Letters to the Editor - July/August 2006

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Mankind's Uniqueness
(posted 8-23-06)
At the risk of seeming to be some kind of nut, I ask: Did mankind first become fully human in Genesis 3? For certain, we are told that God decided to make man "in his image," but did mankind first demonstrate his uniqueness when he challenged God's commandment? Was this all necessary to the plan? We read of "the lamb slain from the foundation of the world." What does this say to us?

Kudos for 'Conversation With Skeptics' (Part 1)
(posted 8-18-06)
Thank you so much for including this article from Jeffery Vines (Vines’s three-part series describing his conversation with skeptics appears in the August 13, 20, and 27 issues). It is extremely well-written and clear beyond anything else I have read recently on this subject without taking an entire book to say it. I am printing it and sharing it with family and friends and will use the basic teaching as I travel to Africa. Pass along my thanks and blessing to Jeffery.
—Ed Buell
Terre Haute, IN

RESPONSE TO AUGUST 6 ISSUE

'I Really Miss the Christian Church'
(posted 9-1-06)
My husband and I raised our sons in an area of northeastern Nevada that did not have, and still does not have to my knowledge, an independent nondenominational Christian church. We went to a nearby Community Church. The nearest Christian church was in southern Idaho, Salt Lake City, or Reno, anywhere from a 2 ½- to 5-hour drive one-way (on a good day). Now my husband and I live in the mountains between Denver and Grand Junction, Colorado, and we still don't have an independent, nondenominational Christian church to attend. There is not, to my knowledge, a Christian church between Rifle and Denver. So we are going to a Baptist church. I am not a Baptist, and I have a hard time feeling part of the church when I don't agree wholeheartedly with the doctrine. I have talked to several Christian church ministers and I've sent e-mails to a couple of churches inquiring about the possibility of starting a church up here, and I've had no response.

I really miss the Christian church.
—Jayne Borden
Gypsum, Colorado

Churches Should Welcome Everyone
(posted 9-1-06)
A good letter from Zena Caulley (see below). I am a single, middle-aged female. I was baptized in an independent Christian church. I went to one for awhile, moved, tried to find another one but everything started changing in them and I couldn't find one that did not focus almost exclusively on "young families" and "young singles." Everyone seemed to be "put in a group" and unless you were "young single" or belonged to a "young family" it was almost like you didn't belong to the church.

Two Examples from Real Life
(posted 8-18-06)
I am gratified by the article in Reflections on August 6. Jeff Krajewski ("An Apology and Invitation") speaks about a problem troubling me. I cite two examples of the many complaints I hear.

RESPONSE TO JULY 30 ISSUE

A Daily Responsibility
(posted 8-7-06)
I like the essay by Drew Severson in the July 30 STANDARD (“Personal Attention: The Missing Link in Spiritual Growth”). If we are to reach people for Christ, we must show all Christians, from Scripture, that they are responsible for working at the task as they go about their daily lives. It is a responsibility, a wonderful opportunity, and also spiritually fulfilling in a way that nothing else can be. Most Christians miss the true joy of being a Christian, so they try to find that joy some other way, which can never work and can never be fully satisfying. I believe we preachers have been neglectful in doing our duty in keeping this way of thinking before our brethrens' minds. More than that, I believe it is possible, even likely, God will hold us accountable for that neglect in the day of judgment. This weighs heavily upon my mind daily!
—Lowell E. McCoy
via e-mail

RESPONSE TO JULY 23 ISSUE

Article Shows Real Insight
(posted 8-7-06)
Thanks to Paul Williams for "The One Who Says No" in the July 23 issue. We all know, however, it is wise at times to say "no." The article shows real insight. I always try to read Paul's articles and that says quite a bit!
—Don Dobyns
Overland Park, KS

RESPONSE TO JULY 16 ISSUE

Thoughts on the 'Emergent Church' 
(posted 8-18-06)
In Paul Williams's third part of the article on Christian church growth ("How Do They Grow? Part 3," July 16) he quoted Lesslie Newbigin's definition of the "emergent church" as the new and vital way to reach the world for Christ.” There were six points describing such a "coming church." Discounting his faulty use of community, I would like to discuss these.

