if not liberal – there were leftovers when he fed the 5,000. He touched lepers. He spoke with foreigners and untouchables. His role model for “neighbor” was a generous foreigner, the Samaritan. One of the prime complaints about Jesus from the Pharisees was “He eats with tax collectors & sinners.” Yes, that is the Jesus we seek to follow as closely as possible. It is possible, even required, to love Jesus and care liberally/lavishly for others of “the world God so loved.” |
| Women aren’t supposed to be pastors | There is Biblical precedent for women apostles, evangelists, prophets, pastors, and teachers, and that they were given authority equal to that of men. The first Apostles (sent ones) were the women at the empty tomb. Jesus was radical in his inclusion of women. It is nearly miraculous that any of his teachings have survived 2000 some years of being passed down through Patriarchal societies. Yes, there is one Bible verse that says it’s wrong – but prior to that, the verses also say that “men should pray everywhere with uplifted hands and without anger and malice.” |
| We don’t follow Biblical teaching in regard to we are too progressive | Christians have different on many issues going all the way back to the Apostle Paul’s letters in the Bible. We take the Bible very seriously, but not all parts are equal. We filter through the actions and teachings of Jesus. ELCA pastors need a four-year bachelor’s degree PLUS a four-year master’s degree from Seminary, studying Bible (also in original languages), church history, systematic theology, and much more. (Pastor Pam has an additional Master’s in Pastoral Theology, and a Doctorate in Ministry.) People of differing viewpoints have come to those perspectives in different ways. We are not opposed to scholarship. In fact, we encourage it. We are also not opposed to science or technology. God would not give us the ability to study, learn, and think deeply without expecting us to use those abilities. |
What powers the engine of our faith train? (We live in a railroad hub city – had to go there.) Detractors would say it is a liberal agenda. We would say it is LOVE. Love that God first showered upon the world, a love we respond to by loving God in return, and loving our neighbors as God calls us to love.
There are a lot of things that could drive the engine of their church – here are some of the thoughts that came to mind.
In actuality, this is what we aim for. The engine on our train is powered by the love of God. We know we are saved by grace. We are neighbor oriented. Mercy and Justice are key words in how we relate to neighbor.
RDP WRITES 