October 06, 2014
Amen
I attended a liturgical
church that interspersed Scripture and responsive readings with two extra-biblical
readings. One reading was from Anselm of Canterbury, appointed Archbishop of
Canterbury (1033-1109); and the other from medieval spiritual writer and
English mystic Julian of Norwich (1342-1414). While both readings contained
theological insight, the passages were read in unison with no time to reflect
on the content or to measure the thoughts against Scripture. Although Paul was
specifically referring to the subject of talking in tongues, I found myself in
a similar position where I was unable to say amen to what was said. “If you are
praising God with your spirit, how can one who finds himself among those who do
not understand say “Amen” to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you
are saying” (1 Cor 14:16 NIV)?
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1 comment:
Gail;
-----Muslims say that everyone is born a Muslim, then parents corrupt the child with the false religion of their culture (or choosing, as it is in America.) Actually, a child is born devoid of knowledge and ready to receive impressions. I am thankful I was born amongst Christian people at a time when belief in the Lord was culturally accepted, maybe somewhat even expected, and to parents who knew the Lord enough to introduce me to Him.
-----I believed what was introduced. Eventually I acted on it, was baptized, and considered myself safe. But it bothered me that I had accepted the Lord based merely on what I had learned from my parents’ influence supported by the agreement of the culture in this little valley fifty years ago. Late in my seventeenth year I began examining God’s Word and whatever evidences might support it or deny it, since “…just because…” was just not enough. I was going to be given to the truth, or I was going to die meaninglessly.
-----Truth is an interesting concept. When I was in High School, and for many years after, “Who’s to say what’s true?” was a popular excuse to break whatever constraints you didn’t like. I found it educational that consequences often hinted at the idea of a knowable truth with a “voice” well able to testify to itself. To me, it was only logical that, at the end of pondering, truth itself would say what was true. Then, anyone having learned its language was to say what was true.
-----The more I dug to find the Bible real or fraudulent, the more I found it real. In its testimony are the processes of acquiring knowledge, pondering it unto understanding, living that unto wisdom generating relationship with the God of Creation through His Son, the Truth.
-----Now, I served my stretch amongst Holy Rollers. And though I regard them brethren, eventually I came to realize some of the supporting beams of their theology were not logically secured by the information at hand. In other words, when you let the Bible speak for itself, it does not speak as immensely of Pentecostal charisma as do the Pentecostals. They testify more to themselves than does the Word. The same can be said for the Seventh Day Adventists and the Baptists and the Presbyterians and all of the other denominations, including the Christian Churches, because the same can be said for everybody including myself. We all skew the truth with some bias. But learning how to deal with that bias is part of learning truth’s language.
-----This liturgical church you encountered has fortunately learned enough of the truth’s language to know what name to call upon. Probably they’ve learned enough beyond that to guide their behaviors into some amount of actual wisdom and understanding. But there’s something about a mere recital of past musings and Scriptures that doesn’t seem completely relevant. God saves our entire soul; the truth examines us wholly; edification builds upon all aspects of our being; and Jesus calls us to live His truth into every moment. A worship event of only reading doesn’t quite seem to umbrella all of that. It leaves me wondering if maybe there’s some part of their being they don’t want exposed to themselves.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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