1. Praise and thanksgiving. Hasn't the church always done this? Such the apostle Paul taught is pleasing to God (Hebrews 13:14).

2. Seeking truth. Haven't we always done this, or were Campbell, Stone, Errett, McGarvey, Welshimer, Butler, and Hayden just telling a lot of lies they thought up?

3. Not living for self but for the concerns of the neighborhood. Didn't Jesus teach us who our neighbors were and haven't we tried to practice it? We have emphasized the practical definition of faith given by James when others cast him aside. In 1940 all churches, including Catholic, in a Kentucky town joined hands to conduct Vacation Bible School together so as to reach all children. Then they put on a play together, presented wherever possible, to show the evils of alcohol and rid the "neighborhood" of it. Then we were told we should stop meddling and just preach the gospel.

Anyway the church must live for itself first or it would die and could help no one. In regard to helping others, Paul said to care for others but especially (first) for the "household of faith" (Galatians 6:10). This is reasonable. A good family will help others but first must care for itself in order to exist to help others. Read 1 Peter 2:17! Here loving the "brotherhood" (church) motivates honoring society.

4. We have always taught the priesthood of all believers. I remember years ago hearing Bob Shannon defining our priesthood as, "A priest talks to God about people, and to people about God." Great! Is the emerging church improving on this?

5. Mutual responsibility. Paul's epistles are replete with this truth and it surely has been urged in sermons by every gospel preacher. I heard it from George Mark Elliot and F.S. Dowdy in the Miles Avenue Church of Christ, Cleveland, OH, as a teenage boy (1930s) and have always tried to exemplify and proclaim it.

6. Preach the gospel of the death and resurrection of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) and you can't help but have hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). I have spent a lot of time explaining to inquirers how we are saved by hope (Romans 8:24).

So what's new and revolutionary about this emerging church? Maybe those in their 20s and 30s who were taken as by storm with this is 2001 were just young people who never heard or listened to the true gospel, who now have seen the light. There is no "new kind" of Christian; only the "right kind" as "old" as Stephen, Philip, Dorcas, Barnabas, Lydia, Phoebe, Crispus, Stephanus, Timothy, Titus, Priscilla and Aquila.

Another point--it is a strange anomaly that in present-day Christian writing, teaching, and preaching the most popular words are legalism, relationship, and community, none of which have a corresponding word in the original Greek text. No accepted version uses them (KJV, ASV, RSV, NIV, NASB) uses them at all except rarely for a few examples of illegitimately supplying them. For example, NIV supplies relationship where there is no corresponding Greed word at all in Romans 2:17. NASB has it in Matthew 19:10 where the Greek word means "situation"/"case"/"cause" and refers to sexual union of man and wife, not a "personal relationship to God" as used so often today.

None use legalism except NIV has "legalistic righteousness" for Philippians 3:6, literally "righteousness which is in the law (nomos/law)." Since law is a noun and legalistic is an adjective, this is a wholly unjustified translation.

Community does not appear anywhere but in NIV of Acts 25:24 where it is an improper translation of the Greek work plethos, meaning “crowd” and is used of the Jews in Jerusalem and not in regard to the church. The church is never called "community" in the New Testament.

I have written an article on “legalism” to appear in The Lookout on September 17. I wrote one that appeared in CHRISTIAN STANDARD on March 16, 1968; and a letter to the editor about it that appeared June 9, 1996, etc. I wrote an article on “relationship” for The Lookout, September 2005.
—Donald Nash
Grayson, KY

The Two Most Important Lessons
(posted 8-7-06)
Kent E. Fillinger has some good lessons from Starbucks (“Churches, Change, and Growth, Part 2”; July 16). However, he missed what are probably the two most important lessons:

Maybe Experience Does Mean Something
(posted 7-12-06)
Paul Williams did it again! “Too Old for the Job?” (July 16) is classic. It should be framed and sent to every elder in the country.

Granted, I may feel that way because I too am “over the hill” in many ways.

I remember thinking when I was younger that you had to be older and more mature to be considered for the really good churches. After all, you had to have experience. Now everyone wants “those younger guys.” And they have for the last 15-20 years. Barna even recommended that churches wanting to “turn around” needed to call younger guys.

Maybe the tables are beginning to turn. Perhaps, just perhaps, experience does mean something after all.
—Michael Hines
Sun City, Arizona

RESPONSE TO THE NORTH AMERICAN CHRISTIAN CONVENTION

'One of the Best I've Ever Attended'
(posted 7-5-06)
This year's North American Christian Convention was one of the best I've ever attended. The number of workshops and subject matter covered were very appropriate and helpful.

Both morning and evening worship sessions were truly Spirit-filled and the spirit of unity was obvious.

When I was a Bible college freshman, a required class was on the history of the Restoration Movement. I recall reading about the monumental meetings that took place as the Christian Church began to make headway in this country.

I wonder if, in the years to come, church history will record the great spirit of unity and significant events that took place at this year's NACC?
—Gary Armes

Praying God Will Multiply the Efforts 
(posted 7-5-06)
Praise God for the NACC giving their "non-instrument cousins" an opportunity to be blessed with a rich fellowship during the convention.  Even though I was not there I sense a great work of God in his family.

I pray God will multiply the efforts to keep and bring unity to the various ministries between us.  I pray also he will defeat the legalism seeking to bring us all down.

God bless you all at CHRISTIAN STANDARD for the fine way you have supported us all through the years.
—Steve Summers

RESPONSE TO JULY 9 ISSUE

'Inconsistent Or Incorrect Analogies'
(posted 7-6-06)
As a journalism professor, I was attracted to your July 9 cover article, “What Churches Can Learn From Newspapers.” I thought comparing the findings of the American Society of Newspaper Editors with the demands placed on today’s churches was a creative and thought-provoking idea. I just wish some of the material had been presented more carefully. That is, inconsistent or incorrect analogies between the ASNE findings and church situations led me to think that the author made various comparisons, valid or not, simply to make particular points. I’m sorry to say that approach affected how much credence I gave the rest of the article.

For example, at first the author compared “newsrooms” with “churches”; in the very next sentence, newsrooms were compared with “leadership boards.” A little later, “readers” were compared with “followers of Christ and spiritual seekers,” and “public officials” were compared to “church leaders.” 

Church leaders are in the church, as are “followers of Christ.” By contrast, newsrooms are made up of reporters, who are directed by editors (the leadership board?), and they all work for the publisher. They must consider readers, but readers are outside the newsroom, as are public officials. And as we all know, public officials and journalists are often at odds because, ideally, journalists serve readers in part by keeping public officials accountable. So just on that level, the article’s various comparisons are inconsistent at best.  

All this made me question the validity of the article’s larger points. To draw another analogy with journalism, I tell my students that they must make sure they get small details right—the spelling a person’s name or the time an accident happened—or else readers won’t trust them for “bigger” things. (I suppose that’s a biblical principle too: Matthew 25:21, etc.). So while I appreciate the author’s motivation, I wish I could have trusted the article’s basic information and comparisons, because I may have been more inclined to trust its broader applications.
—Simon J. Dahlman
Associate Professor of Communications and Humanities
Milligan College (Tennessee)

RESPONSE TO JULY 2 ISSUE

'Reflections' Was Troubling
(posted 7-12-06)
I have read and reread Becky Ahlberg’s “Collateral Damage” (the July 2 “Reflections” column) several times. I find common ground with Mrs. Ahlberg in the area of “details”: our “have it your way” culture most definitely has invaded church culture, and we’re too quick to fight over musical tastes and worship styles. I have a feeling that the Lord will have more than a few surprises awaiting us in Heaven in this regard. However, with each successive reading of the article, I’m troubled for at least the following reasons . . .

1. There is a sense of a “poor little me” attitude. We in ministry, whether the preaching ministry or worship ministry, need to shy away from “martyrdom” or “victimhood” when others don’t buy head-over-heels into our particular and peculiar tastes. The “my way or the highway” approach can have deadly results.

2. Mrs. Ahlberg’s analogy of “friendly fire” and equating the results of stubbornness, recalcitrance, and plain old hardheadedness with military casualties in Iraq is unfortunate and less than tasteful. Such events in the military are terrible accidents, to be sure—quite a contrast to a worship minister’s self-proclaimed “holy calling” as an “agent for change” in the local church.

3. A reminder is in order here—for every finger that Mrs. Ahlberg seems to be pointing at church leadership (be that senior minister, elders, et al), she should notice the three pointing back in her direction (a notice that ALL of us should take).

Let’s reference her main points this way: staff development is a TWO-WAY thoroughfare, and is the responsibility of all members; improper motivation must be expunged from both sides; neither side has a monopoly on mistakes; and healthy transitions can only happen with the cooperation and input of everyone.

4. Further, we should remember that worship is but one ingredient of the “bigger picture.” The recent trend to lead the church into a “worship experience” that leaves little room for the preaching and teaching of the Word is contrary to that very Word. Paul’s reminder that it is “by the foolishness of preaching” that souls are won and strengthened seems to be falling on deaf ears of many worship leaders. And it must be noted that worship leaders are not the only ones in the fellowship who know how to worship. That’s another attitude that needs some serious adjustment.

Over the course of four decades of ministry, I’ve unfortunately found myself in both positions (as a staff member dismissed and as a staff member remaining after a fellow-servant has been dismissed). I assure you that neither position is very comfortable. A congregation and its leadership that I know of has recently felt it necessary to follow the course of action that Mrs. Ahlberg decries. There are no “winners,” a fact driven home forcefully by the absolutely honest realization that no one wanted it to happen.

As Mrs. Ahlberg—and all of us—seek to “worship in spirit and in truth,” let’s remember that worship, like the Scripture itself, is “not of any private interpretation,” and that it involves the sound proclamation of the Gospel message.
—Mike Gillespie, Minister
First Christian Church
Cumming, Georgia

A response from the author: There are always difficulties in putting anything down in black and white. The opportunity to be misunderstood is wide open and there is no chance to clarify things that may have been misconstrued. It is even more difficult when one is asked to write a “Reflection” (which implies a subjective perspective) that is only 1,350 words long (which in no way makes it possible to give a substantive treatment).

As a worship leader, my “reflection” by its very nature will be about worship and the problems there. While there is no room for a “poor little me” attitude in ministry, I cannot ignore the reality of what I have both experienced and witnessed in this area. I was not seeking sympathy, but rather hoping to bring the matter to the attention of those who can do something about it.

I apologize if my comparison to military casualties was offensive to you. You are right: they are not the same. But so often the context of worship “wars” is used and in reading a particular article about Iraq, I was prompted to think about the many with whom I come in contact because of the National Church Music Conference.

It was never my intent to point fingers—just to point out problems that can be addressed by leaders. Of course it’s a two way street. However, leadership is usually driving the vehicle and determining direction. I make no excuses for worship leaders who are incompetent or recalcitrant or who think they are the only ones that understand worship. I acknowledge that hard choices are the reality of leadership. I hope you will understand that I was asked to share an opinion and offer a moment of reflection about a difficult situation. It was in no way intended to be an exhaustive treatment of a very difficult subject. If it has caused a few to think about hiring and firing practices, then I have accomplished my goal. —Becky Ahlberg